“There Was No Crib Notes on How to Grieve”: Finding Grief Space During and After a Juvenile Life Prison Sentence

Carceral settings prevent individuals from engaging in supportive grief processing and contribute to compounded and disenfranchised grief. This is particularly relevant for individuals sentenced to life or long prison sentences during childhood. Relying on qualitative interviews, this study explored death-related loss and grief experiences, before, during, and after incarceration, within a sample of 46 individuals resentenced and released from prison following a long sentence in their youth. Study findings emphasized the lack of grief spaces in carceral settings, often prompting deferred grief. Grief deferred until post-release addressed death losses that began accumulating prior to incarceration and were further compounded by losses that occurred during incarceration. Grief processing was further obstructed during incarceration through delayed death notifications, barriers to death rituals, and dehumanizing expectations for funeral attendance in shackles and/or a jumpsuit. Findings highlight the need for humane policies establishing carceral grief spaces and support for incarcerated grievers.