5. Exploring Kinship and Social Support in Women With Criminal Justice Backgrounds.
Women’s incarceration has broad social impacts because of the unique caregiving roles that women occupy in their families and communities. In this study, we used qualitative interviews to examine kinship and social support among 30 women who had been recently released from incarceration in either a New York State prison or Rikers Island, New York City’s main jail complex. Qualitative findings suggest that women relied heavily on biological and extended family members for support. Kin relationships described were with other women (i.e., mothers, grandmothers, and female friends/peers), older female relatives were commonly described as caregivers, and caregiving was a key aspect of social support (both provided by and given to participants). Relationships with God were also important. Findings from this study contribute to our understanding of kin relationships and social support in women who have been incarcerated