Research

Lift Our Voices

The “Lift Our Voices” blog features analysis and opinion from NBWJI’s experts on the latest issues and news.

Criminalization Risks & Incarceration Rates of Black Girls Aging Out of Foster Care

"Aging out” means youth reach the legal age of adulthood and transition out of the care of foster care. When children are placed in...

NBWJI

Jul 153 min read

Women with incarcerated loved ones—and formerly incarcerated women—were pivotal to the success of reentry for Black women. Their leadership, combined with lived experiences in supporting loved ones through incarceration, provided essential expertise and emotional support. This care and guidance helped transform the reentry experience for Black mothers and women, offering resources that made a meaningful difference Women with incarcerated loved ones, along with formerly incarcerated women, played a crucial role in the success of the campaign. Their leadership and lived experiences in navigating the challenges of incarceration for their loved ones provided invaluable expertise and emotional support. This compassionate guidance was instrumental in transforming the reentry experience for Mamas, as they offered resources that significantly impacted their journeys after release from incarceration..

The Hidden Heart of Reentry: How the Expertise of Women with Incarcerated Loved Ones and Formerly Incarcerated Women Is Reshaping Reentry

This month, the National Black Women’s Justice Institute published “The Hidden Heart of Reentry: Lessons from Essie Justice Group’s Black Mama’s Bail Out Campaign and the Expertise of Women with Incarcerated Loved Ones”—an evaluation of the Black Mama Bailout campaign. The report explores how the annual campaign reunites Black mothers with their children and families while highlighting the often invisible labor and leadership of women impacted by incarceration.

Kera Riddick

May 82 min read