stunned to see how far the women have progressed with their dancing, singing and poetry, and the extraordinary spirit of cooperation among them. Margaret Brazel, section commander of Adult Inmate Programs, considers Journey Home one of the most powerful of her inmate programs. “The trust built through this program is one of most remarkable things, since these women are used to only watching out for themselves,” she says. I’m particularly touched by Emilee’s grace and style while performing the dance routines. Emilee is a 20year-old inmate who studied ballet, tap and hip-hop and won numerous competitions for her dancing before her arrest for smuggling drugs, at her husband’s insistence, she assures. “Don’t rely on a man,” she says to me, with a wide, wry smile, after sharing that her parents encouraged him to move into the family home when Emilee was 14. She got pregnant not long after. “You make mistakes and then, you keep going,” she says, self-consciously running her fingers through her hair, revealing tattoos on her wrists, in bold, black letters, stating “Hope” and “Faith.” It is her resilience, an eager grasping of the hope and faith offered by Journey Home and her 42 Wavelength
undeniable pride in her performance that bring me and many audience members to tears. As the performance closes, the women huddle center stage and recite, “We had the opportunity to make right choices, but didn’t. We chose to make wrong decisions. Who hasn’t made a wrong decision? Maybe you could learn from our mistakes.”
About 100 people ventured into Estrella Jail on a Saturday night to see the women perform. Many were visibly moved by the lessons the inmates shared.