In and Out of Prison: Women’s Reentry Experiences in Portugal

This chapter explores structural, institutional, and personal barriers women face during reentry in Portugal, filling a gap in national research and contributing to the international debates on gendered reentry experiences. Women’s reentry experiences are analysed based on 12 interviews, 6 from the time women were serving time in prison and 6 from the first 6 months after these women were released. We analyse (i) the perceived role of the prison and social reintegration services in preparing women for their release, (ii) the gendered challenges faced by these women during incarceration and during the post-release period, and (iii) the strategies used to cope when reentering their communities. While critically debating structural social inequalities, violence, incarceration and other forms of gendered continuous punishment, we argue that feminist campaigns ought to take more seriously decarceration and prison abolition.