Behind bars, women carry more than sentences.They carry children. Trauma. Grief. And the weight of a system that was never built to honor their bodies. Reproductive injustice in carceral settings is not just medical neglect—it’s institutional violence. It shows up in ways both brutal and banal: Feminine hygiene neglect: Pads and tampons are rationed, bartered,… Continue reading 🩺Reproductive Injustice Behind Bars: Mercy Denied, Mercy Demanded
Author: Sonya
Southern Sentences, Post 2: Chains of the Past & From Plantation to Prison
Chains of the Past: How Texas Built Its Prison Empire on Slavery and Segregation Texas’s prison system didn’t emerge in a vacuum—it was built atop the foundations of slavery, segregation, and racialized punishment. The state’s earliest carceral institutions mirrored plantation life, with incarcerated Black men forced to labor in fields under brutal conditions1. Convict leasing,… Continue reading Southern Sentences, Post 2: Chains of the Past & From Plantation to Prison
Sword in Hand🗡️: When Mercy Wears a Smile
Some cases come heavy. Others come absurd. This one came with a sword. My client—a convicted felon—was charged with deadly conduct. The facts? A man was in his backyard. My client didn’t know why. He couldn’t legally carry a gun, so he grabbed the only thing he had: a sword. He didn’t raise it. Didn’t… Continue reading Sword in Hand🗡️: When Mercy Wears a Smile
Southern Sentences, Post 1: Lone Star Lockdown & Behind Bars, Beyond Justice
Lone Star Lockdown: The Scale and Scope of Texas Incarceration “In Texas, punishment isn’t just policy—it’s culture.” With over 120 state prisons and one of the highest incarceration rates in the country, Texas stands as a towering example of mass incarceration’s reach. As of 2024, Texas incarcerates over 135,000 people1—more than any other state except… Continue reading Southern Sentences, Post 1: Lone Star Lockdown & Behind Bars, Beyond Justice
Southern Sentences: A Comparative Journey Through Texas and Alabama’s Carceral Systems
This seven-part series explores the shared roots, conditions, and consequences of incarceration in two Southern states that exemplify the extremes of systemic injustice—Texas and Alabama. Through this series, I aim to expose the scale of the crisis, trace the historical roots, humanize its impact and envision a path toward justice and redemption. Texas, with its… Continue reading Southern Sentences: A Comparative Journey Through Texas and Alabama’s Carceral Systems
No Conviction, No Peace
Memoir from the margins of justice He was charged with assault. The court granted a personal recognizance bond. But he didn’t go home. A parole hold kept him in custody. From day one, he maintained his innocence. And from day one, the system stalled. No pending date from parole. That was contingent on the case… Continue reading No Conviction, No Peace
Not Designed to Heal: The Gender Gap in Correctional Medicine
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7 There is a kind of peace the system cannot manufacture—a healing that transcends medication,… Continue reading Not Designed to Heal: The Gender Gap in Correctional Medicine
When Justice Stops—The Lawyer Work Stoppage in Massachusetts
The lawyer stoppage in Massachusetts has brought the justice system to a standstill. Public defenders, overwhelmed and underfunded, have reached a breaking point, refusing new cases to highlight the systemic strain. This unprecedented action has led to the release of defendants—not because they were exonerated, but because there was no one left to speak on… Continue reading When Justice Stops—The Lawyer Work Stoppage in Massachusetts
What Healing Looks Like When the Work Doesn’t Stop
This post is Part II in a reflection series on defending sacred ground in the aftermath of spiritual trauma. For Part I, see “Representing Without Judgment. I have continued to process the evidence that I had to review and brace myself to review the remainder of the evidence that wasn’t ready last time I went… Continue reading What Healing Looks Like When the Work Doesn’t Stop
Even This: Bearing Witness to Evil and Defending Anyway
This post begins the "Representing Without Judgment" reflection and is Part I of a two-part series on bearing witness and staying spiritually anchored in the defense of difficult cases. The Moment of Exposure I thought I was prepared. The language in the indictment was clinical. The search warrant referenced “child pornography”—a phrase sanitized by repetition… Continue reading Even This: Bearing Witness to Evil and Defending Anyway
On (In)justice 