Criminal Justice System & Recidivism - The US incarcerates more citizens than any other country, with a "release boom" following the prison boom of the 1980s and 90s [7] - Recidivism rates for single mothers are at 50%, indicating a cycle of trauma rather than justice [12] - A University of Michigan study indicates that 750,000 to 1 million parolees are released annually [8] - Communities of color are disproportionately represented in the criminal justice system [8] Economic Impact & Potential Solutions - States spend $30,000 to over $100,000 per prisoner per year [12] - Investing in re-entry programs with a "housing first" approach and wraparound services is proposed as an alternative to the punishment cycle [13] - Reducing recidivism among single mothers could add thousands of jobs and billions of dollars back to the economy [17] - Every dollar invested in such programs could yield an economic gain of $6.75 (675%) [19] Social Impact & Family Separation - Incarcerating single primary caregiver mothers decimates communities already struggling with poverty, crime, and racial injustice [16] - Child-family separation trauma impacts children in classrooms, playgrounds, emergency rooms, courtrooms, and potentially the prison system [10] - Programs like the Bard Prison Initiative and Hudson Link show recidivism rates as low as 25% through prison education [22]