ABSTRACT
In 1998, the Department of Justice released an issue brief in which they conceded that female offenders have needs different from those of male offenders, stemming in part from their disproportionate victimization from sexual or physical abuse and their tendency to maintain primary responsibility for children. This chapter considers the ways in which the gendered experience of incarceration, particularly when considered alongside other aspects of identity-such as race and class-presents unique problems for women as they leave prison. It explores the ways in which theories about race, gender, and the law are applied pragmatically in the context of the William Mitchell Reentry Clinic. The chapter discusses how policies affecting incarcerated women are defined and approached from a theoretical perspective before being applied in a practical context to arrive at a more nuanced set of policy recommendations for incarcerated women who are mothers.
