Living Life On Purpose Academy
Mission

To create a pathway geared for lifer/long termed female returning citizens by providing a safe living environment whereby they can become grounded, establish community connections and develop independence while obtaining the resources needed to continue reclaiming their lives in the 21 Century.

September 20, 2012, I paroled to Fresno after being incarcerated 25 years and 330 days. I had no family in Fresno, and most had passed away. Upon release, I’d received $200.00, my resources were limited. I went into a program that was geared towards helping women with severe addiction. Due to their lack of knowledge, experience and understanding for the long-term incarcerated population, my needs went unmet. The program that was supposed to help me transition, served to hinder my process and contributed to feelings of anxiety and depression. This made my process extremely difficult and delayed. Throughout the last eight years, I have found this to be common among "lifers" who have gone to the traditional substance abuse program and/or transitional homes.

While serving a life without the possibility of parole, I was given a commutation, and released after 26 years of incarceration. As a condition of parole, I was to reside in a transitional program for the next year. While I was truly blessed to have a place to parole, I often felt alone, confused and stifled. Many of the women at the program had substance abuse issues and were struggling to get and remain sober. I was desperately trying to understand a world that was now foreign to me. It was often chaotic as that is the characteristic of addiction. Filled with anxiety, I simply wanted just to stay out of their way. I’d spent 26 years reshaping and recreating my life, preparing for a day I thought didn’t exist, but I was unprepared for the worlds new navigation systems, technology! I needed to be taught simple things like how to open a bank account or to deal with traffic and noise or how to deal with the opposite sex with out being afraid. How to apply for a job online, you see when I left applications and resumes where filled out in person. I needed a program that would hold the back of my bike as I learned how to petal on my own so to speak. I needed LLOPA