A powerful memoir about why formerly incarcerated people's lived experience is essential expertise in criminal justice reform. Discover how one person's journey from prison to policy-making reveals the transformative power of including directly impacted voices in decision-making.
Her Story
About Melodie
I know firsthand that transformation is possible.
After serving 20 years in prison, I returned home determined not only to rebuild my own life, but to help transform the systems that impact thousands of others. Today, I serve as Campaign & Membership Supervisor at Women on the Rise Georgia, where I lead statewide campaigns focused on reentry, voting rights, parole reform, and leadership development for formerly incarcerated women.
My work is rooted in one belief: lived experience is expertise. The people who have experienced a system firsthand bring insight that cannot be learned from a textbook, and their voices belong wherever decisions are being made.
Whether I’m working with legislators, speaking at conferences, organizing communities, or mentoring women returning home, my goal is always the same—to create opportunities, challenge assumptions, and help build policies that are more effective because they include the people most affected.
I believe second chances are more than personal stories; they are opportunities to strengthen families, communities, and our justice system. Every day, I strive to leave the path a little easier for the women coming behind me.
My mission is simple: to transform lived experience into lasting change.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Melodie
01What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to faith, perseverance, continuous learning, and the people who believed in me when I was rebuilding my life. After serving 20 years in prison, I made a decision that my past would become my purpose rather than my identity. Every challenge strengthened my commitment to creating opportunities for others. I also believe that none of us succeed alone, which is why I am passionate about mentoring, collaboration, and opening doors for women returning home after incarceration.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
“Never let your title limit your impact.”
I’ve learned that leadership isn’t about a position—it’s about service, integrity, and being willing to solve problems. Some of my greatest opportunities came because I was willing to keep learning, say yes to challenges, and use my lived experience as a strength instead of something to hide.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
Don’t wait until you feel ready. Your voice matters, even if you’re still growing. Invest in learning, ask questions, build authentic relationships, and never underestimate the value of your lived experience. The people closest to a problem often have the greatest insight into the solution. Be courageous enough to take a seat at the table—and if there isn’t one, help build it.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
One of the biggest challenges is ensuring that people with lived experience are included in the decisions that affect their lives. Too often, policies are created without the voices of those most impacted. At the same time, I see tremendous opportunity. More organizations and policymakers are recognizing that directly impacted people bring expertise that cannot be learned from a textbook. By investing in authentic partnerships and community leadership, we can create more effective and equitable systems.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
Integrity, compassion, accountability, courage, and service guide everything I do. I believe in leading with authenticity, treating every person with dignity, and using my experiences to create opportunities for others. I value collaboration over competition and believe lasting change happens when we listen, build trust, and work together toward a shared purpose.
Her Content Hub
Articles by Melodie
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.
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