Existing in the Bardo: Formerly Incarcerated Women Firefighters and Their Journey of Motherhood

The voices of mothers who have experienced incarceration and reentry are often absent from the research literature. Given the multitude of existing structural barriers, formerly incarcerated mothers’ reentry into society can be a complex, multi-layered experience. Using a risk and resiliency framework, this qualitative research study explored the experiences of previously incarcerated women firefighters who were part of the California Conservation Camp Program. The findings highlight the transition from their role as firefighters in prison to moms upon reentry with a focus on how they navigated the reentry process as mothers. The women discussed: (1) trauma from serving on the fire line; (2) loss of children and role as a mother; (3) straddling two worlds and the stress of adjustment; (4) family visitations “out” of the carceral environment; and (5) reimagining the role of motherhood and family. The through the metaphor of “the bardo,” the space in between, we illustrate the impact of disenfranchized grief and the power of post-traumatic growth for transformation.