Incarcerated women, welfare services and the process of re-entering society in Finland

The pathways in and out of crime differ according to gender, people’s life histories, social situations and networks. Before being sentenced, many women have been living in vulnerable and traumatic life situations and violent relationships. Substance abuse often plays a crucial role in committing crimes. Being released from prison and re-entering society is a process that requires women’s own motivation to desist along with help and support from society. This chapter shows how women narrate and describe their experiences after being released from prison and especially how they report the ways in which the welfare system responds to their needs. They discussed their needs for support and services, how they saw the logic of the service system and whether and how they managed to get the services they needed. Being released from prison leads women to a situation with complex and multiple needs, which is challenging the welfare system’s ability to help them.