I Am My Sister's Keeper

On March 16, 2010, I will be receiving the Reverand Dr. Constance M. Baugh Justice Works award for the work I've committed my life to of changing the tide of inhumane incarceration of women, particularly women who are primary caregivers to children. I became involved with Voices from Inside as a prisoner in Massachusetts in 2003. Seven years have passed since that time and I remain involved and committed to this grassroots organization of women committed to helping women find their voice within the walls of the hugely oppressive criminal justice system which seeks to contain and silence them. I now work in the addicitons field with women, many of whom have been incarcerated in the past for non-violent drug related offenses. What these women face is the long uphill climb from incarceration and separation from their children and families. This path is fraught with challenges produced by their incarceration; families wounded from separation, criminal record accessability by landlords, employers, and school officials, raging unemployment, poverty, and the sense that they are second-class citizens in America, unworthy the attention required to mitigate these obstacles. It is my belief that the solution lies in educating the public about the inefficacy of incarcerating people who suffer from the disease of addiciton, the effects of living in poverty, and the lack of opportunity for people living in poverty. Money spent to incarcerate a woman and place her young children in foster care would be more wisely spent on lifting this family from poverty; by providing treatment for drug addiction within the community and partnering with social justice organizations to address the needs of families faced with the effects of incarceration. The solution is to address this at it's source: the treatment of drug addiciton within the community with an emphasis on keeping families intact whenever possible.