Mis-bereavement of the Formerly Incarcerated Black Man

The purpose of this qualitative research project was to capture both the narrative and visual lived experiences of formerly incarcerated Black men in Los Angeles County. Formerly incarcerated Black men are negatively stigmatized by their racialized identities, criminal record, and incarceration experience. Further, they are disproportionately represented and experience significant disparities (as compared with other racial groups) in their interactions with the criminal justice system. As a result, policy, practice, and research frequently focus on understanding their criminal behavior and decreasing recidivism rather than exploration of culturally relevant treatment, effective re-entry interventions and the lived experiences of this population. The objective of this project is to merge narrative approaches with photovoice methodology to enhance understanding of their lived and living experiences through storytelling and photography from incarceration to reintegration in the community. Two (n=2) formerly incarcerated Black men had the opportunity to share their stories about their lives before, during and after incarceration. The aim of this article is to bring about awareness and change through honoring the voices of two formerly incarcerated Black men in Los Angeles County.