CORYELL COUNTY, Texas — The Lioness Womens Justice Impacted Alliance is taking a step towards resilience within themselves and towards unity with the community.
The sounds of healing.
“Depressing, sad, and lonely, really lonely evening though your surrounded by people, you’re treated like not a person when you’re incarcerated in Texas,” said Marci Marie Simmons.
Simmons is the community outreach coordinator for Lioness Justice Impacted Womens Alliance.
“We’re in the free world clothes!” she said.
But before she took on that role, she spent nine years in a Gatesville prison.
“We were locked in a cage, locked doors not even able to get cold water,” she said.
And now she’s walking with other formerly incarcerated women to help bridge the divide between them and the community.
The walk symbolizes taking a strides towards freedom.
“I just think the facts that we’re walking down the street as free people, and we have community members here in the town I think it’s just really special,” said Simmons.
Eric Carillo, who was also formerly incarcerated, now helps people who have been released get back on their feet.
“There’s no manual to any of this but its necessary for somebody to step up to the plate and show them — this is what I did, and this is what I suggest to you,” said Carillo.
The walk started at the Coryell courthouse and ended at Faunt Le Roy Park with a healing circle.
“It was a great feeling just like I walked out all over again.”
