Description
The mass incarceration of women is a disturbing trend in American society. A 2018 report estimates 99,000 women are living in state prisons, with another 89,000 women in local jails. More than one million women are on probation or parole. A history of abuse and trauma, health problems, parenthood, and poverty add to the “collateral consequences” of incarceration when these women look for work, housing, and financial support after release.Despite an on-going body of scholarship examining male offenders, less is known about females under correctional control. There are few recent and relevant books for Christians working in faith-based programs with women who are under control of the criminal justice system (“justice-involved women”). The purpose of this text is to give voice to the experiences of these women and improve important ministry outcomes for those faithfully working on their behalf.It is also a call to action for God’s people to demonstrate mercy and justice for justice-involved women.