I’m a wife, a mom, and native Tennessean. For 20 years, I’ve been a registered nurse working in women’s and children’s health—I love to help people and children. And I believe that I can’t keep all the hard parts of my life a secret when they can help others.
 

In 2017, my son Will was sentenced to prison. It wasn’t the first time he’d been in trouble with the law. However, this time, he was charged with manufacturing methamphetamines, among other things. He was in his early 20s facing 12 years behind bars. So, I thought, “Maybe this will be the thing that gets his attention.”

The experience got my attention, too. Will’s incarceration was different than anything we'd ever encountered as a family. I didn’t know exactly what to expect. I had heard that violence and understaffing could make prison a difficult place to be. And now, my son was there.