There is a fascinating piece over at Vox by author Morgan Gliedman about being a young mother with a felony record. Ms. Gliedman has just about every other advantage in the world–money, a supporting family, a talent for writing, but still struggles because of her heroin conviction in ways that wouldn’t be immediately obvious to most. We need to talk more about the damage that is done to a child when a mother is labeled as a felon for life, and all of the opportunities that child loses, as a result of the mother’s status.
I am so happy to be a part of the process in Kentucky that reverses some of that damage through expungement. I have spoken with so many courageous people that were victims of opioid addiction and the struggles they’ve gone through to get and stay clean. I see the carnage caused by heroin almost every day in my practice. Stories like the ones I’ve heard from you all and Ms. Gliedman let me know just how important Kentucy’s new approach to forgiveness and expungement is.