Call to Action: Reforms Needed to Help Formerly Incarcerated Mothers Reunite With Their Children


March.08.2022

Associate Andi Mazingo, a 2021 Orrick Racial Justice Fellow, authored this Op-ed in The Imprint advocating reforms in the dependency court system and child welfare agencies that would help formerly incarcerated mothers keep their children.

Andi developed a first-hand understanding of the problem during her work as a racial justice fellow with A New Way of Life, a Los Angeles-based nonprofit assisting formerly incarcerated women, often women of color, who face legal obstacles to reuniting with their families. In her article, Andi cites a dire need for “holistic legal services” to help these women navigate the system, as well as providing access to family reunification services while still incarcerated.

“Let’s give these women the second chance they deserve and stop needlessly separating committed mothers from their children,” Andi concludes.