{"id":33991,"date":"2021-05-13T05:00:46","date_gmt":"2021-05-13T10:00:46","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/?p=33991"},"modified":"2021-06-11T13:58:16","modified_gmt":"2021-06-11T18:58:16","slug":"every-day-is-a-great-day-women-in-oklahoma-prisons-encourage-people-struggling-through-the-pandemic","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/2021\/05\/13\/every-day-is-a-great-day-women-in-oklahoma-prisons-encourage-people-struggling-through-the-pandemic\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018Every day is a great day\u2019: Women in Oklahoma prisons encourage people struggling through the pandemic"},"content":{"rendered":"<style type=\"text\/css\">\n\t\t\t#gallery-1 {\n\t\t\t\tmargin: auto;\n\t\t\t}\n\t\t\t#gallery-1 .gallery-item {\n\t\t\t\tfloat: left;\n\t\t\t\tmargin-top: 10px;\n\t\t\t\ttext-align: center;\n\t\t\t\twidth: 33%;\n\t\t\t}\n\t\t\t#gallery-1 img {\n\t\t\t\tborder: 2px solid #cfcfcf;\n\t\t\t}\n\t\t\t#gallery-1 .gallery-caption {\n\t\t\t\tmargin-left: 0;\n\t\t\t}\n\t\t\t\/* see gallery_shortcode() in wp-includes\/media.php *\/\n\t\t<\/style>\n<div id='gallery-1' class='gallery galleryid-33991 gallery-columns-3 gallery-size-medium'>\n<dl class='gallery-item'>\n<dt class='gallery-icon portrait'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/2021\/05\/13\/every-day-is-a-great-day-women-in-oklahoma-prisons-encourage-people-struggling-through-the-pandemic\/brittney-letter-edit\/'><img width=\"511\" height=\"672\" src=\"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2021\/05\/Brittney-Letter-Edit-511x672.jpg\" class=\"attachment-medium size-medium\" alt=\"A letter from a woman incarcerated in a state prison.\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" aria-describedby=\"gallery-1-33994\" srcset=\"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2021\/05\/Brittney-Letter-Edit-511x672.jpg 511w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2021\/05\/Brittney-Letter-Edit-1460x1920.jpg 1460w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2021\/05\/Brittney-Letter-Edit-768x1010.jpg 768w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2021\/05\/Brittney-Letter-Edit-114x150.jpg 114w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2021\/05\/Brittney-Letter-Edit-228x300.jpg 228w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2021\/05\/Brittney-Letter-Edit-620x815.jpg 620w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2021\/05\/Brittney-Letter-Edit-821x1080.jpg 821w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 511px) 100vw, 511px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt>\n<dd class='wp-caption-text gallery-caption' id='gallery-1-33994'>\n\t\t\t\tA letter from a woman incarcerated in a state prison.\n\t\t\t\t<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<dl class='gallery-item'>\n<dt class='gallery-icon portrait'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/2021\/05\/13\/every-day-is-a-great-day-women-in-oklahoma-prisons-encourage-people-struggling-through-the-pandemic\/britt-letter-edit\/'><img width=\"497\" height=\"672\" src=\"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2021\/05\/Britt-Letter-Edit-497x672.jpg\" class=\"attachment-medium size-medium\" alt=\"A letter from a woman incarcerated in a state prison.\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" aria-describedby=\"gallery-1-33995\" srcset=\"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2021\/05\/Britt-Letter-Edit-497x672.jpg 497w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2021\/05\/Britt-Letter-Edit-1419x1920.jpg 1419w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2021\/05\/Britt-Letter-Edit-768x1039.jpg 768w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2021\/05\/Britt-Letter-Edit-111x150.jpg 111w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2021\/05\/Britt-Letter-Edit-222x300.jpg 222w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2021\/05\/Britt-Letter-Edit-620x839.jpg 620w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2021\/05\/Britt-Letter-Edit-798x1080.jpg 798w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 497px) 100vw, 497px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt>\n<dd class='wp-caption-text gallery-caption' id='gallery-1-33995'>\n\t\t\t\tA letter from a woman incarcerated in a state prison.\n\t\t\t\t<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<dl class='gallery-item'>\n<dt class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/2021\/05\/13\/every-day-is-a-great-day-women-in-oklahoma-prisons-encourage-people-struggling-through-the-pandemic\/elizabeth-letter-edit\/'><img width=\"672\" height=\"519\" src=\"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2021\/05\/Elizabeth-Letter-Edit-672x519.jpg\" class=\"attachment-medium size-medium\" alt=\"A letter from a woman incarcerated in a state prison.\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" aria-describedby=\"gallery-1-33998\" srcset=\"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2021\/05\/Elizabeth-Letter-Edit-672x519.jpg 672w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2021\/05\/Elizabeth-Letter-Edit-1920x1484.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2021\/05\/Elizabeth-Letter-Edit-768x594.jpg 768w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2021\/05\/Elizabeth-Letter-Edit-150x116.jpg 150w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2021\/05\/Elizabeth-Letter-Edit-300x232.jpg 300w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2021\/05\/Elizabeth-Letter-Edit-620x479.jpg 620w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2021\/05\/Elizabeth-Letter-Edit-1398x1080.jpg 1398w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 672px) 100vw, 672px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt>\n<dd class='wp-caption-text gallery-caption' id='gallery-1-33998'>\n\t\t\t\tA poem from a woman incarcerated in a state prison.\n\t\t\t\t<\/dd>\n<\/dl><p><br style=\"clear: both\" \/><\/p>\n<dl class='gallery-item'>\n<dt class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/2021\/05\/13\/every-day-is-a-great-day-women-in-oklahoma-prisons-encourage-people-struggling-through-the-pandemic\/frog-letter-edit_\/'><img width=\"672\" height=\"519\" src=\"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2021\/05\/Frog-Letter-Edit_-672x519.jpg\" class=\"attachment-medium size-medium\" alt=\"A poem from a woman incarcerated in a state prison. There are two pages. One page on the left is a folded white paper with a drawing of a green frog singing into a microphone. The second page is yellow and has a poem written by hand.\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" aria-describedby=\"gallery-1-34005\" srcset=\"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2021\/05\/Frog-Letter-Edit_-672x519.jpg 672w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2021\/05\/Frog-Letter-Edit_-1920x1484.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2021\/05\/Frog-Letter-Edit_-768x594.jpg 768w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2021\/05\/Frog-Letter-Edit_-150x116.jpg 150w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2021\/05\/Frog-Letter-Edit_-300x232.jpg 300w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2021\/05\/Frog-Letter-Edit_-620x479.jpg 620w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2021\/05\/Frog-Letter-Edit_-1398x1080.jpg 1398w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 672px) 100vw, 672px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt>\n<dd class='wp-caption-text gallery-caption' id='gallery-1-34005'>\n\t\t\t\tA poem from a woman incarcerated in a state prison.\n\t\t\t\t<\/dd>\n<\/dl><p>\t\t\t<br style='clear: both' \/>\n\t\t<\/div>\n<div style=\"width: 100%; height: 170px; margin-bottom: 20px; border-radius: 10px; overflow:hidden;\"><iframe style=\"width: 100%; height: 170px;\" frameborder=\"no\" scrolling=\"no\" seamless src=\"https:\/\/player.captivate.fm\/episode\/be0c5dbc-ee8e-45e9-968b-ee6fcbde9705\"><\/iframe><\/div><p>COVID-19 built new walls that further isolated Oklahoma\u2019s prisoners from the rest of the world.<\/p><p>It started last March. The Department of Corrections <a href=\"https:\/\/oklahoma.gov\/doc\/newsroom\/2020\/in-response-to-covid-19-inmate-visitation-will-cease-instate-prisons.html\">turned away visitors.<\/a> Prisoners began <a href=\"https:\/\/oklahoma.gov\/doc\/newsroom\/2020\/oklahoma-correctional-facilities-enhance-safety-measures-to-stop-covid-19-spread.html\">losing access to outdoor space<\/a> and they could no longer go to classes and common areas. The changes were safety precautions.<\/p><p>Se\u2019Nae Starnes has young children and before the pandemic she was already limited to seeing them on the weekends. She says when COVID-19 hit even that was taken away.<\/p><p>\u201cLike, my daughter especially, she&#8217;s not able to write and read and be able to communicate that way,\u201d Starnes said. \u201cSo we have to be creative and draw pictures because we weren&#8217;t always able to get to the phone.\u201d<\/p><p>Starnes is incarcerated at Eddie Warrior Correctional Center in Taft. The Department of Corrections allowed prisoners\u2019 friends and family to come back more than two months after stopping visits.<\/p><p>Then the agency suspended visitation again in late September when COVID-19 cases in the prison system were increasing rapidly. That final suspension was lifted for most prisons, including Eddie Warrior, in April of this year.<\/p>\n<h3>Connecting through mail<\/h3><p>Despite the dangers of COVID-19 and prison limitations, 470 incarcerated women used a long distance writing program to connect with people outside prison walls.<\/p><p>The women and their writing partners helped each other get through the pandemic.<\/p><p>Last month, participants wrote letters and poems meant to help people who were having a hard time coping with the harsh realities of the coronavirus.<\/p><p>Starnes wrote in hers that the pandemic was \u201can emotional roller coaster\u201d but it taught the women she is locked away with to stick together, like family.<\/p><p>\u201cIt taught us unity and selflessness,\u201d Starnes wrote. \u201cSo to the hands that receive this letter, know you\u2019re not alone.\u201d<\/p><p>She recommended her reader take time to help other people. She suggested making something for a neighbor, telling someone good morning, and she said, \u201cRemember, you\u2019re beautiful! Everyday is a great day. Even the bad days make us stronger!\u201d<\/p><p>Asked about her letter, Starnes said she \u201cfinds comfort in comforting people.\u201d<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_33993\"  class=\"wp-caption module image aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1493px;\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-large wp-image-33993\" src=\"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2021\/05\/SeNae-Letter-Edit-1493x1920.jpg\" alt=\"A letter written by hand on college rule paper in blue ink.\" width=\"1493\" height=\"1920\" srcset=\"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2021\/05\/SeNae-Letter-Edit-1493x1920.jpg 1493w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2021\/05\/SeNae-Letter-Edit-523x672.jpg 523w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2021\/05\/SeNae-Letter-Edit-768x988.jpg 768w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2021\/05\/SeNae-Letter-Edit-117x150.jpg 117w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2021\/05\/SeNae-Letter-Edit-233x300.jpg 233w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2021\/05\/SeNae-Letter-Edit-620x797.jpg 620w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2021\/05\/SeNae-Letter-Edit-840x1080.jpg 840w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1493px) 100vw, 1493px\" \/><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-media-credit\">Courtesy Poetic Justice and Se&#039;Nae Starnes<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-caption-text\">Se&#8217;Nae Starnes&#8217; letter offers simple advice on making it through the pandemic a day at a time.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<h3>Letters exchanged<\/h3><p>Getting these letters into their readers&#8217; hands wasn\u2019t straightforward. The participants had to work around the strict security employed in prisons without meeting face to face.<\/p><p>The correspondence class is made up of women inside Mabel Bassett and Eddie Warrior Correctional Centers, and their writing partners outside of prison.<\/p><p>The women and their partners sent messages to each other and then they passed the letters they received on to someone else.<\/p><p>\u201cSo it&#8217;s written to somebody you don&#8217;t even know. You don&#8217;t even know who is going to get it,\u201d Kate Forest, board vice president of the nonprofit writing project Poetic Justice explained.<\/p><p>In addition to sitting on Poetic Justice\u2019s board, Forest is a part-time staff member. <span lang=\"EN\">The Oklahoma-based organization created the correspondence course in which Starnes wrote her letter. During normal times, Poetic Justice offers in-person restorative writing and creative arts programs to incarcerated women. The pandemic forced them to adapt. <\/span><\/p><p>Forest says it\u2019s hard for people in state prisons to have fluid communication with the outside world even in the best of times. They can\u2019t receive phone calls. They can get emails but they can\u2019t send an email back.<\/p><p>If they try to call someone and the person doesn\u2019t pick up, they may have to wait hours before they can try again. Forest says often when someone in prison wants to communicate with people outside, the prisoner has to reach out.<\/p><p>\u201cI think a lot of what we wanted to do was simulate people reaching out to them as much as possible,\u201d Forest said. \u201cHow can we get companionship to them with all the restrictions and barriers that are in place?\u201d<\/p><p>Poetic Justice\u2019s leaders and Department of Corrections staff hoped these letters would remind the women that their thoughts and feelings are still valuable to people outside of prison.<\/p><p>\u201cI think one of the benefits is &#8230; processing through the shared sense of isolation, it&#8217;s reminding us that we all went through this pandemic and we&#8217;re still going through it,\u201d Forest said.<\/p>\n<style type=\"text\/css\">\n\t\t\t#gallery-2 {\n\t\t\t\tmargin: auto;\n\t\t\t}\n\t\t\t#gallery-2 .gallery-item {\n\t\t\t\tfloat: left;\n\t\t\t\tmargin-top: 10px;\n\t\t\t\ttext-align: center;\n\t\t\t\twidth: 33%;\n\t\t\t}\n\t\t\t#gallery-2 img {\n\t\t\t\tborder: 2px solid #cfcfcf;\n\t\t\t}\n\t\t\t#gallery-2 .gallery-caption {\n\t\t\t\tmargin-left: 0;\n\t\t\t}\n\t\t\t\/* see gallery_shortcode() in wp-includes\/media.php *\/\n\t\t<\/style>\n<div id='gallery-2' class='gallery galleryid-33991 gallery-columns-3 gallery-size-medium'>\n<dl class='gallery-item'>\n<dt class='gallery-icon portrait'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/2021\/05\/13\/every-day-is-a-great-day-women-in-oklahoma-prisons-encourage-people-struggling-through-the-pandemic\/destini-letter-edit\/'><img width=\"672\" height=\"672\" src=\"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2021\/05\/Destini-Letter-Edit-672x672.jpg\" class=\"attachment-medium size-medium\" alt=\"A letter from a woman incarcerated in a state prison.\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" aria-describedby=\"gallery-2-33996\" srcset=\"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2021\/05\/Destini-Letter-Edit-672x672.jpg 672w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2021\/05\/Destini-Letter-Edit-1918x1920.jpg 1918w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2021\/05\/Destini-Letter-Edit-768x769.jpg 768w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2021\/05\/Destini-Letter-Edit-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2021\/05\/Destini-Letter-Edit-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2021\/05\/Destini-Letter-Edit-620x621.jpg 620w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2021\/05\/Destini-Letter-Edit-1079x1080.jpg 1079w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2021\/05\/Destini-Letter-Edit-32x32.jpg 32w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2021\/05\/Destini-Letter-Edit-50x50.jpg 50w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2021\/05\/Destini-Letter-Edit-64x64.jpg 64w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2021\/05\/Destini-Letter-Edit-96x96.jpg 96w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2021\/05\/Destini-Letter-Edit-128x128.jpg 128w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 672px) 100vw, 672px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt>\n<dd class='wp-caption-text gallery-caption' id='gallery-2-33996'>\n\t\t\t\tA letter from a woman incarcerated in a state prison.\n\t\t\t\t<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<dl class='gallery-item'>\n<dt class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/2021\/05\/13\/every-day-is-a-great-day-women-in-oklahoma-prisons-encourage-people-struggling-through-the-pandemic\/destini-2-letter-edit\/'><img width=\"672\" height=\"670\" src=\"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2021\/05\/Destini-2-Letter-Edit-672x670.jpg\" class=\"attachment-medium size-medium\" alt=\"A letter from a woman incarcerated in a state prison.\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" aria-describedby=\"gallery-2-33997\" srcset=\"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2021\/05\/Destini-2-Letter-Edit-672x670.jpg 672w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2021\/05\/Destini-2-Letter-Edit-1920x1914.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2021\/05\/Destini-2-Letter-Edit-768x766.jpg 768w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2021\/05\/Destini-2-Letter-Edit-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2021\/05\/Destini-2-Letter-Edit-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2021\/05\/Destini-2-Letter-Edit-620x618.jpg 620w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2021\/05\/Destini-2-Letter-Edit-1084x1080.jpg 1084w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2021\/05\/Destini-2-Letter-Edit-32x32.jpg 32w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2021\/05\/Destini-2-Letter-Edit-50x50.jpg 50w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2021\/05\/Destini-2-Letter-Edit-64x64.jpg 64w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2021\/05\/Destini-2-Letter-Edit-96x96.jpg 96w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2021\/05\/Destini-2-Letter-Edit-128x128.jpg 128w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 672px) 100vw, 672px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt>\n<dd class='wp-caption-text gallery-caption' id='gallery-2-33997'>\n\t\t\t\tA letter from a woman incarcerated in a state prison.\n\t\t\t\t<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<dl class='gallery-item'>\n<dt class='gallery-icon portrait'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/2021\/05\/13\/every-day-is-a-great-day-women-in-oklahoma-prisons-encourage-people-struggling-through-the-pandemic\/evelyn-poem-edit\/'><img width=\"519\" height=\"672\" src=\"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2021\/05\/Evelyn-Poem-Edit-519x672.jpg\" class=\"attachment-medium size-medium\" alt=\"A letter from a woman incarcerated in a state prison.\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" aria-describedby=\"gallery-2-34001\" srcset=\"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2021\/05\/Evelyn-Poem-Edit-519x672.jpg 519w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2021\/05\/Evelyn-Poem-Edit-1484x1920.jpg 1484w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2021\/05\/Evelyn-Poem-Edit-768x994.jpg 768w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2021\/05\/Evelyn-Poem-Edit-116x150.jpg 116w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2021\/05\/Evelyn-Poem-Edit-232x300.jpg 232w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2021\/05\/Evelyn-Poem-Edit-620x802.jpg 620w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2021\/05\/Evelyn-Poem-Edit-835x1080.jpg 835w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 519px) 100vw, 519px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt>\n<dd class='wp-caption-text gallery-caption' id='gallery-2-34001'>\n\t\t\t\tA poem from a woman incarcerated in a state prison.\n\t\t\t\t<\/dd>\n<\/dl><p><br style=\"clear: both\" \/><\/p>\n<dl class='gallery-item'>\n<dt class='gallery-icon portrait'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/2021\/05\/13\/every-day-is-a-great-day-women-in-oklahoma-prisons-encourage-people-struggling-through-the-pandemic\/evelyn-poem-edit-2\/'><img width=\"520\" height=\"672\" src=\"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2021\/05\/Evelyn-Poem-Edit-2-520x672.jpg\" class=\"attachment-medium size-medium\" alt=\"A letter from a woman incarcerated in a state prison.\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" aria-describedby=\"gallery-2-34002\" srcset=\"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2021\/05\/Evelyn-Poem-Edit-2-520x672.jpg 520w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2021\/05\/Evelyn-Poem-Edit-2-1486x1920.jpg 1486w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2021\/05\/Evelyn-Poem-Edit-2-768x992.jpg 768w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2021\/05\/Evelyn-Poem-Edit-2-116x150.jpg 116w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2021\/05\/Evelyn-Poem-Edit-2-232x300.jpg 232w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2021\/05\/Evelyn-Poem-Edit-2-620x801.jpg 620w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2021\/05\/Evelyn-Poem-Edit-2-836x1080.jpg 836w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 520px) 100vw, 520px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt>\n<dd class='wp-caption-text gallery-caption' id='gallery-2-34002'>\n\t\t\t\tA poem from a woman incarcerated in a state prison.\n\t\t\t\t<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<dl class='gallery-item'>\n<dt class='gallery-icon portrait'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/2021\/05\/13\/every-day-is-a-great-day-women-in-oklahoma-prisons-encourage-people-struggling-through-the-pandemic\/litha-letter-edit_\/'><img width=\"520\" height=\"672\" src=\"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2021\/05\/Litha-Letter-Edit_-520x672.jpg\" class=\"attachment-medium size-medium\" alt=\"A letter from a woman incarcerated in a state prison.\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" aria-describedby=\"gallery-2-34010\" srcset=\"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2021\/05\/Litha-Letter-Edit_-520x672.jpg 520w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2021\/05\/Litha-Letter-Edit_-1485x1920.jpg 1485w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2021\/05\/Litha-Letter-Edit_-768x993.jpg 768w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2021\/05\/Litha-Letter-Edit_-116x150.jpg 116w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2021\/05\/Litha-Letter-Edit_-232x300.jpg 232w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2021\/05\/Litha-Letter-Edit_-620x801.jpg 620w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2021\/05\/Litha-Letter-Edit_-836x1080.jpg 836w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 520px) 100vw, 520px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt>\n<dd class='wp-caption-text gallery-caption' id='gallery-2-34010'>\n\t\t\t\tA letter from a woman incarcerated in a state prison.\n\t\t\t\t<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<dl class='gallery-item'>\n<dt class='gallery-icon portrait'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/2021\/05\/13\/every-day-is-a-great-day-women-in-oklahoma-prisons-encourage-people-struggling-through-the-pandemic\/louella-letter-edit_\/'><img width=\"519\" height=\"672\" src=\"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2021\/05\/Louella-Letter-Edit_-519x672.jpg\" class=\"attachment-medium size-medium\" alt=\"A letter from a woman incarcerated in a state prison.\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" aria-describedby=\"gallery-2-34011\" srcset=\"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2021\/05\/Louella-Letter-Edit_-519x672.jpg 519w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2021\/05\/Louella-Letter-Edit_-1484x1920.jpg 1484w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2021\/05\/Louella-Letter-Edit_-768x994.jpg 768w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2021\/05\/Louella-Letter-Edit_-116x150.jpg 116w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2021\/05\/Louella-Letter-Edit_-232x300.jpg 232w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2021\/05\/Louella-Letter-Edit_-620x802.jpg 620w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2021\/05\/Louella-Letter-Edit_-835x1080.jpg 835w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 519px) 100vw, 519px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt>\n<dd class='wp-caption-text gallery-caption' id='gallery-2-34011'>\n\t\t\t\tA letter from a woman incarcerated in a state prison.\n\t\t\t\t<\/dd>\n<\/dl><p><br style=\"clear: both\" \/><\/p>\n<dl class='gallery-item'>\n<dt class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/2021\/05\/13\/every-day-is-a-great-day-women-in-oklahoma-prisons-encourage-people-struggling-through-the-pandemic\/louella-letter-edit-2\/'><img width=\"672\" height=\"522\" src=\"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2021\/05\/Louella-Letter-Edit-2-672x522.jpg\" class=\"attachment-medium size-medium\" alt=\"A letter from a woman incarcerated in a state prison.\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" aria-describedby=\"gallery-2-34012\" srcset=\"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2021\/05\/Louella-Letter-Edit-2-672x522.jpg 672w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2021\/05\/Louella-Letter-Edit-2-1920x1491.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2021\/05\/Louella-Letter-Edit-2-768x596.jpg 768w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2021\/05\/Louella-Letter-Edit-2-150x116.jpg 150w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2021\/05\/Louella-Letter-Edit-2-300x233.jpg 300w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2021\/05\/Louella-Letter-Edit-2-620x481.jpg 620w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2021\/05\/Louella-Letter-Edit-2-1391x1080.jpg 1391w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 672px) 100vw, 672px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt>\n<dd class='wp-caption-text gallery-caption' id='gallery-2-34012'>\n\t\t\t\tA letter from a woman incarcerated in a state prison.\n\t\t\t\t<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<dl class='gallery-item'>\n<dt class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/2021\/05\/13\/every-day-is-a-great-day-women-in-oklahoma-prisons-encourage-people-struggling-through-the-pandemic\/louella-letter-edit-3\/'><img width=\"672\" height=\"428\" src=\"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2021\/05\/Louella-Letter-Edit-3-672x428.jpg\" class=\"attachment-medium size-medium\" alt=\"A letter from a woman incarcerated in a state prison.\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" aria-describedby=\"gallery-2-34013\" srcset=\"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2021\/05\/Louella-Letter-Edit-3-672x428.jpg 672w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2021\/05\/Louella-Letter-Edit-3-1920x1224.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2021\/05\/Louella-Letter-Edit-3-768x489.jpg 768w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2021\/05\/Louella-Letter-Edit-3-150x96.jpg 150w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2021\/05\/Louella-Letter-Edit-3-300x191.jpg 300w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2021\/05\/Louella-Letter-Edit-3-620x395.jpg 620w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2021\/05\/Louella-Letter-Edit-3-1695x1080.jpg 1695w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 672px) 100vw, 672px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt>\n<dd class='wp-caption-text gallery-caption' id='gallery-2-34013'>\n\t\t\t\tA letter from a woman incarcerated in a state prison.\n\t\t\t\t<\/dd>\n<\/dl><p>\t\t\t<br style='clear: both' \/>\n\t\t<\/div>\n<h3>Encouragement &#8216;keeps you going&#8217;<\/h3><p>Starnes says these letters and the rest of the correspondence course have been a bright spot in a very hard year.<\/p><p>One woman wrote that the past year was the hardest of her life. Nearly every woman inside Eddie Warrior <a href=\"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/2020\/09\/24\/we-are-still-human-beings-oklahoma-prisoners-officials-adjust-as-covid-19-spreads\/\">caught COVID-19 last fall.<\/a><\/p><p>Starnes says a few women didn\u2019t show symptoms at all.<\/p><p>\u201cBut the majority of us felt like we were on our deathbed,\u201d she said. \u201cWhen one of us was feeling good that day, we had to look out for the other ones and vice versa.\u201d<\/p><p>People Starnes knew &#8211; people she calls her prison family &#8211; died. Other women lost actual family members to COVID-19.<\/p><p>They mourned inside packed dorms and outside when they got the chance.<\/p><p>Starnes expects to be released on parole soon and she says when she gets out she wants to work with a program like Poetic Justice to help the women who won\u2019t be leaving with her.<\/p><p>When in prison, Starnes says hearing your name at mail call means a lot.<\/p><p>\u201cBeing encouraged by things like that, you&#8217;re less likely to fall back into what you were into before,\u201d she said. \u201cYou have people that love you around you and that keeps you going.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A nonprofit helped women in two state prisons connect with strangers during the coronavirus pandemic. The women recounted their struggles and offered advice. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":201,"featured_media":33993,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[18],"tags":[1238,1298,873,890,1344],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33991"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/201"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=33991"}],"version-history":[{"count":19,"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33991\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":34076,"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33991\/revisions\/34076"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/33993"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=33991"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=33991"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=33991"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}