Merry Morash

My 2024 book -- In a Box: Gender Responsive Reform, Mass Supervision, and Neoliberal Policies -- builds on studies of probation and parole supervision designed to meet convicted women's needs. These studies started in1993 and were supported by two National Institute of Justice Grants and three National Science Foundation Grants. The book -- In a Box -- is a culmination of my efforts to understand the unique woman-responsive reforms in my home state, Michigan, where supervision of women convicted of felonies is cutting edge. The book highlights the experiences, insights, and words of 118 women with multiple prior convictions. I wrote the book to be highly readable. It features the stories of a diverse group of six of the women, but adds the thoughts and words of the other women to broaden the scope. My hope is that people who influence correctional, welfare, medical care,and mental health practices and policies -- a group that includes the general public -- see how context and social structure join with women's motivations and decisions to create either positive or negative outcomes.