Concerns and Coping Strategies of Women Inmates Concerning Release: “It’s Going to Take Somebody in My Corner.”

Community Reintegration

May 2021

Full Citation

Severance, T. (2004). Concerns and Coping Strategies of Women Inmates Concerning Release: “It’s Going to Take Somebody in My Corner.” Journal of Offender Rehabilitation, 38(4), 73–97. https://doi.org/10.1300/J076v38n04_05

Abstract

This article examines reintegration issues as experienced by women inmates approaching release. The data, based on unstructured, in-depth interviews with 40 incarcerated women, highlight the practical concerns that the inmates anticipate upon release and how they plan to overcome the obstacles before them. Housing, employment, familial reintegration, and substance abuse issues were commonly discussed. Coping strategies for overcoming these obstacles included education, 12-step programs, and prayer. Their accounts reveal the anxiety and fear associated with release and highlight the need for programs and policies to assist reintegration efforts. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved)