Research Focus: Criminal Justice Reform • Women’s Reentry • Social Equity

“H.E.R. Next Chapter: Strengthening Transitional Pathways of Healing, Empowerment, and Resilience for Minority Women”

What challenge did your research address?

Minority women returning to their communities after incarceration often face significant barriers to rebuilding their lives, including access to stable housing, employment, identification documents, transportation, health care, childcare, and other essential services. For many, these challenges may be compounded by stigma, discrimination, fragmented resources, and systems that do not always account for their distinct reentry experiences. My research examined how community-based reentry support can better respond to these barriers and help women navigate the critical transition from incarceration to community life. I engaged practitioners and staff working directly in reentry services to identify gaps in available resources and explore practical, community-informed solutions. The research also highlighted a need for more women-specific and culturally responsive resources that reflect the immediate realities women face following release, particularly the intersecting barriers experienced by these women.

What inspired you to pursue this research?

My interest in this research grew from a desire to better understand the challenges women face after release from incarceration as they begin rebuilding their lives. Reentry is often discussed in terms of reducing recidivism, but I became increasingly interested in the human side of that transition: What does a woman need during the first days and weeks after returning home? Where does she go for help? What happens when resources exist but are difficult to find or access? I was particularly drawn to the experiences of minority women because their reentry needs can be overlooked, underscoring the need for resources and programs responsive to both women’s reentry needs and the distinct barriers minority women may face. That commitment led me to center the perspectives of practitioners working directly in reentry services, whose experience helped identify challenges and inform practical, responsive solutions.

What did your research find, and what is its impact?

My research found that women often face significant barriers during the reentry process, including fragmented or outdated resource information, limited access to technology, a shortage of women-specific and culturally responsive resources, and difficulty navigating services. One key outcome was the development of a practical, pocket-sized reentry resource guide informed by practitioners and staff working directly in community-based reentry services. The guide consolidates essential information on identification, emergency housing, clothing, case management, employment and education, childcare, healthcare and mental health services, and transportation. By placing essential resource information in one accessible format, the guide has the potential to make reentry less fragmented and more navigable for women, particularly minority women who may face intersecting racial, cultural, and gender-based barriers.

This work also extends beyond the dissertation. Inspired by the research and needs identified throughout the study, I established H.E.R. Next Chapter Initiative, LLC, to continue exploring ways to support women, particularly minority women, as they navigate life after incarceration. The initiative provides an opportunity to translate the research into practice and further support healing, empowerment, resilience, and successful reentry.

“The broader impact of this work is its potential to help make the transition from incarceration to community life less fragmented and more navigable for women.”

Carla Conley

🔗 Read her full dissertation here