The Women of the WIRE oral history project contain five video interviews conducted by Kristin Adain in 2018. Transcripts are included for all interviews.

In Washington, D.C., only about five percent of those behind bars are women. But a substantial majority of these women are mothers, and many leave small children behind when they are sentenced to years or decades of incarceration. Women’s experiences of incarceration are dramatically different than those of men. Moreover, their reentry process when they are released is driven by different needs and challenges many women face as a result of their roles in families and communities. Returning women often struggle with a range of social and emotional needs, including family reunification, addiction, mental health, and trauma recovery. Women in reentry must confront these social and emotional issues while facing daunting challenges in obtaining housing, employment, and other essential services.

The Women of the WIRE oral history project documents and explores the unique challenges that women from D.C. face while incarcerated and after they return home, as well as the long-term impact of their incarceration on them, their families and communities. In gathering these stories, the project sought to amplify the voices of women from D.C. in conversations and policymaking about mass incarceration and criminal justice reforms in our city.