What I wished my family knew while I was going through intake…

When I arrived at Perryville Correctional Facility I was assigned to Lumley unit like every other woman who comes through those doors. Lumley is where all intake happens. It's where you wait. It's where the silence begins.

The cell windows in Lumley face the I-10.

I used to watch the cars go by and wonder if my family was out there. I wished more than anything that they knew I could see that highway. That if they had driven by, I would have been watching. That even through a small window behind a fence I was looking for them.

They had no idea.

That's the thing nobody tells families. Your loved one is not unreachable in those first hours—she's just on the other side of a window watching the world go by and hoping someone out there is thinking about her.

If you have a loved one going through intake at Perryville right now, drive by the I-10. Look up at those windows. She might be looking back.

And if you want to know more about how to support your loved one through intake and beyond, I'm here. Book a consultation at perryvilletheunpolishedtruth.com