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On this explosive new episode of: “Light ‘Em Up”, we peel back the raw, unfiltered emotion as we explore the deep mental anguish and emotional heartache and pain that can only fill a mother’s heart on Mother’s Day–while the razor wire and steel bars of prison separate her from her child who is incarcerated (and in this specific case, even more hurtful – wrongfully incarcerated).
A mother’s burden is the pain of her children. As other mothers of incarcerated children have attested to – this pain is vast, deep and wide.
“It is difficult to pretend to be okay when a piece of your heart is locked up behind bars.”
For many people, Mother’s Day is a time of celebration. It is a time to honor mothers and those who play a maternal role. For those that are blessed to still have their mothers in their life, some will celebrate their mothers by bringing them breakfast in bed, treating them to brunch, buying them flowers, etc.
For mothers of incarcerated children, it is also a time of deep anguish. Our special guest, Kimkeshia Johnson says, “It is extremely hard – this is what knocks you to your knees and what keeps you hitting your knees in prayer knowing that the State has your child and is holding them for something he did not do.”
Offenders are stigmatized for their offense, and their families often are stigmatized as well. Families are seen as “guilty by association” even though they’ve done nothing wrong and may have had no involvement in the charged offense whatsoever.
This stigma makes the imprisonment even more difficult for family members, and it can also mean that families are treated negatively by members of their community, co-workers, and even friends and family. This only serves to add to the suffering of a family member, and in this specific case, to a mother who is already suffering.
“A society should be judged not by how it treats its outstanding citizens ― but by how it treats those it incarcerates.”
With nearly 2.3 million people locked up in 1,719 correctional facilities, the U.S. imprisons more people per capita than any other nation on earth. Mass incarceration has made family member incarceration a common thing. Low-income families of color are disproportionally impacted as we have moved more towards an “incarceration nation”.
To help financially with the legal defense fund for Ter’Rion and provide any benevolent monetary gifts and support for the family, you can do so at this web address:
https://gogetfunding.com/Justice4TerRion/
We were thankful to be able to feature a few of the responses from those that wrote in from the Facebook group: Parents of Incarcerated Children.
When was the last time you considered anyone that is incarcerated?
You, I, anyone can be arrested. Jesus was arrested. Just because you were arrested – doesn’t mean you committed the crime.
Justice comes to those that fight … not those that cry!
We’d like to thank our friends at Feedspot, as recently we were honored by being ranked #9 in their most recent poll out of the 40 Best Criminal Justice Podcasts. Visit their blog at www.Feedspot.com or simply follow this link: Best 40 Criminal Justice Podcasts You Follow in 2022 (feedspot.com)
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Phil Rizzo, Executive Producer