JawharrahMother. Organizer. Esthetician.A mother of three, Jawharrah is on the frontlinesadvocating for voting rights, prison reform,reproductive freedom and families staying together.To her, this work is necessary and deeply personal—Jawharrah was eight weeks pregnant when shebecame incarcerated.“I spent the majority of my pregnancy in there.”During her incarceration, her mother and sister caredfor her other two children. After she delivered, theycared for her newborn son. He had just turned threewhen she was released.She says even after all this time, nearly seven yearslater, she’s still making up for lost time and buildingback those relationships.After her release, she visited McGruder FamilyResource Center, a United Way partner, to learn moreabout resources available to her. That’s when sheheard about The Family Collective, a United Wayprogram that partners to prevent and end familyhomelessness in Greater Nashville. Soon after, shewas in the program.“Life was very chaotic before then. I had the toolsand everything; they just kind of helped me put ittogether and map that out and be that support, thataccountability. They were the support system thatI needed when I was going through my trials andtribulations. When I got into that program, it was hardfor me to find a job being that I have a record.”Jawharrah started volunteering with Free Hearts, anorganization led by formerly incarcerated women. Shestarted out part time, helping other families who hadbeen impacted by incarceration—and was eventuallyhired on full time.With more income and the help of The FamilyCollective, she was able to secure housing for herfamily, go back to school to become an esthetician andopen her own business, Lashing Artistry.—Two days after giving birth to her third child, Jawharrahtearfully and painfully handed her baby to her mom sothat she could return to jail to await sentencing.“It was very emotional … very, very emotional.”She’s working hard to ensure that other mothers facingincarceration don’t experience that same trauma.In 2019, she advocated for legislation, the PrimaryCaregiver Bill, which requires courts to consider otheroptions for keeping parents facing incarceration withtheir children. Thanks to her hard work, Tennesseenow offers alternative, community-based sentenceslike drug rehab, counseling and education for thoseconvicted of non-violent offenses and have childrenthat depend on them.“Just to give them other alternatives versus justsending people away and locking them up … trying togive them other skill sets and things to kind of helpthem support their family.”The Family Collective
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