Humanization Not Victimization: The Role of Reentry Programs in Reducing the Disproportionate Rate of Incarcerated Women in Alaska

Abstract

The incarceration of women in the United States increased by more than 700% since 1980. Alaska exhibited the highest imprisoned females to total female population ratio of any state in 2015, and its population of incarcerated women nearly doubled since 2000. While there is a significant amount of research in the field of Alaska’s criminal justice system concerning female victims of domestic violence and incarcerated males, hardly any research exists on the experience of incarcerated within Alaska’s unique criminal justice system. Recent plans to reduce the number of incarcerated people in Alaska’s criminal justice system fails to acknowledge the disproportionate imprisonment of women and the specific set of gendered obstacles imprisoned women face in the reentry process, although there is much potential to further reduce Alaska’s incarcerated population if these barriers are addressed. Objectives: Among many factors that presumably lead to the disproportionate incarceration of women in Alaska, this thesis seeks to analyze one of these potential causes by focusing on the challenges women experience upon their release from prison due to domestic violence. Hypothesis: Based on existing research on the intersection of women’s reentry and domestic violence, reentry programs play an integral role in reducing the disproportionate rate of incarcerated women in Alaska. I hypothesize that operational practices of community-based reentry programs that work with reentering women utilize gender responsive approaches in unique ways to address domestic violence. Dataset: I use a compilation of population data from the United States Census Bureau, annual Offender Profile publications from the Alaska Department of Corrections, and the latest figures of recidivism from the Alaska Judicial Council to produce detailed statistics of incarcerated women in Alaska. I also conduct interviews with community-based reentry program directors in Alaska to qualitatively complement the statistical findings. Methods: I use information from interviews concerning operational practices of reentry programs in Alaska to determine ways in which they are implementing gender responsive approaches to address domestic violence related challenges for reentering women. I preface this approach using statistical findings of incarcerated women in Alaska to show the significant influence of domestic violence in Alaska’s criminal justice system, from conviction to recidivism of women. Findings: I find that operational practices of community reentry programs incorporate gender responsive approaches to address domestic violence by (1) emphasizing domestic violence in the services they provide, (2) reflecting the ethnic identities of the reentering women they assist with their staff, (3) demonstrating trauma-informed communication skills when speaking with reentering women, and (4) providing staff training to outline appropriate expectations. Conclusions: This thesis concludes with the importance of dismantling the unfair set of challenges incarcerated women encounter, and the need for a systematic approach to creating effective community reentry programs in bringing about equity rather than mere equality in criminal justice reform.