Women involved in the criminal justice system often face layers of trauma long before incarceration. Across the United States, the rate of female incarceration has grown at a significantly faster pace than that of men since 1980. While men continue to make up the majority of the incarcerated population, the growth rate of female imprisonment has been nearly twice as high. Today, more than 1 million women are under some form of correctional supervision, including incarceration, probation, or parole.

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Research consistently shows that justice-involved women are disproportionately impacted by trauma, violence, addiction, mental health challenges, and economic instability:

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• More than 70% of incarcerated women report experiencing domestic or intimate partner violence prior to incarceration.

• Between 50% and 75% of incarcerated women report histories of sexual abuse or victimization.

• Approximately 70% struggle with substance use disorders or addiction-related challenges.

• Women in correctional settings experience significantly higher rates of mental health disorders than the general population.

• More than 60% of incarcerated women are mothers of minor children, creating long-term impacts on families and communities.

• A substantial percentage of women in state prisons are incarcerated for nonviolent offenses, often linked to poverty, addiction, survival behaviors, or trauma-related circumstances.

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These realities highlight the urgent need for trauma-informed programs that address healing, stability, education, employment readiness, housing support, leadership development, and long-term community reintegration. Organizations like SistaH of SurvivaL exist to help women break cycles of trauma and incarceration while rebuilding healthy, self-sufficient lives through the M.E.S.H.E. Framework™.