The Female Prisoner - From Prison to Society to Prison

At the age of fourteen, Michele Jones had non-consensual six with a high school senior resulting in the birth of a son she was accused of killing and eventually imprisoned for. After spending twenty years in an Indiana prison, Miss Jones was released and is headed to New York University, a PhD student in American studies. While in prison, Miss Jones became a published scholar of American history, presenting her work by video conference to historians. She also lead a team of fellow inmates during her research.

For an African American woman, this is an incredible feat, especially since most women of color already face hardships not even having been in prison trying to achieve higher education. Miss Jones did this and more while in prison. I have just one question though, why did the prestigious school, Harvard University who is always looking for opportunities to open their doors for diversity, take back their offer of a full scholarship when they found out the details of Miss Jones crime?

According to a spokesman for Harvard, the steering committee that first accepted Michele changed their minds because they believed her crime and involvement in that crime was "to the point of misrepresentation" and "honest and full narration is an essential part of our enterprise." I, along with the Marshall Project (a nonprofit journalism group) agree that Harvard should be embracing people like Michelle who have overcome their past. They also believe Harvard may once again be proving itself a "bastion of elitism and racism".

If Michele Jones, with her outstanding work wile in prison is rejected from a prestigious school like Harvard, what chance do I have for my future doctoral studies? It is just like Angela Y. Davis said during her Keynote Speech at the Colleguim of Black Women Tenth Anniversary Conference, "Just imagine, when you introduced yourself to someone, besides giving them your name and title, you had to also tell them the worst thing you have ever done in your life. How would you feel?"

This is what prisoners have to deal with whenever they apply at jobs, apply for school, apply for loans, etc. What's the point? Why give a person, especially a woman, false hope with wasted rehabilitation if she will never/slim change of starting over once their time in prison is done. Why must they have to continue to live each day with their crime when the average person gets away with lies everyday. I believe once you serve your time and are released from prison, you should have a fresh start..a true fresh start. But that usually does not happen.

Did you know, 2/3 of prisoners re-offend within three years of leaving prisons, often with a more serious offense. Forth percent of females released from prison had a new conviction when they returned to prison. With the way they are treated when they reenter society, it is no wonder they return to prison. For some of them, this is all they know. Life on the outside is often worse than the life on the inside.

What can we do to help women reenter society without a "trail" behind them? Read the following article about Susan Burton, six time female prison. Read what she is doing for other female inmates returning to society. Check our her story here.

Take a moment and think about the things you can do to help women in prison. What are some things you can do to make a difference for them!

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Until next time, lift up another in order to lift up yourself!