Tina Reynolds, the Co-Founder and Chair of WORTH (Women On the Rise Telling HerStory) speaks on reproductive justice and the challenges, issues and perceptions concerning women who are incarcerated and impacted by the criminal justice system at a quarterly P.A.U.D. (Pan-African Unity Dialog) meeting, Saturday, April 2, 2016.
WORTH (Women On the Rise Telling HerStory) is an advocacy/consultant group composed of currently & formerly incarcerated women, who have the expertise and understanding to engage, navigate and challenge policy and perceptions concerning incarcerated women.
Reynolds (a formerly incarcerated woman) and 17 other women started this organization when they came to the conclusion that women’s voices were missing from policy conversations about issues facing incarcerated or formerly incarcerated women and their families.
“Because I have the experience of having been incarcerated,” Reynolds shares, “I can tell you that many women in this situation have tenacity — they don’t give up regardless of what they are facing. Some currently and formerly incarcerated women are also not afraid to push the envelope. Whatever the challenges they face, they feel strongly that their voices must be heard and changes made. Women go through an incredible self-transformation as part of this process. Women who are formerly incarcerated and are working to change policy are on the rise; this is why we believe so strongly in WORTH. There is a huge shift from experiencing the oppression of being incarcerated to being empowered to change policies.”
