From Truthout:
Every mother of an incarcerated son has the day her child entered state custody memorized: Whether she had been waiting in semiconscious dread for the call that started it all, or was stunned by a sudden pounding on her front door — she will always remember the moment her role as a mother fundamentally changed, bringing with it new and relentless demands on her time, mental health and finances.
My own story began at 6 am on Valentine’s Day in 2019, when 11 federal agents stormed my apartment in search of my son. I was a white, 66-year-old Jewish psychotherapist living in New York City, a single lesbian mother of a 26-year-old son who was not living with me at the time. I backed against the wall in my pajamas as the feds poured into my home in their bulletproof vests. I was confused, terrified and completely unaware of my rights, meaning that they easily intimidated me into telling them my son’s whereabouts. By day’s end, he was arrested in New Orleans, and I was no longer the person I had been the day before. My heart is irreparably wounded, and I have lost all confidence in the systems set up to keep me safe. Do not be fooled by how well I look and function on the surface.
There are over 2 million incarcerated people in this country, 94 percent of whom are men. A conservative estimation puts more than a million mothers dedicating a good portion of their personal resources to the care of their sons inside. Another study found that one in four women love someone in prison. If you are reading this article, you know a woman suffering (silently) over the absence of a family member. Continue reading >>>
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