As an organizer, I seek to empower community members to become arbiters of power and resources, working together to heal and progress our own communities. My organizing is grounded in my fundamental belief that we must privilege our lived experiences and see them as solutions to problems like mass incarceration. We must pay attention and lift others up as we grow.
Founder and Board President, Constructing Our Future
Constructing Our Future was created by and continues to be led by previously incarcerated women in Indianapolis. Our vision is that previously incarcerated women leaving prison who have a strong desire to restart their lives need to have a home base where they feel supported and welcomed back to the community and to have a path to permanent housing and sustainable employment.
We at Constructing Our Future (COF) are committed to providing safe transitional housing to women inIndianapolis and supporting those who are eager to build independent and successful lives. Unlike,short-term housing, we invest in each woman up to two years with the understanding that it takes times to build a foundation by transitioning into employment, saving money, and finding stable long-term housing.
We recognize that for women to be successful after leaving incarceration, they need more than just safe housing. They need an individualized plan to prepare them for life and employment on the outside. By partnering with local organizations, women can receive employment and financial literacy coaching in addition to mental health services and recovery tools, while COF can effectively support our residents by meeting their housing needs and serving a sounding board.
Subject Matter Expert
Jamii Sisterhood: Purpose. Politics. Pedagogy. (2020-Current)
I provide guidance and share expertise related to Jamii’s public policy and higher education in prison initiatives like Project Freedom., which seeks to increase the presence of Black and LatinX instructors inside correctional facility classrooms through supporting Historically Black Colleges and Universities as they design their higher education in prison programs.
MOURNING OUR LOSSES (2020-CURRENT)
I am a core organizer and c0-founder of Mourning Our Losses, a crowd-sourced memorial that seeks to highlight the moral cost of mass incarceration while honoring the human dignity of all who die while living or working behind bars.
Survivors Justice Project/ Brooklyn Law School (2019-Current)
The Survivors Justice Project (SJP), a collective of formerly incarcerated women, lawyers, students and activists working for the release or resentencing of incarcerated survivors of domestic violence. The primary subject of this grant, SJP’s activities include: 1) identifying incarcerated survivors potentially eligible for release; 2) engaging in and/or facilitating legal representation; 3) educating prosecutors and judges about recent legislation and the impact of trauma; 4) collecting and analyzing data related to the resentencing of survivors; and 5) advocating for laws that provide relief for survivors.
Urban Institute Advisory Board (2019-Current)
I provide input, identify opportunities for reform, help us develop a comprehensive research agenda, and assist in the selection of the Prison Research and Innovation Network sites.
Women Transcending Oral History Project (2018-Current)
This project began with an oral history of the successful organizing by the women incarcerated in Bedford Hills correctional facility to bring back college to prison following its elimination in the 1990s. Led by a research collective comprised of formerly incarcerated women, university faculty, and students, this was a model that can be replicated to show the growth of women’s leadership in the struggle to end mass incarceration.
Strada Education Foundation COVID-19 Impact Coalition/UNCF (2020-2021)
I provide real-time knowledge and expertise, information sharing, network building and collaboration to stimulate transformative change across the education-workforce ecosystem.
Lumina Foundation Incarcerated/Re-entry Advisory Group (2019-2020)
I provided guidance and best ideas on a variety of topics and grant-making initiatives from Lumina impacting departments of correction and prisons across the country.
Fidelio Carceral Consultant
I provided carceral aesthetics realness to the opera’s production. Full production by Heartbeat Opera Spring Festival, Baruch College, New York, Tech Rehearsals, April 15 and 27; Panel Title: “Re-Imagining Criminal Justice: Fidelio Post-Performance Discussion,” May 9 and 13, 2018.
