Tag Archives: Life for Women in Prison

Trauma in Prison and in Reentry

  By Lashonia Etheridge-Bey | April 19, 2015 - 12:48 am |
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Yesterday I went into the Correctional Treatment Facility (C.T.F.) to meet with the women incarcerated there who are preparing for reentry. I met with about 30 women in two housing units to share information with them about the reentry support services available to them upon their release. Continue reading →

Incarcerated Women’s Mental Health Challenges

  By Lashonia Etheridge-Bey | January 25, 2015 - 12:56 am |
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Prior to my incarceration, I had little or no knowledge about mental health conditions that adversely impact women, such as Bulimia, Anorexia, and Cutting. To be honest, I learned what little I did know from various television and talk shows. There was a myth that only Caucasian women were confronted with such ills. Admittedly, some cultures are less likely to accept the need for mental health treatment. For many people, seeking a therapist is a sure sign of inadequacy. They pride themselves on being “strong” and they shun “weakness,” but in order to become a whole and healthy person, sometimes these attitudes need to be overhauled. Continue reading →

Reentry and Learning to Live Again after Serving Over Four Decades in Prison

  By Lashonia Etheridge-Bey | March 8, 2014 - 4:15 am |
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I’ve been working with a client who has spent 42 years in prison. When he comes into my office everything ceases. I am committed to giving him my undivided attention. We spend time talking, teaching and connecting to resources. Continue reading →

Violence, Crime and Self-Esteem

  By Lashonia Etheridge-Bey | February 26, 2014 - 12:50 am |
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I’m so grateful that God does not waste time when it’s time for me to learn what I need to learn. The very day I arrived to the transitional house after being released from incarceration the women of the house were engrossed in a self-esteem class. Before unpacking my bags I decided to sit in on the class. They were talking about the messages we hear and how they affect our self-esteem. I spoke in the class about how I heard such great things about the group from Continue reading →

I’m Not Who I Use To Be

  By Lashonia Etheridge-Bey | December 29, 2013 - 6:29 pm |
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On Christmas Day I had the opportunity to see one of my sisters for the first time in over two decades. She lives three hours away from where I am based in Washington, DC. I never saw her while I was incarcerated, and even though I was released in 2011, she was not able to come to see me until now. When she walked into my mom’s house, I screamed, hugged her and asked jokingly, “Where have you been all my life?” She replied Continue reading →