Reentered Lashonia Thompson-El is the executive director of the WIRE DC. The WIRE, which stands for "Women Involved in Reentry Efforts", is a non-profit, volunteer- run organization that helps women coming out of the prison system, reenter society. Thompson-El served 19 years in prison and has committed her life to the cause of restorative justice since her release. Lashonia accepts a donation to the WIRE at a fundraiser. The group relies on donations to hold weekly yoga classes. Brittney Floyd hugs her aunt in her home while her niece and sister watch from behind on the bed. Though she’s been incarcerated, Brittney strives to set a good example for her younger family members. Brittney Floyd was only eighteen when she plead guilty to a felony in a joint plea to prevent her father from being sentenced to life in prison. Since her release, she has joined the WIRE DC as a youth coordinator. Floyd is one of the most well-known activists in the DC community and has worked with DC government on several projects involving criminal justice reform and ex-offender rehabilitation. Members of the WIRE DC pass around a stone, sharing about their weeks during their weekly healing circle group. The healing circle functions as a group therapy where the women can relate on shared experiences of trauma within and outside the prison system. Tanisha Murden is one of the founding members of the WIRE DC. After spending five years in prison, Tanisha now works as a motivational speaker and mentor, educating others on the relationship to trauma and incarceration and providing support to those who've survived traumatic experiences similar to her own. Charnal Chaney was never incarcerated. But growing up with her mother in the prison system she has experienced her own trauma. Understanding the affects of incarceration on children, Chaney and her mother, Lashonia, work together with the other members of the WIRE to bring healing to the formerly incarcerated and their children. Tanisha Murden rests on her knees during the WIRE's weekly yoga session. Murden is pregnant and cannot perform certain poses. Aaliyah Polite is a newer member of the WIRE. She works as a teacher's aid at Ballou High School in South East DC where she encourages students' creativity and growth, keeping them out of trouble.
