Photo by Denis Oliveira on Unsplash
Simran Adhikari and David L. Myers
Over the years, the number of incarcerated women has grown faster than that of men. This rise has brought several collateral consequences, including family separation, mental illness, disrupted employment and education, and barriers to work due to a criminal record. Incarcerated women are more likely than incarcerated men to experience depression, anxiety disorders, and eating disorders, and they are more likely to take prescribed medication for mental health conditions. The employment impacts of incarceration tend to be more severe for women, as men are generally more likely to secure full-time work after release. Women involved in the criminal justice system often come from disadvantaged backgrounds, and incarceration further disrupts family life. More than half of incarcerated women have at least one child under the age of 18, and most children lived with their mothers before incarceration. As a result, millions of children are affected by maternal incarceration and correctional supervision.