Post-prison trajectories among Roma women

• In Event: Plenary 3 - Saturday

Abstract

This presentation emanates from the European project "Between Inclusion and Re-Inclusion: Navigating Post-Prison Trajectories of Roma Offenders" (ROMA OF-IN), which endeavors to elucidate the roles ethnicity and gender play in shaping post-incarceration life courses in Romania. The study meticulously tracked 30 individuals of Roma origin —comprising an equal number of men and women—over a six-month period following their release from prison. The research methodology was fundamentally ethnographic, immersing the researchers in the lived experiences of the participants through a combination of ad-hoc conversations, in-depth interviews, observational visits, and other qualitative engagements.
The findings reveal the profoundly intricate intersectionality affecting the trajectories of Roma women, marked by a nexus of abuse, trauma, maternal distress, both intra- and extra-familial discrimination, mental and physical health challenges, severe poverty, educational and vocational deficits, unemployment, and a pronounced lack of social services. These factors collectively funnel Roma women into a state of intense dependence on the already strained familial resources.
Moreover, the absence of effective state intervention and the failure of public support systems perpetuate a cycle of precarity that transcends generations. This study not only provides a comprehensive academic analysis of these dynamics but also advocates for actionable measures to ameliorate the conditions faced by the Roma in contemporary society.

Author

• Ioan Durnescu, University of Bucherest