SWOP Behind Bars stories

Mental Health and Trauma: The cycle of incarceration and untreated trauma

For many incarcerated women, jail or prison isn’t the beginning of a crisis—it’s the continuation of one. Behind the statistics of who ends up behind bars is a stark and painful truth: most incarcerated women have experienced serious trauma long before they ever committed a crime.

Reproductive Injustice: How jails and prisons violate the reproductive rights of incarcerated women

This episode delves into the harrowing experiences of Tasha, a pregnant woman incarcerated in a county jail, shedding light on the broader issue of reproductive injustice in U.S. prisons and jails. Tasha's ordeal highlights the systemic neglect and denial of reproductive rights faced by incarcerated women, often subjected to inadequate medical care and forced into shattering decisions without autonomy.We explore how incarcerated pregnant individuals are frequently shackled during labor, denied access to essential prenatal care, and separated from their newborns, compounding trauma and undermining mental health. This episode underscores the urgent need for structural reform and awareness, advocating for a healthcare system that prioritizes the dignity and autonomy of all women, regardless of their incarceration status.

Shackled and Silent: A Prisoner's Painful Journey Through Reproductive Injustice

This episode uncovers the harrowing realities of reproductive injustice faced by incarcerated women in the United States. Through the story of Maria, a pregnant woman who endured severe neglect and loss while behind bars, we explore how systemic failures in carceral settings deny women their reproductive rights. Despite condemnation and existing legislation, pregnant prisoners often face shackling, inadequate medical care, and forced separation from their newborns, resulting in deep trauma and unresolved grief. This narrative compels a broader discussion about public health, racial justice, and dismantling oppressive systems to ensure every woman’s right to autonomy and dignified reproductive care.

Forgotten Behind Bars — Centering Equity in Women’s Health in Prisons and Jails

When we talk about mass incarceration in the United States, the conversation often centers around numbers—how many people are locked up, how long they’ve been there, and what it costs. But behind those numbers are real people, and among them are women whose specific health needs are often ignored, neglected, or misunderstood.
This post kicks off a six-part series examining equity in women’s health care within prisons and jails, inspired by the powerful work of researchers and advocates like Dr. Carolyn Sufrin and her co-authors. Their 2021 article, “Women’s Health Care in the Criminal Justice System,” exposes the critical gaps in how incarcerated women are treated—or not treated—when it comes to their health.

Breaking The Trauma Bond of Anti Trafficking

A trauma bond is a strong emotional attachment that develops out of a cycle of abuse, reward, and intermittent validation. It’s often seen in abusive relationships, cults, and manipulative institutions. The bond forms not despite the harm, but because the harm is tangled up with moments of care, dependency, or survival.
In many anti-trafficking spaces today, survivors face a coercive script. They are often nudged—whether by advocates, funders, or media producers—to shape their stories around the most horrific, cinematic tropes: organized crime, foreign traffickers, violent pimps, and miraculous rescues. The system rewards extremity and punishes nuance. A survivor who says “I was trafficked by a boyfriend, but I also stayed because I loved him” or “I’ve also done sex work by choice” might be told their story is too complicated to use. But one who adapts their truth into a clean arc of innocence, exploitation, rescue, and redemption may find themselves invited to speak on panels, featured in documentaries, and funded as the “authentic voice.” The trauma becomes commodified, and the story becomes the legend.

Building the Trust Operating System: A Necessity for Success

In this episode, we delve into the vital role of trust in shaping our organizations and communities. Trust acts like the core operating system, influencing how effectively we organize, collaborate, and care for one another. When trust is low, costs increase, speed decreases, and relationships falter, leading to a systemic breakdown. However, high-trust environments foster speedier decision-making, creativity, and resilience, transforming potential into performance.We explore the real-world applications of trust, from support groups to non-profits, and illustrate how trust can be nurtured through consistency, transparency, and accountability. This episode emphasizes that building trust is a fundamental task—not just for survival, but for thriving. Learn how to integrate trust into your strategy to build empowering, secure, and sustainable systems.

The Evolving Landscape of Women’s Rights

The feminist movement has led to profound changes, granting women the right to vote, expanding educational and professional opportunities, and challenging traditional gender norms. These victories, however, were not without their flaws—early efforts often excluded marginalized groups, leaving wage disparities, workplace harassment, and underrepresentation unaddressed. Rather than a failure, feminism and its reluctant willingness to evolve according to the politics and challenges that arise must be viewed as an ongoing struggle that adapts to societal changes while continuously striving for inclusivity.

Healthcare in Womens Prisons - Gaps and Solutions

In recent decades, the issue of healthcare for incarcerated women has emerged as a critical area of concern. Although prisons and jails strive to provide essential medical services, significant gaps remain—especially during the transition back into society. Women behind bars face unique and complex health challenges that differ significantly from those encountered by their male counterparts, and these differences are compounded by a rapid increase in the female prison population.
The growth in the number of incarcerated women is not merely a reflection of rising crime rates; it is deeply intertwined with broader systemic issues. Harsh drug policies and mandatory minimum sentencing, particularly during the height of the "war on drugs," have disproportionately affected women, often resulting in lengthy sentences for minor drug offenses. Socioeconomic vulnerabilities, such as poverty, limited educational and employment opportunities, and histories of trauma and abuse, further increase their risk of entering the criminal justice system. Additionally, the lack of gender-responsive diversion programs and support services has left many women without viable alternatives to incarceration, while shifts in law enforcement practices have broadened the definitions of criminal activity and increased the scrutiny of minor offenses.