Navigating Secondary Prisonization: Narratives of Adults with Incarcerated Romantic or Relational Partners

More people are incarcerated in the United States than in any other country in the world (Widra & Herring, 2021) and approximately 113 million adults in the US have experienced the incarceration of a family member (Sawyer & Wagner, 2024). Most research explores carceral impacts on incarcerated people and their children, with minimal focus on the impacts of incarceration on adults with incarcerated loved ones. This research explores the stories of Adults with Incarcerated Romantic or Relational Partners (AIRRP) and how their experiences with secondary prisonization impact their mental health and well-being. This study will fill a gap in the Professional Counseling literature and may inform efficacious counseling interventions.