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Mothers Talk Back: Exploring the Experiences of Formerly Incarcerated Mothers

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Abstract

The experiences of formerly incarcerated mothers are rarely examined despite the sharp rise in female incarceration over the past 2 decades. This project used a transcendental phenomenological approach and in-depth interviews with 12 formerly incarcerated mothers as they reflected on their motherhood experiences before, during and after their incarceration. Mothers described how they struggled to negotiate their own stress, trauma, addiction, and shame, and offer insights for how service systems and professionals can help mothers reunify with their families and re-enter society. Clinical implications for systems of care, policy and practice are explored.

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Correspondence to Shannon Cooper-Sadlo.

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Cooper-Sadlo, S., Mancini, M.A., Meyer, D.D. et al. Mothers Talk Back: Exploring the Experiences of Formerly Incarcerated Mothers. Contemp Fam Ther 41, 92–101 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10591-018-9473-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10591-018-9473-y

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