Jane has spent almost her entire adulthood in and out of Los Angeles County prisons. She recalls being “a child with a child” when she entered motherhood at 15 years old. That’s when Jane, who asked her real name to remain anonymous, started feeling lost and her way to prison began.

Overwhelmed by the weight of becoming a mother at such a young age, she set foot into an environment of drugs and crime. Her first arrest occurred when she was 18 years old, thrusting her into a cycle she could not escape. Throughout the next few years, she would find herself struggling to hold on to her livelihood, her family, and her freedom.

For those who have completed their prison terms, freedom can be impermanent. Formerly incarcerated individuals are often left in the cold following their release, with many being unable to find employment or housing as a result of their criminal record. Advocates believe that in a society that directs its focus on the punishment as opposed to the rehabilitation, recidivism rates act as the greatest set-back to one’s reentry journey into society.

Women, in particular, are often faced with a more demanding reentry experience, singular to that of mens’. For mothers like Jane, it can be incredibly challenging to resume parental duties that are expected of them following their release.

“There’s a lot of stigma for women who’ve been incarcerated and are mothers. People aren’t so forgiving as they are of fathers. It’s a different world,” says Maria Alexander, executive director at the Center for Living and Learning. Located in Van Nuys, the Center For Living and Learning provides services to assist individuals who face employment barriers.

Jane is just one of the numerous women in Los Angeles, who have fallen victim to recidivism statistics.

If the reentry process was difficult before, employment and housing have only become more and more scarce with the rapid spread of COVID-19 in the past year. The question then remains: What sorts of support systems are currently available to formerly incarcerated women to successfully reenter society and escape recidivism? Through the help of an outpatient drug treatment program, Jane (who is now in her early 40s) was able to break her incarceration cycle, find employment, and reconnect with her family. With the support of a successful reentry program, she is proof that many women can get a second chance at life.