‘Picking up the pieces’: Female significant others in the lives of young (ex)incarcerated males

This article explores the experiences of female significant others (N = 27) in the lives of young men (N = 14) subject to repeat cycles of incarceration in South Australia since 2003. It focuses on how these women conceive of their roles during and following the incarceration of their intimate and addresses in detail some of the personal, situational and structural factors that characterize their lives. A major conclusion of the article is that (ex)prisoners’ female significant others are an important but highly marginalized and often traumatized group within the correctional and post-release landscape. Additional institutional and public support for these women is needed in order to maximize their potential impact on (ex)prisoner well-being.