#SeeMe: End Stigma of Female Incarceration for Women’s History Month

Today marks the 32nd annual Women’s History Month and this year’s theme celebrates visionary women. The textbook definition of visionary is someone who thinks or plans for the future with imagination or wisdom. Given this, it should come as no surprise that in my role as CEO of Televerde, it’s a theme that strikes an emotional cord.

I lead a technology company that’s 87% female–70% of whom are incarcerated in state prisons in Arizona and Indiana. (Televerde is a B2B demand gen company with five of our contact centers employed entirely by women incarcerated at the Departments of Corrections in AZ and IN.) I had the privilege of meeting these women as a customer and since then have watched these ladies grow and transform into the most consummate business professionals I’ve ever seen, and it’s been anything but easy for them.

Most of the women who work for Televerde don’t come to us from storybook childhoods. They are broken, very often drug addicted and survivors of emotional, sexual and physical abuse. They’ve never had anyone point to their worth or invest the time and energy to help them find and fulfill their human potential. Many were discarded by their loved ones and written off by society. Their stories are different but also similar: broken dreams, families torn apart, children removed. They can point to every flaw, weakness and shortcoming, but can’t find one strength to cling to. It’s especially hard in a country where harsh stigmas are imposed on those who are formerly incarcerated, making it a major barrier to successful community reintegration. They’re aware of this and it leaves them with little hope, yet something keeps pushing them to find that second chance to prove they can be better than their worst mistake.

From Inmates to Visionaries

I opened with the formal definition of visionary but now I’d like to share mine. To me, a visionary is someone who is resilient, intensely focused, takes risk and is unafraid to change. And when you’re around a visionary, you’re inspired. This is my experience every time I step into one of our prison-run contact centers. I’m surrounded by visionaries – women who inspire because of where they are today and where they plan to be tomorrow.

From the time we hire these ladies to work for our company, they are trained rigorously in business acumen and technology. And for the overwhelming majority, they are starting without any previous skills or experience. It’s all new. In fact, many get their GED while on the inside—the minimum education level required to work for us. The ability for adults to successfully change so dramatically, while at the same time training oneself for today’s workforce is rare, underscoring how resilient and strong they are.

It might be counterintuitive, but a prison-run contact center lends itself well to an environment of continuous learning. Our women have an incredibly high aptitude for knowledge and a burning desire to never return to prison once they’re released. This is what motivates them. When I was a customer of Televerde, I described their abilities in this way: if our sales people knew our products as intimately as the women in Perryville, we’d have revenue growth quarter over quarter.

These ladies are highly proficient in the most cutting-edge technology on the market, and they learn both the hard and soft skills needed to close deals, communicate with c-suite executives, and collaborate with our customers’ sales and marketing teams. And they’re really good.

This level of change, transformation and learning isn’t easy. It’s work, and it requires true commitment. (President of Conscious Capitalism Brian Mohr recently visited one of our Perryville contact centers and observed this immediately, writing about it in his blog: Televerde Emphasizes the Conscious in Capitalism.) Our women bring their A-games, day in and day out.

Seeing Women for Who They Are Today

Imagine being judged for the rest of your life by the worst mistake you made on the worst day of your life.

I’d like you to really think about that for a moment.

Did you know this is how it is for more than 200,000 incarcerated women in the United States, regardless of how hard they are working to rebuild their lives? These women are grandmothers, mothers, wives, aunts, sisters, daughters, neighbors and career women. They matter. They deserve to be seen. And to me, they are the greatest examples of visionary women and deserve to be celebrated.

Throughout Women’s History Month, we’ll highlight several of our Televerde ladies in a social media campaign titled, #SeeMe. You’ll see their faces, read their stories, and hear their voices as they share their transformational journeys, hopes and dreams for a future now much brighter thanks to their perseverance.

In return for their openness, here’s what I’d like us to do for them.

Make a commitment to see these women for who they are today and recognize them for the changes they’re making to rebuild their lives and fulfill their human potential. Be a catalyst for them. This is what Women’s History Month is about—coming together as women without judgement and lifting each other up to create futures that matter and that profoundly impact our small corners of the world. I invite you to get to know them. I think you’ll find our differences are far less important than our similarities.

#SeeErica

Our next face will look familiar to many. It’s Erica Munoz, who works as a Sales Development Rep in our Santa Cruz call center at Perryville prison. Erica was one of our shining stars at TEDxPerryvilleCorrectional, where she gave a moving talk, #NotMeAnymore, about her life of codependency, abuse, promiscuity and hardship.

Erica’s remarkable journey of transformation, as well as her upbeat personality leaves an everlasting impact on every person she meets. See for yourself. #SeeErica.

What is one accomplishment you’re most proud of?

My proudest moment ever will always be TEDxPerryvilleCorrectional where I had the opportunity to share my story. After that, one of the greatest challenges I face every day is acceptance. But through hard work, I’ve learned to no longer value my worth based on the opinions of others. The only person I need to be good enough for is myself. While this journey of healing and acceptance is ongoing, I’m proud of how far I’ve come. Looking in the past is no longer an option. I use my experience and tools to motivate and inspire the women around me. Every day we support one another on the path of loving the women who we are today.

It’s said that the most successful women build a female tribe to help them learn & grow. Tell us about the culture on the inside and how you’re supported by the women around you.

The culture inside Perryville is unique in that I’m surrounded by strong, powerful women. We inspire and motivate one another to become the greatest version of ourselves. My group of friends is special because we each bring something different to the tribe. Heather brings out the bold and fearless side of me. Elissa brings out strength in me that I never knew I had. Brianna is the voice of reason and keeps me grounded. And Andrea reminds me of my faith in God. Their love and support make my journey to a bright future possible. 

How will you set an example to the young women of tomorrow?

I will not let my past define me, nor should anyone. Yes, I’ve experienced difficult times and made poor decisions, but I will continue to persevere, break down barriers and redefine what it means to wear orange. Society needs to see that we are human beings. We are more than our worst labels–the scarlet letters placed on us that endure long after release. It is possible to have a bright future. I wear the color orange because of choices I’ve made in the past, but these decisions do not reflect or define who I am today.

This Women’s History Month, what do you want to shine a light on?

I’d like to shine light on second chances. The women inside Perryville deserve an opportunity to showcase their transformational journeys and obstacles they’ve overcome. At the end of the day, we all want the same thing. We want to return home to our families, friends and communities. I’m not the same person who entered the walls of Perryville almost six years ago. Through healing and radical acceptance, I’ve grown in ways I never imagined. I do not want to be labeled as inmate No. 285027. Instead, I want people to #SeeMe for who I am today.

#SeeStephanie

Today, we’re traveling to the Department of Correction in Rockville, Indiana to celebrate the vibrant, resilient, her cup is always half-full Stephanie Taylor.

What’s one misconception you want to change about women who are incarcerated?
The world seems to think we are all bad people because of our incarceration. We made bad choices, but that does not make us bad women.

What did it take coming to prison to learn?
Prison has helped me find a true sense of self-worth. I’ve also found the strength to hold myself and others in my life accountable.

What is one accomplishment you’re most proud of?
Learning all of the advances in technology after being incarcerated for 10 years.

A woman from the past who inspires me is…
My mom is the one person from my past that inspires me. She perseveres through every struggle that comes her way and always comes out with a positive attitude.

A woman who currently inspires me is…
My younger sister Mindy. No matter her situation in life she never gives up. She strives toward her goals for future successes.

How will you set an example to the young women of tomorrow?
Someone who showed perseverance and strength through all my struggles.

How would you like to be remembered in history books?
As a woman who did not give up when things got tough in life.

This Women’s History Month, what do you want to shine a light on?
Being able to show who I am today, and not who and what society labeled me.

#SeeAmbryre

What did it take coming to prison to learn?

The impact I have on other people has opened my eyes to my value and worth. There’s been several instances since I’ve been employed with Televerde where I’ve seen what I’m capable of doing for myself and others. I had never realized my value until it was shown to me by my peers and leadership team. For the first time in my life, I’ve been described as “exceptional,” a word that had never been attached to me in the past.

While I recognize that my past has helped me grow into the assertive and strong woman I am today, I know now it doesn’t define me…but it has made me a survivor. The shortcomings I’ve experienced have made me push harder and also given me the strength to never give up. My worth today is so much more than I ever imagined.

It’s said that the most successful women build a female tribe to help them learn and grow. Tell us about the culture on the inside and how you’re supported by the women around you.

The women with whom I surround myself all complement each other. We have the same habits, dreams and aspirations. We are all striving to be better than we were yesterday. We come from a place of humility. We’ve been stripped of everything and left broken. Yet we’ve all made a conscious decision to build ourselves and one another up to be better than our worst mistake. We work tirelessly to improve ourselves in every area of our lives. When we fall, we get up, we dust each other off and we continue forward on our journeys together. One step at a time…paving our road to success.

What is one accomplishment you’re most proud of?

My greatest accomplishment is the trust and respect I’ve earned from my peers and leaders. They know I carry myself with integrity even when no one is looking. They value my opinion. The mistakes I’ve made in the past have prevented me from reaching my full potential. No more. With the opportunity I’ve been given through Televerde, I’m establishing myself as someone with a superior work ethic that’s centered around quality excellence, continuous learning, and innovative thinking. The level of respect and trust I’ve earned has given me a new level of confidence. It wasn’t easy to get here, but I am determined to succeed.

A woman from the past who inspires me is…

Susan B. Anthony was an American social reformer and woman’s rights activist who played a pivotal role in the woman’s suffrage movement. When she first began campaigning for woman’s rights, Anthony was harshly ridiculed and accused of trying to destroy the institution of marriage. Public perception of her changed radically during her lifetime. Anthony traveled extensively in support of woman’s suffrage, giving as many as 75 to 100 speeches per year and working on many state campaigns. She worked internationally for woman’s rights, playing a key role in creating the International council of Women. No matter the stigma she endured, she continued to fight for what was right. She made a huge mark in history for equality of human rights.

A woman who currently inspires me is…

In September 1999, DeAnna Hoskins was released from a community-based correctional facility after serving six months of a one-year prison sentence. She was 30-years-old and suffering from substance use. Today, she’s a senior policy adviser for Corrections and Reentry at the U.S. Department of Justice.

If we’re sitting here a year from now celebrating what a great year it’s been for you in your role at Televerde, what did you achieve?
I’ve been a great mentor and have excelled in every aspect of my role as a business development rep with Televerde. I want to always be viewed as someone who challenged herself and never accepted defeat. I will not let my circumstances dictate my future. I want to become the best version of myself.

How will you set an example to the young women of tomorrow?

I will lead by example, excelling and aiming for success in all I do. Because when people see you behaving and acting in this way, they become inspired and want to join you.

How would you like to be remembered in history books?

I want to help build a future in which the women coming up behind me can succeed. All of my trials and tribulations have made me stronger and wiser. I want to impart my lessons learned on the next generation of female leaders.