Originally published in the Winter/Spring 2025 edition of the Virginia Defender, issue 76, printed March 26. Reproduced here for accessibility and archival purposes. To find other stories in the Winter/Spring 2025 issue or to download the full PDF, see this post. For other issues dating back to 2012, see the Full Issues page.

One of the things we need to point out is the mental health aspect, where mental health conditions go untreated and unacknowledged. We get no medication and are still dealing with that shit, so that plays into the lack of preparation for reentry.

Shaka Shakur
BUCKINGHAM