The FreeHer Institute at The National Council Releases Inaugural Report on Women’s Incarceration

BOSTON, Nov. 10, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — The FreeHer Institute, a research and policy division of The National Council for Incarcerated and Formerly Incarcerated Women and Girls, is proud to announce the release of Work to Be Done: Women’s Incarceration in the 21st Century, a landmark report detailing the state of women’s incarceration in the United States.

Drawing on two decades of data, Work to Be Done examines how incarceration devastates women, families, and communities. The report explores the intersection of race, gender, and poverty; the effects of conspiracy laws; and the growing role of prison privatization. It also centers the testimonies of women living through incarceration, ensuring that their voices are not excluded from the policies that affect them most.

“Research and statistics are vital, but they can’t tell the full story without the lived experiences of women behind the data,”
 said Andrea James, Founder and Executive Director of The National Council. “This report brings those voices forward to demand a reimagined system grounded in care, not cages.”

The report offers key policy recommendations, including:

• Acknowledging the racist foundations of mass incarceration and challenging the system that funds wealthy communities while targeting Black, Brown, and poor neighborhoods for punishment.
• Expanding the legal definition of ‘primary caregiver’ so that women can return home to care for dependent family members, including elderly parents and adult children with special needs.
• Reforming conspiracy laws and sentencing guidelines to prevent women from being punished under “guilt by association” standards in drug-related cases.

As states like Massachusetts, Kentucky, and New Jersey advance multimillion-dollar plans to build new women’s prisons, Work to Be Done underscores the urgency of change. The evidence is clear: incarceration is expensive, ineffective, and harmful. Prisons do not make communities safer; they perpetuate cycles of trauma, poverty, and disconnection.

The full report is available HERE or https://www.nationalcouncil.us/publications

About The National Council:
The National Council is a national 501c3 organization working to end the incarceration of women and girls and to build alternatives led by directly affected people. Through advocacy, organizing, and research, The National Council uplifts the voices of women impacted by incarceration to drive systems change.

About FreeHer Institute:
www.nationalcouncil.us/freeher-institute

For media inquiries: agoode@thecouncil.us

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SOURCE The National Council for Incarcerated and Formerly Incarcerated Women and Girls