Blog

Post-Incarceration: Part of Freedom is Pushing Yourself in New Directions

Early this morning as I sat at my dining room table drinking my coffee, trying to prepare myself for the day ahead, I found myself reflecting on my days in prison. It’s been almost three years and I still feel like I’m in the initial stages of reentr... Read more

Parenting after Incarceration

After being away from my children for 18 years I came home anxious to rebuild my relationship with them. Over the years when I was in prison my children visited me annually. I wrote them constantly and spoke to them on the telephone infrequently. Vis... Read more

Halfway House Living after Incarceration – Women in Reentry

Last Friday I facilitated a focus group at Fairview, the only residential reentry center in Washington, DC for women. The purpose of the focus group was to determine the needs of the women and to discover the challenges women in reentry are facing wh... Read more

Male Perspectives on Relationships after Prison

I was having a conversation with a gentleman who served 25 years in prison. He has been home for six years. I asked him to tell me about his reentry process and he wanted to talk about relationships. He said he has mixed feelings about relationshi... Read more

Parole, Early Termination, and the Court Services and Offender Supervision Agency (CSOSA)

July 11, 2055 – That’s the day my parole sentence expires. In 1993 I was sentenced to 20–60 years. After serving 18.5 years I was granted parole after my initial hearing. I have been on parole for a little over two years. Even though I have been call... Read more

Wardens in FPC Alderson in Conversation with Jeri Kirby, West Virginia University Professor of The Inside Out Program

Yesterday I had the privilege of speaking to the Bureau of Prisons Warden’s Advisory Council in reference to programming in female facilities and reentry efforts. I spoke alongside Jeri Kirby of West Virginia University. She is a professor who served... Read more

Coping with Life on Parole

Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote to his daughter when she was struggling to overcome the pain of a past mistake. He said, “Finish every day and be done with it. You have done what you could. Some blunders and absurdities no doubt crept in; but get rid of th... Read more

The Hardship on Families who want to visit their Loved Ones in Prison

For the past three months, my office, The Office of Returning Citizens Affairs, has been planning a free bus trip to three facilities in Bruceton Mills, West Virginia. It has been challenging for me to handle my emotions surrounding this journey. ... Read more