Amanda Cassidy is an advocacy officer and recovery support peer specialist supervisor in the San Antonio, Texas, metropolitan area. She draws on her lived experience to support girls and women across the country who are impacted by the criminal justice system.
You are on the front lines of helping women rebuild their lives through your work with the Lioness Justice Impacted Women’s Alliance, first as a steering committee member and now as lead organizer for Guadalupe County. What challenges do women, in particular, face during reentry?
Employment after release will always and forever be an issue. Many of the women I have worked with have violent criminal histories, often born out of self-defense. They are survivors of domestic violence and other crimes, but this context is not offered in the databases used for background checks.
Housing, too, is challenging for women who are reentering the community. After I was released from custody, I lived in a recovery home for a year. Moving on from there, I learned that my history with the judicial system prevented me from holding a lease. Homeownership was the only way for my name to be on any kind of property, so my new husband and I applied for a mortgage. We each worked three jobs to get through the home-buying process, but we did it! But this is not feasible for many people; I was privileged to have access to resources and support systems that others do not have.
Societal expectations assume women will be the familial caregiver and a wage-earner. This pressure is heightened for women exiting incarceration as they try to re-establish themselves in their families and communities. They are also often pursuing recovery, whether from drugs, alcohol and/or mental health conditions. The biggest challenge is finding what works best for you.
How are you advancing the mission of the Lioness Justice Impacted Women’s Alliance?
During rec time at a Texas prison, a group of women started talking over ideas on how to better support each other within the facility, and once released. This evolved into Lioness, which is how we casually refer to the alliance. From a community-building entity, we quickly grew into a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.
In the beginning, we spent much of our time advocating at the state legislature for conditions of confinement and medical dignity. As an example of the latter, women were put on prison buses, handcuffed to one another, and transported across the state for medical procedures; there was no privacy for using the restroom on the bus.
We now help meet the needs of more than 450 women and girls who are incarcerated. We also build communities “outside of the walls” and influence policies through leadership development, grassroots organizing, and civic engagement. We are currently developing a trauma-informed and healing-centered leadership training that we will use to raise awareness from the “top down,” from leadership to community members.
We are working to establish a community group in every city and county across Texas, and my specific charge is Guadalupe County. I hold monthly meetings to bring together women who have experience with the judicial system. It is an opportunity to get to know each other and learn how we can support each other.
We tap into women’s strengths and preferences. They may not be comfortable speaking to legislators, but are very willing to be a pen pal to someone who is incarcerated or to run errands with someone who is back in the community.
What advice do you have for individuals who are trying to maintain recovery from substance use disorder during times of transition?
People trying to maintain recovery should be empowered to explore what is most important to them before they are released, so they have something to connect to when they are out. I wanted to be free from drugs and alcohol, so I looked for and became involved in a community dedicated to recovery. Consider your interests: do you like to crochet, garden, or practice your faith? The sooner you connect with like-minded people—ideally, within the first 2 weeks after release—the sooner you will be able to build a support system.
Make finding a community a part of your plan. When I was incarcerated, I built a plan, which included everything from getting my ID to obtaining my driver’s license to getting a cell phone to learning how to fill out job applications. I checked off the boxes as I accomplished each task and continue to use my plan, updating it as I go along.
You have been described as “a fierce advocate and communicator who supports others in finding their voices and advocating for their own causes.” What fuels this passion?
I am a woman in long-term recovery. I have not had any alcohol or used drugs since October 15, 2018. Refraining from substance use also put a stop to my time in handcuffs. I want to help women who are traveling the same road I have been down, to let them know they can re-engage, that support is available.
The most difficult part of reentry for me was rebuilding bonds with my family. Moving from a prison mentality of doing as directed to maintaining healthy relationships once released is seldom addressed. And there are so many relationships to navigate: with your spouse, with children, with employers, with colleagues, with parole officers, with oneself.
For a very long time, I did not have the confidence to use my voice. But I have learned how to speak, even when my voice shakes, because I believe in what I am saying. What I am most proud of is finally being able to share my story with my family and seeing their perspectives change about me. I want to help others feel that sense of empowerment.