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52 J. Offender Rehab. 1 (2013)

handle is hein.journals/wjor52 and id is 1 raw text is: Journal of Offender Rehabilitation, 52:1-15, 2013 I Routledge Copyright C Taylor & Francis Group, LLC Taylor& Francis Group ISSN: 1050-9674 print/1540-8558 online DOI: 10.1080/10509674.2012.713452 The Value of Silence in the Lives of Postincarcerated Women ALICE McINTYRE Department ofEducation, Hellenic College, Brookline, Massachusetts, USA The increase in the female inmate population in the United States has brought attention to issues related to women's incarceration. Due to a host of reasons-some personal, some based on society's view offemale inmates-many women find it challenging to speak about their experiences prior, during, and after their incarceration. This article explores the challenges postincarcerated women face as they engage the process of speaking their stories into ife. The participants' stories suggest silence as a necessary, valuable, and protective strategy for women who are living through a process of reconnecting with themselves, theirfamilies, and their communities. KEYWORDS incarceration, interviews, postincarceration, silence, women For the past 6 years I, and a few friends, have met with a varying group of women inmates one evening per week at a state prison in the Northeastern region of the United States. During our meetings we discuss a host of issues related to the women's incarceration: their relationships with their families; the reasons for their incarceration; their experiences with drugs, alcohol, men, school, and work; their roles as mothers, daughters, sisters, and friends; and, as important, how they will enhance and effectively change their lives upon their release. It is out of those weekly experiences that I became interested in how postincarcerated women negotiate the challenges of reen- try into their families and communities. I contacted a number of organizations and prerelease centers that pro- vide shelter and resources to women who have been released from prison and are awaiting housing and employment. During this time, I was fortunate Address correspondence to Alice McIntyre, PhD, Department of Education, Hellenic College, 50 Goddard Ave., Brookline, MA 02445, USA. E-mail: amacO2l3O@aol.com; amcintyre@ hchc.edu 1

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