Comment: Using civic muscles behind bars to rebuild lives

State legislation would enable those incarcerated to engage in civics and end the cycle of trauma.

By Christina Kaye Sorenson and Alexis D. Hale / For The Herald

Alexis: At a sentencing hearing for a crime I committed at 16, a Snohomish County detective stood up, pointed at me, and said the following words: “This woman is no victim of domestic violence or abuse. I’ve worked in the criminal field for 32 years and dealt with women who have suffered abuse; she isn’t one of them.”

I felt utterly defeated, invisible and exposed. His declaration erased my experiences; the times I was beaten unconscious, choked with shoelaces, or as a child, forced to endure the presence of creepy men where I lived.

I thought to myself, “What does he mean? What does someone who has been abused look

like?”

But I stayed silent. I felt like I didn’t deserve to stand up for myself. This silence followed me for years; until I found my voice.

Christina: That moment struck a deep chord with me. As an attorney at TeamChild. I, like Alexis, have experienced significant abuse. My Adverse Childhood Experiences score of 10 means I’ve endured nearly every type of adverse childhood experience catalogued by researchers, leaving me with debilitating PTSD and ADHD, which I often mask to meet the world’s expectations. My trauma, though hidden beneath the veneer of an intelligent, cute, white girl, has shaped every facet of my life.

Driven by a need to transform my pain into purpose, I left a stable accounting career for law school, followed by a clerkship and two fellowships. During my Soros Justice Fellowship, I explored the impact of trauma and silenced voices in institutional placements; through both dependency and delinquency. My report, “Screaming into the Void: Youth Voice in Institutional Placements,” examined the ways these systems fail to hear young people in their care, across the country.

Indeed, Washington is one of the few states that hasn’t legislated the right for youth to file complaints about such violations. Instead, it leaves this up to the discretion of the very state agencies with the power to infringe on those rights. This isn’t just harmful; it perpetuates cycles of trauma.

Bessel van der Kolk, author of “The Body Keeps the Score,” argues that the opposite of trauma isn’t safety; it’s communication. To heal, individuals must be able to speak freely and be heard.

Alexis’ journey illustrates this truth:

“I’ve been incarcerated for almost six years, and one of the most impactful realizations I’ve had is that breaking the cycles of harm that lead to incarceration begins with finding your voice, and fighting to protect it. Growing up, I was told to ‘be quiet,’ ‘don’t make him mad,’ and ‘no one will believe you anyway.’ Speaking up for myself doesn’t come naturally, but I’ve learned it’s essential to healing.”

While incarcerated, Alexis joined the Girls Advocacy & Impact Network (GAIN) program through the Justice for Girls Coalition, which helps young women engage civically and influence legislation. Even from prison, she was driven to become a policy intern during the 2024 legislative session, where she testified on bills addressing foster care expansion, juvenile restitution, and the Youth Hope Act. She even spoke on a panel before Washington’s Supreme Court.

“With each testimony,” Alexis said, “I realized my voice matters. My experiences give me a perspective others can’t provide. Programs like these remind us that we are still part of our communities, that we can contribute and help make change.”

For incarcerated people, this communication can take the form of civic engagement. Programs that empower individuals to share their perspectives — like those Alexis participated in — do more than amplify voices. They lay the foundation for resilience and hope by reinforcing the belief that what you say and do can affect those around you.

More often than not, society views incarcerated individuals as inherently harmful and incapable of contributing anything meaningful. This couldn’t be further from the truth. In fact, those who have experienced the cruelty of the world and been subjected to disruption in society often have answers to the problems we face.

To strip the right of a person to be civically engaged causes them to become detached from humanity, and a person who lacks humanity is a person who causes harm with no awareness or remorse. By encouraging civic engagement, however, we can begin to dismantle the cycles of trauma and harm that lead to incarceration in the first place. Because hope is the belief that your actions matter.

But advocacy isn’t just empowering for the individual; it benefits us all. Research shows that civic engagement reduces recidivism rates by fostering accountability and a sense of connection, both of which are key to a functioning society.

That’s why we urge you to call your state representatives and ask them to support the Act for Civic Engagement, House Bill 1147 to codify the right for incarcerated individuals to participate in civic engagement activities. While no one person can control all their circumstances, we each deserve the opportunity to discover hope; by being heard.

Christina Kaye Sorenson is a staff attorney with TeamChild, a Seattle-based youth advocacy agency. Christina D. Hale, an advocate for civic engagement for the incarcerated, pleaded guilty to first-degree murder in 2020 for her participation in a 2017 Everett homicide, and was sentenced to 15 years in prison.

Talk to us

> Give us your news tips.

> Send us a letter to the editor.

> More Herald contact information.

More in Opinion

toon
Editorial cartoons for Friday, Feb. 7

A sketchy look at the news of the day.… Continue reading

Curtains act as doors for a handful of classrooms at Glenwood Elementary on Monday, Sept. 9, 2024 in Lake Stevens, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Editorial: Schools’ building needs point to election reform

Construction funding requests in Arlington and Lake Stevens show need for a change to bond elections.

Schwab: Trump proves not as bad as feared; it’s worse

Taking food and medicine from kids; surrendering control to Musk; is this what you voted for?

Keep necessary homeless service program at its Everett location

Regarding The Herald’s front-page coverage of the Hope ‘N Wellness community services… Continue reading

We can’t afford the rich not paying their fair share

In a recent column, Todd Welch claims that a wealth tax on… Continue reading

Can we find a politically moderate path, please?

I was just wondering what happened to the moderates. I am a… Continue reading

Kristof: World’s richest men take on world’s poorest people

Trump says the USAID is run by ‘radical lunitics.’ Is saving countless lives now lunacy.

FILE- In this Nov. 14, 2017, file photo Jaìme Ceja operates a forklift while loading boxes of Red Delicious apples on to a trailer during his shift in an orchard in Tieton, Wash. Cherry and apple growers in Washington state are worried their exports to China will be hurt by a trade war that escalated on Monday when that country raised import duties on a $3 billion list of products. (Shawn Gust/Yakima Herald-Republic via AP, File)
Editorial: Trade war would harm state’s consumers, jobs

Trump’s threat of tariffs to win non-trade concessions complicates talks, says a state trade advocate.

A press operator grabs a Herald newspaper to check over as the papers roll off the press in March 2022 in Everett. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald file photo)
Editorial: Push back news desert with journalism support

A bill in the state Senate would tax big tech to support a hiring fund for local news outlets.

Jayden Hill, 15, an incoming sophomore at Monroe High School is reflected in the screen of a cellphone on Wednesday, July 10, 2024 in Monroe, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Editorial: Students need limits on cellphones in school

School districts needn’t wait for legislation to start work on policies to limit phones in class.

toon
Editorial cartoons for Thursday, Feb. 6

A sketchy look at the news of the day.… Continue reading

Lake Stevens school bond funds needed safety work at all schools

A parent’s greatest fear is for something bad to happen to their… Continue reading

Support local journalism

If you value local news, make a gift now to support the trusted journalism you get in The Daily Herald. Donations processed in this system are not tax deductible.