I spent 20 years in prison for a mistake. The system is broken when you get out [Video]

Federal supervision policies are supposed to help people successfully return to their communities from prison. Unfortunately, in many cases, they erect barriers to successful reintegration. The bipartisan Safer Supervision Act would break down those barriers, reduce recidivism and improve public safety.  

I’ve experienced the barriers created by onerous federal supervision policies firsthand. In 2019, President Donald Trump personally invited me to attend the State of the Union address at the capitol. But the decision to attend this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity was not mine alone to make. That decision also rested with my probation officer. 

Back in the 1990s, I was a single mother about to lose my house. In a desperate moment, I made a life-altering bad decision to become a low-level player in a drug operation. When law enforcement authorities broke up the drug operation, I was prosecuted and sentenced to life in prison – even though it was my first offense and I had never personally touched, seen or sold a single drug.  

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