Confined Behind Bars and Released to the Confines of the Shelter System

• In Event: Barriers to Housing & Relocation Post-Reentry

Abstract

Finding and sustaining suitable housing has become increasingly difficult for ex-offenders as the demand for housing far exceeds the available supply. Yet, gendered expectations and maternal responsibilities may introduce unique burdens for women in their search for housing and, once settled into certain living arrangements, they may also encounter unique maternal burdens in navigating familial relationships. This study uses in-depth interviews with formerly incarcerated mothers to examine their living arrangements after incarceration and explore the role of motherhood within their housing decisions and experiences. The findings demonstrate how women may be funneled from correctional facilities into homeless shelters where the conditions and restrictions of the shelter system negatively affect their maternal behaviors and relationships.

Author

• Janet Garcia-Hallett, University of Missouri - Kansas City