From Prison to Policy: Why Lived Experience Belongs at Every Decision-Making Table
How a formerly incarcerated advocate is changing criminal justice reform by demanding a seat at the table.
From Prison to Policy: Why Lived Experience Belongs at Every Decision-Making Table
There was a moment that changed the course of my life forever.
After serving years in prison, I earned the opportunity to transition to a Georgia Transitional Center. For three years, I maintained exemplary behavior and did everything that was expected of me. Then, without warning, I was sent back to prison.
- No explanation.
- No transparency.
- No opportunity to defend myself.
It took another three years before I was finally allowed to return home to my family.
That experience taught me something I carry with me every day: decisions made without accountability can change a person's life forever. It also taught me why the voices of directly impacted people must be included wherever policies are made.
Today, I sit at tables with legislators, government agencies, nonprofit leaders, and community partners. Ironically, the experiences that once disqualified me are now the very experiences people seek when discussing criminal justice reform.
What Is Twenty Years Supposed to Look Like?
Yet one thing still surprises me.
When I tell legislators that I served twenty years in prison, many respond by saying:
"You don't look like you served twenty years."
My answer is always the same:
"What is twenty years supposed to look like?"
That question reveals one of the biggest misconceptions about formerly incarcerated people. We aren't defined by the worst decision we've ever made or the hardest thing we've survived. We are parents, professionals, organizers, advocates, entrepreneurs, and leaders. We are people with knowledge that cannot be learned from a textbook.
Lived Experience Is Expertise
People often refer to our stories as "lived experience."
I call it expertise.
You can study the criminal legal system for years, but living inside it teaches you things no report ever will. It teaches you where policies succeed, where they fail, and how small decisions can completely alter someone's future.
While I was incarcerated, I became what many called a jailhouse lawyer. One woman needed help after serving eight years in prison. She had six children waiting for her at home. I researched the law, found a legal pathway that no paid attorney had identified, and helped her use that process to regain her freedom.
- Today, she is reunited with her family.
- All of her children have graduated.
- One of her sons now plays in the NBA.
- She has the opportunity to enjoy the life she thought she would never have again.
That experience confirmed something I have believed ever since:
The people closest to the problem are often closest to the solution.
Seats at the Table
Too often, directly impacted people are invited into rooms simply to tell emotional stories. We are asked to inspire audiences after decisions have already been made.
I believe we deserve something different.
We deserve seats at the tables where those decisions are being made.
Real change happens when lived experience and professional expertise work together—not when one replaces the other.
My mission today is simple:
To ensure that women returning home after incarceration have opportunities, support, and a voice in shaping the policies that affect their lives.
I am living proof that people are more than their worst mistake.
When we invest in second chances, we don't just transform individual lives.
We strengthen families, communities, and our future.
