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For women convicts, life after incarceration is filled with challenges: parole, finding housing, securing an income and, for some, substance abuse recovery. They have been released into a world that has moved forward without them and now must try to reconnect. Mothers face additional challenges. Their children are older. Some mothers are no longer considered to be the primary caregiver. For most, society labels them as unfit, and they must move mountains to prove otherwise. They have no choice but to build healthy relationships and construct a life from a shaky foundation.
In 2020, these women confronted the extra challenges of a global pandemic. Through the Turning Point Center’s “Moms in Recovery” program and the Hartford Community Restorative Justice Center, both in Vermont, I have connected with several mothers in re-entry programs across the state who want to share their stories.
This is Ashley Heir’s Story.
Photographs and reporting by Rebecca Fudala / Edited by Nick Kirkpatrick / Produced by Idris Solomon