There’s an expression that justice is blind, impartial, and objective. It treats strangers just like it treats family. As an attorney and advocate, however, I’ve found when judges and juries decide the merits of a case, they consider how their choices impact a living, breathing human being, so while the justice system might be blind, it always has a human face.
Today, the number of women entering the criminal justice system is growing, as is the number of women returning home post incarceration. In fact, almost 81,000 females leave state prisons each year, making the face of incarceration increasingly female. The shift calls on society to reimage reentry and support policies to better meet the needs of the mothers, daughters, and sisters working to build new lives after they complete their sentences. The challenges they face at re-entry are different and often more daunting than those faced by men, which cannot be minimized, as we underscore and highlight the rarely spoken of or noticed path for our incarcerated mothers, daughters, sisters, and wives.
Incarcerated women suffer greater economic disadvantages than men and are more likely to be victims of abuse, while suffering higher rates of mental illness and substance abuse than the general public. Similarly, finding housing, which can be a reentry barrier, is often more challenging for women, who frequently need adequate and safe housing for themselves and their children. The Department of Justice tells us incarcerated black women are more likely to be heads of households, with dependent children, and are statistically less likely to afford bond and a legal defense.
Whether working to reunify families, resume parenting responsibilities, or looking for employment opportunities with limited experience and vocational skills, women too often find themselves doing more with less, using reentry programs designed for men who compose 93 percent of the prison population. Before a woman comes home, and as early as entry, corrections staff and reentry organizations can work alongside her to find work while incarcerated, so she can build transferable skills for post incarcerated employment. Agencies can also help her craft transition plans that address family reunification and childcare, housing, and transportation needs.
Advancements in technology are making a difference by empowering incarcerated women to maintain connections with their families and friends, particularly dependent children, through emails and video calls—connections that are critical to reduce recidivism among formerly incarcerated women. Tablets can also help women in correctional facilities access education and training skill content, inspirational podcasts, and faith-based materials that help build confidence in their potential to succeed.
Deploying technology requires more capital than governments are prepared to invest and can only happen at the speed and scale needed through public-private sector collaboration. While states offer wrap-around services to help with re-entry, they are under-resourced to meet the scale of the challenge and that’s why organizations like Aventiv are investing in technology- from secure infrastructure to tablets that connect the incarcerated to loved ones, reentry support, education and job searches, podcasts, inspiration, and other services – that empower rehabilitative justice.
Women returning home have a much higher need for reentry support services than men. It’s up to all of us to ensure that programs are adequately funded, that justice-involved organizations are empowered to deliver programs that address women’s unique needs, and that walls are broken down between government and the private sector to build stronger communities and help reduce the likelihood that within three years, more than 40 percent of women who leave prison, return through the same doors. Let’s drill down on solutions to support successful reentry for our mothers, daughters, and sisters.
CK Hoffler is the CEO of The CK Hoffler Firm, an Atlanta-based law firm, the Managing Member of the NIL Law Group, LLC, Chair of Rainbow Push Coalition, a past President of the National Bar Association, and a member of the Aventiv Technologies Advisory Board.