The Collateral Consequences of the War on Drugs on Justice Involved Women and their Families

• In Event: Exploratory Studies in Gender, Crime, and Criminal Justice

Abstract

Since the beginning of the U.S. War on Drugs, women have been the fastest-growing criminal justice population with the number of incarcerated women dramatically increasing by 700 %. As with their male counterparts, the vast majority of these women will be returning to their families and communities post-incarceration. As previous literature has shown, the majority of justice involved women are mothers whose families may be caring for their children, or who have lost parental rights due to incarceration. According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics (1999), an estimated 70% of women offenders have young children and an estimated 1.3 million minor children have a mother who is under correctional supervision. This study will explore the collateral consequences of the War on Drugs on justice involved women, and place women’s identities as mothers at the forefront of the process. Recommendations for gender-responsive policies and programs are also provided.

Author

• Sarahi Y. Robledo, Sonoma State University