Blog / Life after Prison / Reentry

I Deserved To Be Punished, But Why Can’t I Be Forgiven?

I remember reading a story about how the people in one African village respond to the bad deeds of others. Interestingly, in that Village, when someone commits a crime or a sin, that person is placed in the middle of a circle and the villagers tell a... Read more

My Crimes Should Not Define Me Forever, But They Will

When I was incarcerated I took an Inside Out College course. A group of my peers and I met with a group of West Virginia University students once a week to discuss collateral punishments and reentry. I will never forget reading a piece on a Returning... Read more

When Prison Becomes Your Life, Even Your Dreams Are Locked

Saturday I spent all day in prison. I went to visit 150 inmates at a Woman’s Conference in a correctional institution in Maryland. Of the 800 women housed there these women are the ones that are preparing for release. I took several members of The W.... Read more

I Thought I Could Help My Daughter From Inside Prison, But I Could Not

When I was incarcerated I sought to help guide my children in any way that I could through letters, phone calls and visits. More than anything I wanted them to know that they were loved. When I came home I thought things would be different. I thought... Read more

Keeping Children From Parents in Prison Tortures The Children

When I read the headline “Sesame Street creates first Muppet to have a parent in prison” I was in awe. I was in awe because the incarceration rate in America has become so astronomical that Sesame Street has taken up the task of helping children with... Read more

While I Was In Prison, My Daughter Was in Hell

I went to prison when I was 19 years old. My daughter was left alone to practically raise herself in the same environment that almost destroyed me. I survived only because prison saved me. Women are the fastest growing group of people who are becomin... Read more

My Years Being Locked Up Were Harder On My Children

My daughter, Charnal is 23 years old. She was three years old when I went to prison. When I came home she was 21 years old.  She is one of over 100,000 children who have mothers in prison. She is very intelligent, articulate and courageous, so I aske... Read more

The Trauma of Prison Hasn’t Affected Me, Except How It’s Affected Me

I recently attended a trauma workshop sponsored by SAMSHA. The facilitator told a story about a lab rat who spent its whole life, born and bred, in a lab. The rat had a high activity level during the first phases of his life. Then, cat hair was inser... Read more