A new report highlighted by the American Friends Service Committee (AFSC) examines the experiences of women serving long prison sentences in Michigan and the disproportionate harms many continue to face while incarcerated.

The report focuses on women serving life and long-term sentences, many of whom are survivors of domestic violence, sexual violence, trauma, and abuse before incarceration.

According to the report, women in Michigan prisons often face significant barriers connected to medical care, aging in prison, mental health support, family separation, and reentry opportunities.

Advocates involved in the report also raised concerns about the impact long-term incarceration has on families and communities, especially as many incarcerated women are mothers and primary caregivers.

The report includes personal stories and testimony from incarcerated women alongside analysis of sentencing, prison conditions, and clemency practices in Michigan.

Among the issues highlighted:

• Limited access to gender-responsive health care and mental health services
• The impact of long-term incarceration on aging women
• Separation from children and family members
• Barriers to release and clemency
• The lasting effects of trauma and abuse

The report calls attention to how incarceration affects women differently and why advocates say those realities should be part of conversations around sentencing, rehabilitation, and prison conditions.

VAAC continues following conversations across Michigan connected to incarceration, family impact, reentry, prison conditions, and policies affecting justice-impacted communities.

Read the full AFSC article and report here:

AFSC Report on Women in Michigan Prisons