Abstract
For the past 10 years we have followed the experiences of a cohort of formerly incarcerated Massachusetts women. In contrast to the diversity of their experiences in nearly every aspect of life, not a single woman has been steadily employed throughout the years of our acquaintance. In this article we identify gendered, legal, economic, and health obstacles to employment, show how they intertwine in the women’s lives, and discuss how their employment failures signal failure to embody the attributes of American citizenship more broadly.