Conflict linked incarceration of a family member: women and their experiences

Abstract Families of incarcerated individuals face a multitude of social, financial and emotional costs. Family members, particularly women, have to go through an emotional upheaval as they experience stigma, its severe consequences with respect to the particular sociocultural context and, the shame and pain of dealing with the incarceration of a loved one. It disrupts family ties and leads to uncertainty creating a void in place of the incarcerated individual augmenting the risks, vulnerability and fragility of the family. This paper aims to assess the issues faced by the women of these families in the context of political turmoil and violence, highlights the socio-economic aspects of incarceration, institutional constraints on visitation and discusses the changes in family dynamics as a result of it. The paper also brings forth the protective role played by religion and faith in the lives of these women. The paper is based on interviews conducted with the women of families with incarcerated individuals. The paper emphasizes the ripple effect of incarceration on all the domains of lives of their families.