Chrisley Confessions 2.0 — "Friends From Prison" (feat. Sharita Mona)

Date: September 10, 2025
Host: Julie Chrisley
Guest: Sharita Mona

Episode Overview

In this deeply personal and candid episode, Julie Chrisley reunites on-mic with Sharita Mona, a close friend she made during their time together at Lexington Women’s Federal Camp. The conversation revolves around the reality of prison life, the unique friendships and bonds formed inside, and the profound personal transformations both women experienced. They reflect on grief, resilience, post-prison reintegration, the failures of the prison system (especially for women), and how their time "inside" has redefined their values and life missions.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Meeting in Prison: How It All Began

• Their Introduction: Sharita learned about Julie's upcoming arrival days before through a reliable prison network and shared how quickly rumors spread in their small institution (00:41–02:41).
  • "Something happened, everybody knew about it." — Julie (02:41)
• Early Days Together: Julie and Sharita quickly connected through prison work programs, especially culinary events and Safe Serve certification classes. Their bond grew as they collaborated on prison events and shared literary interests (03:20–07:34).

2. Building Organic, Deep Connections

• Friendships Formed in Hardship: Discussing the unparalleled bonds created through shared hardship, Sharita and Julie describe how prison relationships are stripped of outside influence, allowing for honest, organic connection (07:34–10:53).
  • "When you’ve experienced pain like that…we kind of walked in our shoes together." — Julie (08:42)
  • "You...meet people again, like you say, you're stripped down...even playing ground." — Sharita (09:36)
• Role of Support: The two also touch on the absence of distractions and the intensity of sharing every daily moment, from grief to small joys (10:53–11:53).

3. Grief and Loss From the Inside

• Sharita’s Loss: Sharita shares the painful experience of losing her father while incarcerated, the pressure of being allowed a brief furlough, and the delayed process of grieving behind bars (11:06–13:37).
  • "Grieving didn’t happen until I got back…really didn’t happen until I got back home." — Sharita (13:02)

4. Personal Transformation Through Adversity

• Fundamental Changes: Both women talk about how prison irrevocably changes a person; they discuss the challenge of reintegrating into old environments with a “new” self while others have also changed (15:04–16:59).
  • "You’re expected to just fit right back in where you left off. And you just can’t do that." — Julie (16:20)
  • "You are different. People are different. People do adjust to you being away..." — Sharita (15:12)
• Learning Self-Focus: The forced pause of prison life allowed both to finally focus on themselves after decades as caregivers (20:43–23:24).
  • "I always say I was incarcerated long before I got to prison…mental prison." — Sharita (22:18)

5. Mentorship and Guiding Others

• Mentoring Inside: Both take pride in mentoring younger inmates, hoping to break cycles and offer alternatives—particularly for women who lacked role models before (17:47–19:44).
  • "We were able to mentor…to just be an example for some of these girls that have never had it right." — Julie (17:47)
  • "Julie, help me…help me convince them not to return back…" — Sharita, on talking young women out of returning to crime (18:22)
  • "Prison is the greatest equalizer that there is." — Julie quoting Todd Chrisley (19:19)

6. Systemic Shortcomings & Realities of Working Prison Life

• Prison Labor and Education: They discuss the menial, underpaid labor done by women at the camp (sometimes for the men’s facility), the lack of meaningful work experience, and the almost nonexistent opportunities for real rehabilitation or personal growth (36:11–41:58).
  • "It’s the only place where slave labor is still live and kicking." — Julie (38:05)
  • "You’re not trained…they’re training the most basic, antiquated version of everything..." — Julie (34:15)
• Poor Program Offerings: Beyond the basic GED requirement, few meaningful educational or vocational programs are available; most are outdated, unfeminine, or inaccessible due to lack of partnerships (32:00–34:00).
  • "Why are we not teaching women to do things that women do?...You still have to be realistic..." — Julie (42:40)
  • "Nothing…to better ourselves." — Sharita (32:16)

7. Returning to the Outside World

• Post-Incarceration Struggles: Both address the stigma attached to having been incarcerated, even with a pardon, and the immense challenge of returning to a rapidly changing world (AI, cost of living, technology gaps) (27:28–31:13).
  • "There’s still that stigma…what am I going to do?" — Julie (27:45)
  • "I went for 28 months and never saw a computer." — Julie (30:59)
  • "Eggs and AI. Those two things." — Sharita, on culture shock (30:14)

8. Personal Growth and Next Chapters

• Redefining Self & Purpose: Both reflect on being forced to rebuild identities, set boundaries, and live authentically, often for the first time. Sharita frames this as being "self full" rather than selfish (23:24).
  • "I came back a lot more focused. So I say selfish, but self full." — Sharita (23:38)
• Julie’s New Perspective: Julie shares how her values have shifted, emphasizing gratitude, intentional connection, and the brevity of life post-prison (50:25–54:10).

9. Maintaining Hope & Giving Back

• Helping Others: Sharita describes her ongoing support for formerly incarcerated women, and her sense of divine purpose in having survived and learned from prison (35:19–36:11).
  • "I strongly feel that all of my steps are ordered…even me going into that prison." — Sharita (35:39)
• New Ventures: Sharita describes rebuilding her event business with her daughter, a dream she envisioned while incarcerated (47:51–48:27).

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the realness of prison friendship:
  "It's the most real, organic…relationship because we bonded over this likeness, over this spirit that we have...walked in our shoes together." — Julie (08:43)
• On grief and forced resilience:
  "The grieving didn’t happen until I got back...The grieving really didn’t happen until I got back home." — Sharita (13:02)
• On post-prison self-discovery:
  "I always say I was incarcerated long before I got to prison…It was the mental prison." — Sharita (22:18)
• On surviving and thriving after loss:
  "You had it all and you lost it. This is a different rebuild." — Sharita (52:53)
• On the importance of mail in prison:
  "It felt like…I'm not forgotten. Somebody still knows that I exist." — Sharita (45:38)
• On mentorship:
  "We were able to mentor…be an example for some of these girls that have never had it right." — Julie (17:47)
• On the value of showing up:
  "This is what mattered…We showed up for each other. It might have been a sandwich…or walking a track together…" — Julie (56:41)

Key Timestamps

• 00:41–02:41 — Sharita recounts hearing about Julie’s transfer to Lexington and initial reactions/prison rumors
• 05:58–07:34 — The origins of Sharita’s book, “Letters to My Daughters From the Inside”
• 08:43–10:53 — Discussing the bond and "equalizer" effect of prison
• 11:06–13:37 — Sharita shares processing the loss of her father while incarcerated
• 16:47–17:47 — Julie describes the challenge of post-prison reintegration/feeling different
• 19:19–20:38 — Mentoring younger inmates, guidance, and the reality of the prison “equalizer”
• 27:28–31:13 — Discussing advancements missed during incarceration, particularly tech and cost of living
• 32:00–35:14 — Lack of education/vocational opportunities; critique of the prison system’s rehabilitation claims
• 38:05–38:42 — Discussion of “slave labor” and low-paid work in prison
• 41:11–41:37 — Remembering the extreme heat and poor conditions at the camp
• 42:40–44:20 — Debating the usefulness and fairness of prison camps versus home confinement
• 45:32–46:27 — The importance and emotional significance of mail in prison
• 47:51–48:27 — Sharita’s new business after release

Tone & Style Notes

• Honest, humorous, and warm throughout; Julie and Sharita balance laughter and gravity
• Deeply empathetic; frequent mutual expressions of love and gratitude
• Unfiltered, with real-life examples punctuated by relatable details (e.g., melted sandwiches, prison air conditioning, the little things that matter)
• Offers hope and actionable inspiration for listeners, especially those who feel lost or alone

Conclusion

This episode is a raw, heartfelt exploration of hard-won friendship, resilience, and redemption, painting a vivid picture of prison’s emotional realities and long-term impacts. Julie and Sharita’s warmth, humor, and commitment to honesty provide encouragement not only for those touched by incarceration but for anyone seeking hope and meaning after hardship.