We Are All Doing Life Somewhere
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This book really is a story about women growing up in prison. As we worked with the women at various times in their incarceration, we noticed that developmental stages occurred based on the nature of the crime, time incarcerated, as well as early developmental issues prior to incarceration. In the initial stages survival and adjustment were paramount while later on issues of ‘who am I’ and ‘what’s this all about’ came to the forefront. We watched them struggle to negotiate the dilemma of responsibility and self acceptance in spite of their previous actions. We watched them negotiate these issues bravely and courageously in spite of feelings of fear and vulnerability. The poetry illustrates how four women “stared down their demons” in order to become more fully integrated people. I think that the process reflected in the poetry is not unlike what we all go through as we struggle to evolve. After all we are all doing life somewhere.
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About the Book
Take a therapeutic journey with four women who have life sentences in prison as they negotiate the three stages of therapeutic growth: 1. Stabilization and adjustment 2. Shift to responsibility 3. Existential life issues This is a chronicle of their growth across twenty-plus years of incarceration, as expressed in poetry. Get to know these women through their struggles and their achievements as they stare down their demons. As you travel with them, you will learn that they are not much different than you. They have similar struggles, and you don’t have to be in prison to have a life sentence because … We Are All Doing Life Somewhere.
About the Author
Lori Williams has worked in corrections for sixteen years. She is currently the Chief of Mental at Valley State Prison for Women and Central California Women’s Facility. She has worked extensively with inmates serving life sentences. Dr. Williams currently lives with her son in Fresno, California. Sandy Schulte has worked at Valley State Prison for Women for thirteen years. She is a senior psychologist, who supervises half of the Mental Health Department. This is her first published work. Dr. Schulte lives in the foothills north of Fresno, California, with many pets. She is also an artist in her spare time.