New clinic for formerly imprisoned women

By Marianella Aguirre

The Guardsman

At  the Women and Incarceration: History and Milestones workshop on March  20, City College of San Francisco’s Way-Pass program announced plans to  open a clinic to provide life-skills support for formerly-incarcerated  women.

Program  director Pearl Contreras, or “Miss Pearl” as her friends and colleagues  call her, said this will be especially beneficial for older women or  “baby boomers” who are now a large percentage of the women coming out of  prison.

The  discussion, conducted in an intimate circle, included four  formerly-incarcerated women and about 20 students and members of the  community, mostly women. Instructor Jennifer Worley was among the  attendees. Students from her Incarceration in America class made up half  of the audience.

Pearl  Contreras gave the opening speech. She was formerly imprisoned herself  and said that she is not proud of that. “What I am proud of is that I  came out and I made a change in my life,” she said.

She  emphasized the importance of education saying, “Without me getting an  education there is no way in the world that I would have made it. The  mind is a bad thing to waste.”

As  Contreras introduced her friend, the formerly-incarcerated Way-Pass  program founder Mary Van Der Horst, she expressed her love and  appreciation for her for what she had done to support other  formerly-incarcerated women. Contreras gave her a heartfelt hug as Van  Der Horst took the floor. Members of the audience teared up as they too  shared Contreras’ affection for Van Der Horst.

As  Van Der Horst facilitated a discussion on the history of women and  incarceration in California and the history of the Way-Pass program, the  discussion quickly shifted toward a forum for listening to and sharing  stories with previously-incarcerated women as they spoke about the  experience of leaving prison and struggling to integrate back into a  changed world.

Way-Pass  member Sandra Johnson explained that when she left prison, the only  support she was given was $200, which she then had to use for her bus  ride out of prison and to buy clothes.

“Coming  out of prison is hard,” she said. “Especially when you don’t have  anybody. That is why I want to help other women. Woman is strength.”

Johnson  was laid off of work for having a criminal record and said that it was a  challenge to go back to school. She said she felt anxious and scared  and did not feel confident. The Way-Pass program has helped her stay in  school.

When  Way-Pass was originally founded it was meant to provide women with  school supplies and even things like diapers. By covering basic  necessities, the program hoped to help members succeed in school.  Van  Der Horst wants to extend the Way-Pass program from what it is now, a  college support program, to a program for housing and business-creating.

“We want to make our community strong and create a sustainable community where we sustain each other,” she said.