Posted inQ&A

Q&A: 12 Incarcerated Women on Their Favorite Gifts

A rock necklace. A good roommate. Forgiveness.

by Chanell Burnette December 19, 2022November 1, 2023

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Q&A: 12 Incarcerated Women on Their Favorite Gifts

by Chanell Burnette, Prison Journalism Project
December 19, 2022

<h1>Q&A: 12 Incarcerated Women on Their Favorite Gifts</h1>
<p class="byline">by Chanell Burnette, Prison Journalism Project <br />December 19, 2022</p>
 
<p>Ahead of the holidays, I asked people inside Virginia’s Fluvanna Correctional Center for Women about the best gifts they’ve received since being here.</p>
<p><strong>Rella Bailey</strong>: Learning how to be humble and patient.</p>
<p><strong>Tammy Hounshell</strong>: The gift of forgiveness.</p>
<p><strong>Jessica Carpenter</strong>: A rock necklace.</p>
<p><strong>Brandi Fleming</strong>: The <a href="https://www.kairosprisonministry.org/kairos-inside-prison-ministry.php" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Kairos program</a>.</p>
<p><strong>Jessika Smith</strong>: A pair of earrings from her best friend.</p>
<p><strong>Amber Carter</strong>: A good roommate (who, by the way, is your correspondent).</p>
<p><strong>Amanda Wilhite</strong>: A visit from her babies.</p>
<p><strong>Amanda Johnson</strong>: Phone time to be able to talk to her kids.</p>
<p><strong>Roxana Ramos-Torres</strong>: When her ex-boyfriend wrote songs about her.</p>
<p><strong>Isabell Davis</strong>: A book.&nbsp;</p>
<p><strong>Mary Parr</strong>: The gift of friendship.</p>
<p><strong>Shannon Chaney</strong>: A diamond ring from a friend.</p>


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In prison, sometimes the most meaningful gifts are the most simple. — Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash

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Ahead of the holidays, I asked people inside Virginia’s Fluvanna Correctional Center for Women about the best gifts they’ve received since being here.

Rella Bailey: Learning how to be humble and patient.

Tammy Hounshell: The gift of forgiveness.

Jessica Carpenter: A rock necklace.

Brandi Fleming: The Kairos program.

Jessika Smith: A pair of earrings from her best friend.

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Amber Carter: A good roommate (who, by the way, is your correspondent).

Amanda Wilhite: A visit from her babies.

Amanda Johnson: Phone time to be able to talk to her kids.

Roxana Ramos-Torres: When her ex-boyfriend wrote songs about her.

Isabell Davis: A book.

Mary Parr: The gift of friendship.

Shannon Chaney: A diamond ring from a friend.

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Disclaimer: The views in this article are those of the author. Prison Journalism Project has verified the writer’s identity and basic facts such as the names of institutions mentioned.

Tagged: Holidays, Page One, Virginia, Women in Prison

Chanell Burnette

Chanell Burnette is a writer incarcerated in Virginia.

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