Letters To My Daughters From The Inside (feat. Sharita Mona)

Summary

Unlocked with Savannah Chrisley: Episode Summary
Episode Title: Letters To My Daughters From The Inside (feat. Sharita Mona)
Release Date: April 1, 2025
Host: Savannah Chrisley
Guest: Sharita Mona

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Introduction

In this deeply personal and emotional episode of “Unlocked with Savannah Chrisley,” Savannah welcomes Sharita Mona to discuss her harrowing experiences with incarceration and her heartfelt initiative, writing letters to her daughters from inside prison. The conversation delves into the oppressive conditions within the prison system, the impact of incarceration on families, and Sharita’s journey toward healing and self-discovery.

Prison Conditions and Personal Struggles

Savannah (00:29): "I got a lot of people that aren't too happy with me. No, she. Yeah, she's not real happy with me."

Sharita opens up about the harsh realities within the prison, highlighting the systemic issues and the mistreatment she and her family have faced. She details specific incidents, such as the warden's retaliation after her appearance in People magazine, where discussions about white privilege were met with hostility.

Sharita (01:05): "More so she has experienced in a more subtle way of like... she didn't want them to put the food up before she was able to get her food."

Sharita recounts how her mother was unjustly punished by correctional officers (COs), including being locked in the cafeteria and having her mail and emails tampered with. She contrasts the treatment of her mother and father, illustrating the disparity and blatant cruelty faced by her father, including deliberate raids and confiscation of personal items like underwear and commissary food.

Daily Life and Coping Mechanisms

The discussion shifts to the grim daily conditions within the prison, emphasizing the lack of basic necessities such as air conditioning and adequate food. Sharita describes how inmates resort to using items like maxi pads and tampons for multiple purposes, showcasing the resourcefulness born out of necessity.

Sharita (07:25): "Sometimes you may get like a fresh pear or an apple, sometimes bananas at breakfast. That's the extent of fresh for the most part."

She also touches on the poor quality of commissary food, often old and unfit for human consumption, leading inmates to rely on stale bag lunches filled with bread, bologna, and pastries.

The Letter-Writing Initiative

A pivotal part of the episode centers around Sharita’s innovative approach to maintaining a connection with her daughters through letter writing. Due to inconsistent access to stamps and the inability to send letters regularly, Sharita began writing numerous letters, accumulating them to give to her daughters upon her release.

Sharita (08:55): "And so when things would happen and it would make me think about something that related to them. So my perspective on prison is I truly trust now that all things happen for my good."

These letters serve as a means for Sharita to process her experiences, reflect on her time in prison, and impart invaluable life lessons to her daughters about resilience, relationships, and personal growth.

Challenges of Reentry into Society

Upon her release, Sharita discusses the emotional and psychological challenges of reintegrating into society. She highlights the trauma and difficulty in adjusting to a world that has moved on without her, including the evolution of technology and societal changes.

Sharita (36:10): "I think the hardest thing was I had changed so much. Like, even if you talk to my kids, they're always like, mama, you're so different."

She emphasizes the lack of adequate mental health support within the prison system, making the transition even more daunting. Sharita’s continued therapy post-release underscores the ongoing struggle to reconcile her past experiences with her present reality.

Building a New Life and Mission

Sharita shares her proactive steps in rebuilding her life, utilizing platforms like TikTok to tell her story and regain control of her narrative. She aims to prevent others from having to endure similar hardships by openly discussing her journey and advocating for better mental health support and reentry programs.

Sharita (40:19): "Tell it for somebody else. Get control of your own narrative."

Her mission extends to empowering her daughters and other incarcerated individuals to find strength and resilience despite the adversities they face.

Impact on Family and Relationships

The episode poignantly explores the strain incarceration places on family dynamics, particularly the relationship between Sharita and her daughters. Sharita reflects on the emotional toll of being absent and the efforts to maintain a bond through written communication.

Savannah (22:11): "So the first time they'll get them is when the book comes out?"

Sharita’s book, “Letters To My Daughters From The Inside,” serves as a testament to her love and dedication, offering her daughters a piece of her heart and lessons learned from her time in prison.

Conclusion and Future Outlook

As the episode concludes, both Savannah and Sharita express hope for the future, emphasizing the importance of personal growth and the pursuit of a better life despite past mistakes. Sharita’s resilience and determination to create a positive legacy for her children shine through, inspiring listeners to support inmates and their families.

Sharita (42:21): "I'm just starting to feel like I'm settled."

The conversation also touches on the broader need for prison reform and the implementation of comprehensive mental health services to aid in the rehabilitation and reintegration of former inmates.

Notable Quotes

• Savannah (00:15): "All right, y'all, we're back with Sharita for part two of our episode. Clearly we had a lot to go over, so you get two weeks of us."

• Sharita (08:55): "My perspective on prison is I truly trust now that all things happen for my good. Even prison was for my. It was for my good."

• Sharita (40:19): "Tell it for somebody else. Get control of your own narrative."

• Sharita (36:10): "I think the hardest thing was I had changed so much. Like, even if you talk to my kids, they're always like, mama, you're so different."

• Sharita (42:21): "I'm just starting to feel like I'm settled."

Final Thoughts

This episode of “Unlocked with Savannah Chrisley” offers a raw and unfiltered glimpse into the life of someone navigating the complexities of incarceration and its aftermath. Through Sharita Mona’s courageous storytelling, listeners gain a deeper understanding of the human spirit's capacity to endure and overcome, highlighting the urgent need for compassionate prison reform and support systems for those affected by the justice system.

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Availability:
Sharita’s book, “Letters To My Daughters From The Inside,” is available for pre-order on Amazon and her personal website at freesharita.com. The book is set to release in April, providing further insights and detailed accounts of her experiences and lessons learned.

Transcript

[Sharita]

With a $5 meal deal with new McValue. You pick a McDouble or a McChicken.

[Savannah]

Then get a small fry, a small.

[Sharita]

Drink, and a four piece McNuggets. That's a lot of McDonald's for not a lot of money. Prices and Participation may vary.

[Unknown]

McDouble meal, $6 in some markets for a limited time only.

[Savannah]

All right, y'all, we're back with Sharita for part two of our episode. Clearly we had a lot to go over, so you get two weeks of us.

[Sharita]

Yeah, I heard that you got a warden that's not too happy with you too, right?

[Savannah]

I got a lot of people that aren't too happy with me. No, she. Yeah, she's not real happy with me. She apparently took a. I was in the People magazine like a week ago and she apparently took it in her meeting and said this is what white privilege is and like ripped it up. Yeah, she's not happy at all.

[Sharita]

But has. Has your mom. Well, I'll speak about what I think from the time that I was there. Has she experienced that too? Or in a different way?

[Savannah]

More so she has experienced in a more subtle way of like. I know when she had first got there, she called me and was like, distraught because One of the COs had locked her in the cafeteria. And Noni, I think is. She was like, oh, the hell with him. She was like. Cause she was with her. Cause I think she was. Mom was waiting to get food. Noni, I think, was in the medical line.

[Sharita]

Okay.

[Savannah]

And so mom, like, didn't want them to put the food up before she was able to get her food. So mom waited. And then I guess they got pissed off. The CO did and literally locked her in the cafeteria, her and Noni. And it was that old guy. That's just a.

[Sharita]

The one that. I know who you're talking about.

[Savannah]

Yeah. Locked her in the cafeteria. And luckily that girl was there. Cause mom had just gotten there, you know, so, I mean, she would have found her way out. But like, just stuff like that. But then they just. With her emails, they screw with those that, like, we get them every few weeks. Like, they're not coming directly to us. And then within her mail, they're messing with that too because someone that works there had come to her and notified her of a situation that had occurred. And so it's just like small stuff like that. Dad's is more like in your face, deliberate raids, you know, trying to. I mean, they literally yesterday went in and took his underwear. All of his underwear, all of his food from commissary, because he doesn't eat from that chow hall. He eats his commissary. Like, that's all he eats. And the warden allegedly said, you know, we're gonna make a believer out of him. Let's see how long he goes. But at Dad's place, it's more deliberate, more blatant. And, like, it's. But the stuff that goes on there is Yalls Place, there's not really what. There's one or two correctional officers for all the women. And then at Dad's, there's more. But when you start exposing all this stuff, and when I've got these people on audio saying, you know, oh, shit. Because I guess they, like, went through a raid and they called a guy on a cell phone, so they confiscated the cell phone. And I literally have them on audio recording saying, did you get the pin? Did you get the pin to the phone? And the other CO was like, damn it. No, he was like. He blocked it before. And the guy goes, well, shit, this means we can't. We can't sell it now. So literally, these correctional officers are selling cell phones. Selling. Got, like. And so, because I out it, they get. You know.

[Sharita]

Right.

[Savannah]

But all the guys there, when I tell you, all these family members and these guys that come, they're like, keep doing it. Like, I go to visits, and they're like, keep doing it. Keep doing it until someone holds them accountable. Nothing's gonna happen. But even just, like, the conditions, like, where are y'all? It's awful. Like, I even just know where we go to visit.

[Sharita]

Yeah.

[Savannah]

And that's the nicest part of the whole building.

[Sharita]

Oh, yeah, the heat.

[Savannah]

What was that like? Because when I said there was no heat or there was no air conditioning, I'm a liar.

[Sharita]

Oh, no. There's no air conditioning. And it's hot.

[Savannah]

And Kentucky and.

[Sharita]

And that. And I'm from the South. I mean, I'm from North Carolina, not Florida, but, yeah, it's still. I'm. I can bear decent amount of heat. It's so hot, like, sweltering. I remember there were days we literally, you know, we had a little fans. And obviously, you know, if you can get more than one fan, if someone's leaving and you can buy a fan off of them or get an extra one for commissary, we're literally just sitting in the bed with the fans, like, almost to the point where you didn't even want to move. So when she and I. When Julia and I worked in the catering in the Culinary program. One of the benefits of being in the culinary program was the training center had air conditioned. So that gave you a little bit of relief. You know, leave in the morning, go at least just be in some air and then go back in the evenings when it's cooling off a little bit.

[Savannah]

Yeah. Well, I remember at one point mom said, like a ceiling fell in. It may have been after you left or whatever, but like, I think it was maybe on the third floor or something.

[Sharita]

I was gonna say why it was.

[Savannah]

Where all the old. I hate to say this, but, like where all the old ladies were.

[Sharita]

Okay. So down in the Met. In Met Alley. Met Alley, yeah. Ceiling fell. So whenever I was there, one of the pipes in the walls had busted and had just flooded the room next door to me. And you know, it's asbestos. A lot of. In this, in those walls. And so they had gone in there and taped it up and put plastic everywhere to make sure that, you know, kind of conceal it off. But we're still in the hallway.

[Savannah]

You're still breathing in all of that.

[Sharita]

Still there.

[Savannah]

And what people don't realize is where that prison is. It was an old poppy field. Like, I have One of the COs tell me that he brought a test strip, a drug like, test strip to work. And it popped the water. Like he tested the water and drugs.

[Sharita]

Popped up in it because of where it's located.

[Savannah]

Yeah.

[Sharita]

The facility itself used to be a, you know, a drug rehab. It was.

[Savannah]

It was like a old school. They tried like a lot of different.

[Sharita]

Like experiential.

[Savannah]

Yes.

[Sharita]

Drug treatment in lieu of going to prison. For a lot of individuals who were looking at prison time that may have had some kind of addictions, they were there doing like experiential drug treatment.

[Savannah]

Yeah. So that's the thing, is no heat.

[Sharita]

No heat, no air.

[Savannah]

There's heat, there's heat, there's heat, there's no air. The hot water would always go out.

[Sharita]

The plumbing. Lots of plumbing issues.

[Savannah]

Well, there was like sewage backing up in the kitchen. In the kitchen where you're preparing food in the quality of food. Oh, is. Well, you were talking before we came on about how about how you couldn't eat.

[Sharita]

Yeah.

[Savannah]

Like how when you got a furlough for three days, you couldn't eat normal food.

[Sharita]

No, it was a hard adjustment because, you know, a lot of food is obviously processed. It's no fresh food. Food for dinner, for lunch and dinner. Sometimes you may get like a fresh pear or an apple, sometimes bananas at breakfast. That's the extent of Fresh for the most part. There may be a pick a tomato or a piece of lettuce on your burger, but that's like.

[Savannah]

And when you talk about burger.

[Sharita]

Yeah.

[Savannah]

It's like I've seen the packaging of this food that says not for human consumption. And it's like you're eating meat that was meant for dogs.

[Sharita]

Yeah. And there was a point during the summer where they didn't have enough correctional officers to, I think run the shift. So we had to have bag lunches.

[Savannah]

I remember that for weeks.

[Sharita]

For weeks.

[Savannah]

And that was.

[Sharita]

Some of the food was stale.

[Savannah]

Yeah. Well, it's. Because it's years old and it's like you get in your bag lunches. Wasn't it like four pieces of bread?

[Sharita]

Bread, bologna, some like little danishes. And it was. Yeah.

[Savannah]

Like again, how is that healthy for you? Like again, I'm not asking for it to be a four season, like a five star meal, but give the basic bare necessities. Like it's not that hard.

[Sharita]

Yeah.

[Savannah]

And so when you were in, you tell us the story about how you started writing your letters.

[Sharita]

Okay. So you know, from time and time, things are not always available and stamps happen to be one of them.

[Savannah]

Stamps. Yeah.

[Sharita]

Yeah. They. They'll run out of stamps or. And it. You have to wait. I mean, there's nothing you can do. Which means if you're sending packages out or if you're sending out, you know, letters, you can't. You have to wait.

[Savannah]

Yeah.

[Sharita]

So when I first got there, didn't have shoes, couldn't order. Couldn't order any sneakers. I think I was there from. I got there in August. I don't think I got my first pair of real shoes until like October, November. And I didn't. And the only reason why I got those was because someone was leaving and they gave me their shoes, but they weren't. They didn't have a shoe order going out. So I wasn't able to. So in the sneakers that I had my. Had a little hole in them. My pinky toe used to stick out from the shoe. But this was months that wearing these like flat. We call them lemon pepper steppers. But they were like lemon pepper steppers, these little flat shoes that they give you when you come in.

[Savannah]

Stop.

[Sharita]

Yeah. Because they didn't have shoes. And so they didn't have stamps. They didn't have.

[Savannah]

You don't have stamps. Is beyond.

[Sharita]

They didn't have.

[Savannah]

Beyond me.

[Sharita]

So I was like. Wanted to write my daughter. So when I got there Covid, they were still. We were still doing quarantine. Now, I didn't have to stay in quarantine but a day, but prior to that, people were staying in quarantine for weeks. So when I got down, one of the officers, they had like a little welcome packet. It had one envelope and one stamp. So I got to send one letter home. And that was a letter that I sent to my mom because I was sitting in the quarantine and I had just written her, her a letter like, you know, I'm so sorry to put you all through this. And I didn't know how long I was going to be in quarantine because it didn't tell me anything. They were like, just go back here. Come get you when we get you, and put you in a room. So I was writing a letter to my family and they sent it off for me. Well, once I got out, there were no, there were no stamps. So I was writing letters on a legal pad and I was like, okay, I'll just keep writing them and then once that we get the stamps, I'll mail them. Yeah, it turned into, I want to say, maybe a couple weeks, and I started, you know, accumulating or kept writing on to the. My first letters, some of my first letters. And I stopped. And then eventually I was like, you know, I'm not going to send the letters. I'm just going to keep them and then I'll give them to them at one time. And so when things would happen and it would make me think about something that related to them. So my perspective on prison is I. I truly trust now that all things happen for my good. Even prison was for my. It was for my good. And what can I get out of this? What can I get out of this situation? What can I get from this moment? And then what do I want to tell my kids about it? What do I want them to learn? And so that's kind of how I started framing my experience. So it was like, okay, this happened. This makes me think about relationships. And then here's what I want you to know as you grow into your womanhood, about relationships.

[Savannah]

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[Unknown]

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[Sharita]

Just try to relax, okay?

[Unknown]

Or be trapped in a car for eight hours with toddlers on a sugar high. Or remove a nest of irate hornets. That's why the zebra searches for you. Comparing over 100 insurance companies to find savings no one else can Compare. [e-mail] we do the searching, you do the saving. I think I'll wait inside.

[Savannah]

So I have one from November 13, 2022. And then.

[Sharita]

I'm scared.

[Savannah]

Look, I have one from March 12, 2023.

[Sharita]

Okay. Okay, there's. There's a few. Yeah, let me pull up.

[Savannah]

I want you to read it, though.

[Sharita]

Okay, Let me see. Which one is it? November 13, 2022.

[Savannah]

Yeah, but you can read whichever one.

[Sharita]

Because I may have done some edits to this since I sent it to you. This one's to Vanessa. Yeah, and it says, as the morning light broke, you were the first thought on my mind today. I glanced over at my board and I saw your picture. A beacon of your radiant smile that I miss so much. How I yearn to hear your angelic voice. Good morning. Because that's how she always speaks again. And to be greeted by your embrace. I confess I haven't called you as often as I should. And when I do, you're often caught up with your friends. It warms my heart to see you forming connections with people your age. And I recognize that it must be challenging to live with two elderly folks and navigating the age gap with your older sisters. In essence, your childhood resembles mine. An only child. And when I can recall my own childhood, I remember feeling very lonely. But that's not the only thing we have in common. We are both fatherless daughters. Yes, your biological father is alive, and occasionally he comes into your life. However, neither one of us had them present in the home. Our stepdads assumed the role of the male figures in our life, and I was fortunate to have a loving stepfather who was present and attended, attentive. But unfortunately, the passage of time has taken a toll on his health. And you? Although you've had this privilege of experiencing only a fraction of the man I have that I had, at least he was there. Much like many other men, your stepdad focused on providing for the family. And as a result, his physical presence has been less than available to you. Of all the things I wish to provide you in this life, this is the one thing I could never give you. It's also something I know you've longed for. I can see it in your eyes when the other girls have their visits from their dad. I can also sense it when you finally do get to see your dad after a long absence. And speaking of your dad, it breaks my heart to even have to write these words. But I know that one Day, you will learn the truth. In just a few days, we will learn the length of your father's absence. This time not voluntarily, but because he will too be sentenced to federal prison and begin his incarceration in the coming weeks. And if our suspicions are correct, his sentence will be rather lengthy, which means he will not be present for several of your formative years. And as I write this, my heart is heavy with pain and guilt and disappointment. And I'm disappointed in the choices that I have made over the years. Choices in relationships, choices in my behaviors within those relationships, and choices that I have left you fatherless. I fear that one day you will resent me. And I dread the possibility that you will be angry when you learn the truth. And I'm afraid that your innocence and carefree spirit will be shattered. I'm afraid that you will be hurt when you realize that I lied to you. Yes, you are reading that correctly. I lied. I didn't tell you like your father did. But I am incarcerated. No, I'm not away at work and I'm not. I am away because of a crime that I committed with your father. And I'm serving a sentence of 22 months because of it. I couldn't bring myself to tell you the truth. I didn't want to tarnish your image of me. Even though a part of me knew that you would always love me regardless. I didn't want you, my eldest and innocent child, to associate me with the dark and murky perception of prison. But regardless of how much I love you and I wanted to protect you, you are now the result and offspring of not one, but two incarcerated parents. And that is a burden that no child should have to bear. I had no inkling that our last trip would be would end with me revealing, telling you that I would be leaving. I never imagined that those tears would be overshadowed. Those joyful times that we had. I can still see the sadness in your eye and feel the warmth in your hands as you held me so tightly. In that moment, I wanted to whisk you away and make all your pain disappear. Yet I wish to do what I couldn't do and erase everything that had happened. The most heart wrenching part was that once again, I was the cause of your pain. The guilt of lying. The knowledge of what you were about to face is what really keeps me from calling you. And although I yearn to hear your voice and know how you're doing, the shame and guilt still keeps me hidden. They deter me from braving the long phone lines each day to make the calls early in the mornings when I know you're awake. Despite it all, I thank God every day that you have the love and support of your grandparents and your sisters. Whenever I see you on the video calls, I can see the transformation as you grow into a beautiful young lady. Even though I'm not there with you. I couldn't have asked for better substitutes. I hope someday you will understand that every decision I've ever made was because I love you and your sisters with all of my heart. And even though my choices have not been the best, I made them out of what I believed at the time was love. However, this time away has shown me the true essence of love, and I pledge to express it differently. While I cannot guarantee you that I will always be perfect, I promise to act with integrity and truth and to ensure that we are never separated like this again. I pray that you can find it within yourself to forgive me for my transgressions and that you will always remember the love that we share. I love you, Vanessa Michelle, and thank you for choosing me to be your mom. Reunited soon.

[Savannah]

When I read that the first time and, like, tore, I was like, oh, my God. So how. When was the last time you read that?

[Sharita]

Probably in a few months. I haven't looked at them.

[Savannah]

And your daughters don't have these yet?

[Sharita]

Not yet.

[Savannah]

So the first time they'll get them is when the book comes out?

[Sharita]

Yeah.

[Savannah]

Okay.

[Sharita]

Yeah.

[Savannah]

And what, are you nervous.

[Sharita]

Looking back? You know, it's. It's funny because the longer that you're out, things start to become a blur a little bit. You know, I think I compartmentalize that whole experience of being in prison and you get out. Yeah, it's definitely traumatizing. And so when you read it, like, when I was picking it up, I could feel my heart, like, paputating a little bit because you. I started thinking back to, like, sitting outside in that pavilion writing those letters and just thinking about, like, it's such. It's so many dynamics and layers because you're in there, and you're not dealing with some of the things that you all have to deal with. And so you're kind of insulated and protected in a way and sheltered from a lot.

[Savannah]

Well, that's what I kind of say is I'm like. It seems counterproductive because, yes, y'all have to suffer because you're in there and you're in these inhumane conditions and treatment, and you're away from your family, but the people on the outside are the ones left to clean it all up. Like they're the ones left to do what you should be doing. But you're locked away, so you can't.

[Sharita]

So you can't. So it's like a catch 22 situation.

[Savannah]

Yeah.

[Sharita]

On the other side of that, too. I often tell people I was incarcerated before I ever got to prison. Meaning I spent so much time living up to other people's expectations and doing what I thought I should be doing that I never had a chance to deal with myself.

[Savannah]

Yeah.

[Sharita]

And so prison gave me the chance to just get quiet.

[Savannah]

Just get quiet.

[Sharita]

Just get quiet. Because I don't know the last time I was quiet. Like, I have been a mother for almost over half my life at this point. I've been somebody. I was somebody's wife, I was a mother, I was a daughter. I was a, you know, and I was just running, running, running.

[Savannah]

Yeah.

[Sharita]

Until, you know, I hit the wall and it was just time to sit.

[Savannah]

This episode of Unlocked is brought to you by Progressive Insurance. You chose to hit play on this podcast today. Smart Choice. Progressive loves to help people make smart choices. That's why they offer a tool called Auto Quote Explorer that allows you to compare your Progressive car insurance quote with rates from other companies. So you can save time on the research and you can enjoy savings when you choose the best rate for you. Give it a try after this [e-mail] Progressive Casualty Insurance Company and affiliates not available in all states or situations. Prices vary based on how you buy. Today's episode is sponsored by Acorns Early. April is actually Financial Literacy Month, and that is the perfect time to start teaching your kids the value of money. Acorns early makes it easy with their smart Money app and debit card for kids. If you've been following me or my family, then you know that I got custody of two kids when they were just 10 and 16 and I have needed as much help as possible along the way. And that's why I'm so excited to tell you about Acorns Early. Acorns early is the smart money app and debit card for kids that helps kids learn the value of money. Parents can use the Acorns early app to track their kids chores and pay allowance automatically while kids can set savings goals, take interactive learning courses about all things money, and spend what they've earned with their very own debit card. Acorns Early's Chores Tracker teaches kids that hard work truly does pay off. All you do is set up tasks in the app, set a payment amount, and tick the chore off when it's done. Saving skulls help kids turn savings into habit. They can even choose their own target dates and turn on the optional auto save feature to help get them there. Kids get a new sense of independence when they spend what they earn with their own debit card. I love this because it gives children a sense of self. It gives them the opportunity to be proud of themselves while they set a goal for themselves. They're making money because they completed tasks they were supposed to complete. Parents can keep track of where and when their kids are spending. Get real time, spend notifications and set your kids spending limits and instantly block lost or stolen cards. Acorn early lets parents pay allowances automatically. No more rummaging around for cash. Automatically send a weekly allowance to your kids accounts with just a few taps. Are you ready to help your kids grow money skills that will last a lifetime? Just head to acornserly.comunlocked or download the Acorns early app to get started. Sign up now and your first month is on us. Acorns early card is issued by Community Federal Savings bank member FDIC pursuant to license by MasterCard International. TNCs apply monthly subscription fees starting from $5 per month unless canceled. And so do you still have communication with your ex? You do?

[Sharita]

Yeah.

[Savannah]

And where's he?

[Sharita]

He is in Butner FMC but it's about 45 minutes from. Well, about an hour away.

[Savannah]

And is that a camp or.

[Sharita]

No, he's in a camp now because you know you have to get under that 10 year mark to go to a camp.

[Savannah]

Well dad, by the grace of God.

[Sharita]

He always was at a camp because his sentence was how long?

[Savannah]

12.

[Sharita]

So by the time he did his 85%, he was probably right at.

[Savannah]

Yeah.

[Sharita]

Camp status. Yeah. He didn't start off at a camp. He had to transfer.

[Savannah]

Okay. Yeah. See dad started. That's one of the things. It's like you have to find the silver lining in it all. And like the silver lining was they got to self report that they got to go to camp. So they got to like yeah, you have to find that.

[Sharita]

You have to.

[Savannah]

And so when you were in. Your dad died.

[Sharita]

Yes.

[Savannah]

And that is something that like that's mom's biggest fear.

[Sharita]

I will never forget. Like I never. You would have never told me in a thousand years because my dad had had health issues for years and we'd have our annual health crisis and stay in the hospital. I was always the person going to the hospital with them. So when I left that morning to self report, I never thought that I would have never thought that would have been the last time I saw him alive. Never. I was just like. And in my mind, I'm like, everybody stay in place. Don't nobody. Nobody move. Nothing changed. Y'all just stay here. I'll be right back. That was kind of my attitude, like, just stay put, you know? And so when I got that call in those first, you know, few days that he had gotten ill, I was just like, oh, it's just his annual health scare. He'll. He'll be. He'll be okay. You know, I was just, you know, regretful that I wasn't there, because I'm normally the person that, you know, takes care of him. And so when they called, they were like, yeah, you know, Mom's like, yeah. They said they give him about four months. And I'm counting at this point because I'm like, okay, four months. I'm gonna almost be home. So with the furlough, you get a. You can get a bedside furlough, or you can get a furlough to attend a funeral service. So as things started progressing and he wasn't getting better, I started working with my case manager. On which furlough do I wanna take? Because you also cannot take two furloughs within 90 days, and halfway house is considered a furlough. So if he would have passed any later and I would have left, that would have delayed me in my release, too, because it would. Would have been within the 90 days of my release. So then it was like, well, go ahead and take the furlough the bedside. Which means he's still alive. But the doctors, you know, don't have a good prognosis that he's going to live. But by the time four months turn into two weeks, two weeks turned into. It was like a week later. And so I was able to take the set. They gave me 72 hours.

[Savannah]

The fact that they even gave you one.

[Sharita]

I was only the second person at the time who had gotten a furlough since COVID They don't.

[Savannah]

It's just at a lot of, like, a dad's facility doesn't exist. That. That Worden will not give you a furlough. This one guy, his son was dying. Nope. Mother died. Nope. Child dies. Nope. Like that. She doesn't do it.

[Sharita]

You know, I remember when I got my. When I got the furlough, there were women there whose children had committed suicide. There were people there whose husbands had passed. There were people there whose parents had passed, and they didn't. They didn't get A furlough. Like I said, I was the second person they had. I want to say, I don't remember. It was another lady. She had just come back from a furlough. And they said, you know, we're kind of testing this back out, so you all need to be on your best behavior because you're going to set the presidents if we're going to continue to let the furloughs keep going. So she had just. When is. It was her brother had passed, and they let her go. And then they let me go because the distance from Tennessee to North Carolina, they gave me the 72 hours because of the flights and stuff, and so.

[Savannah]

And how was that?

[Sharita]

You know, I think because of the overwhelming nature of my furlough, going home, you know, because of the death, I really couldn't focus on the fact that I was free.

[Savannah]

Yeah.

[Sharita]

And then also in the back of your mind, knowing you're not.

[Savannah]

You're really free.

[Sharita]

No, you're not really free. I do remember going through the airport. When I got ready to come back, the line at the airport was like. I remember pulling up at the airport, and when I walked in, the line was like, long, long, long, long. I was like, oh, my God, I'm not gonna make this flight. And I went to one of the agents, and I said, listen, I'm an inmate at a prison. I was like, I'm not lying. Here's my Fed id, and here's my paperwork. If you don't get me back on this plane, the marshals. The U.S. marshals are going to come.

[Savannah]

In here and get me.

[Sharita]

The lady was like, come on, ma'am. She rushed me through, and here I am in my graves. Like, the grades that I wore out from the prison. And I just remember I was so nervous, like, even being out, you.

[Savannah]

It's like mom was. You're kind of explaining what mom explained, like, after she was sentenced and she had so much time to report, like, you know, you're not free. You know, if you do something, they'll come get you.

[Sharita]

They'll do that.

[Savannah]

Like, you're always living in the back of your mind. And that's why. It's like when she got sentenced to two more years of supervised release. People are like, she's free.

[Sharita]

Why do you care? Anything attached to reporting telling somebody where you are? If I travel out of town, I got to get permission. If I do the. I can't. I can't get credit cards. I can't buy anything. Like, anytime someone's dictating any of that stuff. You're not free.

[Savannah]

Exactly.

[Sharita]

No, you're not free.

[Savannah]

And supervised release is really just a ploy to bring you back.

[Sharita]

Yeah.

[Savannah]

So the longer you're on it, the worse it is. So you're. When you got back, was it kind of like a.

[Sharita]

So my. My dad died in February, which was the six month mark. So it's almost like it split my sentence in half. So it's like I had done six months. I got this furlough. Well, let me tell you, Savannah, when I was on that furlough, I got my eyebrows. I ain't got my eyebrows. What is it, microbladed? I did everything in the world.

[Savannah]

Stop that.

[Sharita]

I thought that I could do within them 72. I was like. I was like a whirlwind. That's why I think I couldn't even digest it because between dealing with the funeral and everything and then me trying to have like a normalcy. Let me do a little bit of something while I'm here. Yeah. When I got back, it was like, okay, finish strong. Like this point, I'm like, I'm ready to go again. Fsa, the credits, the halfway houses, all that stuff started going into play at this point.

[Savannah]

And did you have to go to a halfway house?

[Sharita]

I did. And I stayed in the halfway house for two weeks. And then they put me on the ankle monitor. But when my. When the FSA credits hit one morning, somehow they were off and I got immediately immediate release from home confinement.

[Savannah]

Wow.

[Sharita]

So I like, I had more days banged up or something. And it ended up hidden in the.

[Savannah]

And again, how. They don't.

[Sharita]

How. I don't even know how it was.

[Savannah]

Wrong because it's all ancient. They're still working off systems.

[Sharita]

I believe it.

[Savannah]

Yeah. There is no, like, FSA calculator. There is no, like.

[Sharita]

And there's no date that they apply from what I can see because I'm still in some of the groups and stuff and people like, did the credits update? I'm like, they don't have that fixed by now?

[Savannah]

No, they don't.

[Sharita]

That is the craziest thing.

[Savannah]

So what would you say? So how long have you been out?

[Sharita]

It's almost. Well, this is a year and a half.

[Savannah]

A year and a half. So are you like back to. Or is. Are there. What would you say was the hardest thing you dealt with after you came out? Like, what's their PTSD of things?

[Sharita]

Well, I was actually. So I put myself in therapy when I was in prison. I went to the psychiatry psychologist part. Was like, hey, I Think I'm probably gonna need some therapy after all of this, cuz surely something gonna be wrong with me. That's what I was thinking to myself, like, you need to process this, you know? And then when I came out, I continued to go to therapy. Like, let me, let me also too.

[Savannah]

Psychology in a prison.

[Sharita]

Yeah. You know, they, they were basically like, yeah, you're okay. I was like, no, I'm not.

[Savannah]

Yeah, like it ceases to exist.

[Sharita]

Something has to be like, like, I need someone to talk that I was in this, this whole thing and I'm not having something. That's what I was thinking.

[Savannah]

Yeah.

[Sharita]

So I think the hardest thing was I had changed so much. Like, even if you talk to my kids, they're always like, mama, you're so different. And I'm like, how?

[Savannah]

Yeah.

[Sharita]

And they're always like, you're just so calm and you just like, not how strong. Like, it's because I think you learn a lot of patience because nothing, everything is out of your control. Everything, everything is out of your control. So you eventually just learn to surrender. And so now I think that I'm just kind of in a, you know, whatever it's going to be, it is. And not in a laissez faire that I don't have control or I'm not intentional about life. But definitely not. As the anxiety obviously is gone. Just the pressure that you live up under going through a federal case is enough to. To. To tear your mental health down. So just having that part taken away gave me a semblance of like, okay, I can breathe. But my everyone, everybody says it. My friends, they're like, you're very quiet. I think I'm just more observant.

[Savannah]

Yeah, well, when you're in there, you have no choice but to be quiet. Like these correctional officers, they can come raid your stuff, they can throw it all on the ground, they can talk to you, however, and you just have to sit and take it. So it comes to a point where you're just like, all right.

[Sharita]

And so I think some of that carries.

[Savannah]

Yeah.

[Sharita]

So I think that's the biggest adjustment is, you know, I came back home, my dad had passed, so that was a huge change. I eventually got a divorce. That was a change. Relationships. So you realize people are resilient. Yeah, people are resilient. And life goes on. Life still goes on. Life goes on for you inside of the prison, and life goes on for the people who are outside too. And so I think. And it's not an out of sight, out of mind. Definitely not one of those. But people have adjusted.

[Savannah]

Yeah.

[Sharita]

My kids grew up. There's so many things they can do on their own now.

[Savannah]

Well, it's like when mom and dad come home, like, Grayson's not there. Grayson's in college. Like, Grayson didn't know how to do anything. And then it's like, I had to show him, like, hey, you need to learn how to manage your money. You've got to walk into a bank. You have to. And, like, he lives on his own and is thriving. But when they went in, he was 16. Like, he was still asking them, hey, can I do this? Can I do that? Can I? And when they get out, he's not going to be asking them.

[Sharita]

And that's. That's going to be a change.

[Savannah]

Yeah.

[Sharita]

And so you have to, like, adjust to the people that have adjusted to. Yeah, my friends adjusted. They didn't stop going to concerts, and they didn't stop doing stuff because I was gone.

[Savannah]

Yeah.

[Sharita]

You know, they kept going. And when I came back, I didn't necessarily fold back in because they had gotten used to me not being there. Not. They didn't miss me, but they got used to it. And I kind of got used to, like, okay, you know, I kind of like being by myself. I kind of like me, actually. You know, like, you know, so I changed. That's probably the biggest adjustment is, like, fit in a new me into an old world. And so that. That was like, yeah.

[Savannah]

So what is your mission now?

[Sharita]

Oh, my gosh. So many things that I have up here. So I can tell you some of the things that I've done so far. You know, I came out and tick tock was my platform. Like, okay, this is where I'm gonna tell my story. And a part of me telling my story was I didn't want anybody else to tell it. I'm gonna tell it myself.

[Savannah]

That's how I grew up. Tell it for somebody else.

[Sharita]

Tell it for somebody. Get control of your own narrative. So here it is. This is, you know, whatever. And I also think that when you don't put as much heat on yourself, other people don't put it on you either. So whenever you're just like, oh, yeah, I went to prison, like, I was in the Uber coming here, and the lady's like, so, are you coming here for work? Are you coming for pleasure? And I was like, oh, it's for work. She's like, oh, what are you doing? So I'm thinking, she's gonna leave it there.

[Savannah]

Yeah.

[Sharita]

She's like, for what? I Was like, I'm gonna do a pocket. What's the podcast about? And I was like, oh. So I was like, yeah, do you know Savannah Christie?

[Savannah]

Oh, yeah, I love her.

[Sharita]

And I was like, okay, so how.

[Savannah]

Do you know her?

[Sharita]

And I was like, I was in prison with her mom. She's like. She's like, I might just put it out there, you know? And sometimes I like the shock factor of it. So I like to say it.

[Savannah]

I'll have people call me still. And people, like, call me. Okay, I'm calling for Julie. Chris said she's in federal prison for the next seven years. Try her there. And they're like, oh, I'll take her off my list.

[Sharita]

Yeah. So then what can they do?

[Savannah]

Yeah.

[Sharita]

Once you, you know, kind of disempower them.

[Savannah]

Yeah.

[Sharita]

There's nothing. There's nothing. And so I. I kind of like. I like it sometimes.

[Savannah]

Yeah.

[Sharita]

So Tick Tock. I spent a lot of time talking to people off Tick Tock, a lot of people who were reporting. And then from there, it's been building our business back because that took a huge. You know.

[Savannah]

Yeah. You have to start all over.

[Sharita]

Has to start over. So I've spent the last year doing that, and now I think I'm. I think I. I just now am starting to feel like I'm settled.

[Savannah]

And spent a year and a half.

[Sharita]

Yeah. And I'm just starting. I still don't feel like I'm settled. I feel like I'm starting to get settled. Yeah. So now it's like, okay. Because in. For a minute, I live like, oh, God, I don't want to do nothing.

[Savannah]

You're afraid to do anything.

[Sharita]

Yeah.

[Savannah]

Because you don't want to go back. Oh, yeah. No, it is, like. Because you think. Like, I think of when, like, mom's even said, like, when she comes home, she's like, you know, you can't leave right away. Like, that was her biggest thing. I was like, you can't leave right away. And I'm like, I'm not gonna leave. You know, but it's like. Because Chloe's gotten so used to living with me, and she. In my mind, I'm like, oh, you're gonna come home. And then everything's, you know, and it's.

[Sharita]

I. You know, I think. I think she needs. She's gonna need a minute.

[Savannah]

Yeah.

[Sharita]

To train that transition is not to be underestimated. The ruthlessness of your ego.

[Savannah]

Well.

[Sharita]

And trying to get your mind back to not feeling like you should be doing this.

[Savannah]

Yeah.

[Sharita]

And, like, the training, too.

[Savannah]

I can't, like, just the counts. Like your 4 o'clock count, your. But whatever the counts are that y'all have. And then the. You hear people walking down the halls with the keys banging. And I feel like that's stuff that would live for a long time, which is tough. You are happy for your freedom, but also it comes with you. And there's no reason why we should not be providing mental health treatment within these facilities of actual licensed, good therapists that we're reintegrating you back into society. We're going to help you. We're going to talk to you. Like, the amount of people I've had to show how to use a cell.

[Sharita]

Phone have been in. Yeah, they've probably been in a very.

[Savannah]

Long time to, like, use an iPhone. I had to teach a guy how to use an iPhone.

[Sharita]

Wow.

[Savannah]

And I'm like, whoa. Like. And I just think about how far technology's come since mom and dad have been in. In two years.

[Sharita]

Like, I. I was going to say. I. I'm going to say. You know what the two biggest shocks for me were? And it was a year. AI and eggs.

[Savannah]

Eggs.

[Sharita]

Yeah.

[Savannah]

The price of eggs.

[Sharita]

Yes, yes, yes. I came out, I was like, wait a minute. An egg? Like, was egg. Like, I had to really think about it. Like, were eggs this hot? No, they weren't. No, no, it was AI the AI part. Like, I had one of my friends, he was always like, oh, you get out this AI stuff. And I was like, what are you talking about? Because you just have no. No idea of what it is. And then I got out and I was like, oh, it does what? You know. And that was just like, that one year. Things. It had changed.

[Savannah]

That is crazy. Yeah. So I can't, like, yeah, hopefully they're out soon, but I'm like, I'm gonna be teaching y'all everything. Like, it's gonna be a shock.

[Sharita]

Yeah.

[Savannah]

And too. I just can't. All I imagine is, like, mom and dad, when they see each other for the first time.

[Sharita]

Oh, yeah.

[Savannah]

Two years, they haven't even spoken to each other.

[Sharita]

That's on the True link, just on the email, right? Yeah.

[Savannah]

And their emails are so delayed that you can't even have a conversation because you get it seven days later.

[Sharita]

Wow. Because they're screening their stuff.

[Savannah]

Yeah.

[Sharita]

Yeah.

[Savannah]

And it's like, I don't know. But. Okay, so your book, where can people find it?

[Sharita]

On Amazon.

[Savannah]

On Amazon. Amazon.

[Sharita]

And then you can go to my website, freesharita.com.

[Savannah]

Okay.

[Sharita]

And there'll be a Link there that they can do the pre order.

[Savannah]

Okay, perfect. Freesharita.com.

[Sharita]

Yes.

[Savannah]

The title of the book is Letters.

[Sharita]

To my daughters from the Inside.

[Savannah]

I cannot wait to read every single one of these. I'm gonna read them and I'm just gonna sob the whole time. The whole time.

[Sharita]

Yeah.

[Savannah]

Well, thank you for coming and making the trip and telling good old Julie.

[Sharita]

Oh my God, your mama, she's so funny. Your mama. I wish she would have had those. I wish she would could have had some cameras. I know. And I know she's still cutting up.

[Savannah]

Oh, well, you know, she said Ms. Bird, she said the reason she loved her so much is because she felt like it was a black Todd. She was like, I feel like she was like. I feel like Todd is inside of her.

[Sharita]

Listen, you know your mama only hung with black people.

[Savannah]

That sounds. Yeah. Like I'm like, she did once.

[Sharita]

I go in to visit dad and.

[Savannah]

I'll be in visitation. All these guys and they're like, oh, I mean, maybe like two or three white guys are, you know. But all the other guys, they're like, they were dealing drugs. They've got gold grills, diamond grills. Oh, yeah. They're like, oh, this is our. They go, this is a real.

[Sharita]

Oh my God.

[Savannah]

And then they're like, he's the mayor. He's the mayor up in here. I bet. And it's hilarious, cuz I'm like, it's a whole world. It is. It's a whole other world. And you hear the stories and like all these. It's wild.

[Sharita]

It's. Yes. And the intuitiveness and the resourcefulness, like that's the part.

[Savannah]

Yeah.

[Sharita]

Like has she. Has your mom shared with you all the uses for a maxi pad in prison?

[Savannah]

No.

[Sharita]

Oh, yeah.

[Savannah]

What do you have to. We've got to.

[Sharita]

Okay. A pad is everything. A win. Because so in the women's prison, they give pre. You get free. What? They were free maxi pads and tampons.

[Savannah]

Yeah. Well, that was like a bill that was passed because you used to not get it.

[Sharita]

Okay.

[Savannah]

And you used to have to buy it. So that was like a bill that was passed that they have to supply feminine hygiene.

[Sharita]

Oh, yeah. So the maxi pads are your mops. So you stick them on the end of a pole and that's how we can clean the floor.

[Savannah]

What?

[Sharita]

Yeah, it becomes your dish rag because that's how you wipe out your dishes. You put the dish that people use them for dishes to wipe out.

[Savannah]

Holy cow.

[Sharita]

They use them for door stops. So like, if you got Air seeping. You stick Max, you see maxi pads all the way down people's doors. They're like the most multi. Use. Use. Most useful thing in a female prison is the maxi pads. And the tampons.

[Savannah]

What are the tampons used for?

[Sharita]

Cleaning. A lot of use. People use it for a lot of cleaning. Anytime you want to stop up something, take the strings off people. Take the string. Pluck the eyebrows.

[Savannah]

What?

[Sharita]

Thread your eyebrows with the. With the string off the tampon.

[Savannah]

That is crazy.

[Sharita]

Yes. Resourceful.

[Savannah]

Well, yeah, because they make their cheesecakes and mop buckets.

[Sharita]

Listen, the cheesecakes. I will say I miss the cheesecakes.

[Savannah]

Okay. I have wanted to do like a YouTube series of like prison recipes. And like, you should all the things like. But get the actual commissary brand.

[Sharita]

Like you have the Keefe.

[Savannah]

Because even for the cream cheese, aren't they little bitty things?

[Sharita]

No, no, they have. Oh, they're like little packets. They're like little. Like a little clear pack. You should. But they sell a lot of it in what? Dollar General. Some of the brands are in. You got to use the actual stuff. Because even when I was telling. I came home for the furlough and I was trying to eat. I was going to the Dollar General looking for the stuff that was at the commissary thinking, like, I gotta eat something. Because it was three days at this point, I was like, I gotta eat something. So let me try to eat stuff that I'm familiar with.

[Savannah]

Yeah.

[Sharita]

It does not taste the same. Like, the stuff that's like in a regular grocery store doesn't taste like the commissary food. No, not.

[Savannah]

Because all the commissary food is old.

[Sharita]

Yeah, it's old.

[Savannah]

It's old.

[Unknown]

Old.

[Sharita]

You got to get like shebang chips that her. They sell them on Tick Tock Shop. What the shebang chips?

[Savannah]

Yeah. See, that's a whole. But that again, you shouldn't be getting sick from eating normal healthy food. Like, that's a whole other.

[Sharita]

Because your system has gotten used to that. Those. Those process that process, though. But I think that would be a cool.

[Savannah]

That we need to. If mom gets out, we'll all be making.

[Sharita]

Oh, yeah, I gotta make a. Cause she was making a dip. Your mom was making this dip. It was a dip I gotta make.

[Savannah]

Is it like a buffalo one?

[Sharita]

It was like a buffalo. It was a cheese dip. It was some kind of cheese dip. Your mama has started making.

[Savannah]

She made a lot of crap. Yeah, she still.

[Sharita]

Your dad's not cooking or he's just.

[Savannah]

He's got people who cook for him.

[Sharita]

Yeah, I heard, I heard. I just didn't wanna say it on camera. But yeah, I heard. Your mom was like, todd ain't cooking.

[Savannah]

He ate in there a day.

[Sharita]

I said, I know, I know. Yeah, I know.

[Savannah]

Yeah.

[Sharita]

I gotta tell you. So I got. I want to tell you about the job. Did your mom tell you about our. The job, the catering, the whole thing?

[Savannah]

I heard a little something.

[Sharita]

Like what?

[Savannah]

I don't know where it, like blew up.

[Sharita]

So we worked the Cullen. The program was. It was a new program that they were trying to bring over to the women's prison. Right. The men had the culinary. But we didn't get that right.

[Savannah]

The. The women don't get half of what the men get. No, like, half. And that facility where the men are, it houses like the nation's most sex offenders.

[Sharita]

Yes.

[Savannah]

Like, it's crazy. So they're in there for a long, long time, if not life, like, but yet we're going to teach them culinary whatever.

[Sharita]

Yeah. So they run like, I guess there's like a dining hall that the officers eat or like where the officers can buy their food.

[Savannah]

Yeah. Because they're not going to eat what y'all eat.

[Sharita]

No. So they. So in the men's prison, the culinary program supplies the food for that dining area. So the intention was to get the culinary program over to the women's prison. That's where Julie and I hooked up. So the officer, she wanted Julie. It's like, soon as Julie got there, like she. Because you got to realize we're in Kentucky and Kentucky is close to Tennessee. So everybody knows you all. Yeah, everybody knows. So. And I'm probably like, I, you know, anyway, so there she's like telling the girls, she's like, can you. I really want Julie to come. You think she'll do it? And so she sends out somebody talks to your mom, and your mom had a commissary job. So she decided that's a good. That's like one of the best jobs. But, you know, people were mad because they couldn't figure out how Julie had got the job, how she came in new.

[Savannah]

Okay.

[Sharita]

Cuz she got a good mattress. They were all like, she got favoritism cuz they gave her a good mattress.

[Savannah]

A good mattress? Like what? No, she's resourceful.

[Sharita]

Yes. She got a good mattress and she got a good commissary job. So she left her commissary job to come work in catering.

[Savannah]

Okay.

[Sharita]

So the lady, the. The officer who was Running this program. She was just. She's a piece of work. Yeah, I'll say it, I'm gonna say it lightly. She's a piece of work. And she had a little edge, I think, you know, for your mom. I don't know, is she. And, and obviously for me too, because she ended up firing. I got fired. If you can get fired. Like a week before I got ready to leave, she was mad and I think your mom might have quit later on. This lady was.

[Savannah]

She said she wasn't dealing with her shit no more.

[Sharita]

Oh my God.

[Savannah]

Yeah.

[Sharita]

Some of the officers, they are, they need, they need to have mental health screenings 100%. Yeah. Yeah. She was like, I feel like anytime you have a little offering of freedom, you in. An officer dangles it, huh? You know, so freedom might look like, oh, you get a little extra food because you're, you're catering and so I can give you some ice cream or because you're not sitting in the prison and you get a little bit of air. And people, inmates, other people, they will do whatever to have a little bite of freedom.

[Savannah]

Yeah.

[Sharita]

And the officers assert that as their power over you because that's what they have over you is freedom. So anytime you can entice them with freedom, you can control. And that's what I felt like was happening in our, in our culinary. So we was. Julie was fixing your baba off your body. This lady was like, oh, no, saying little stuff. You know, she was, she was like antagonizing Julie a little bit. You know, she. And, and you know, a lot of it's jealousy.

[Savannah]

Yeah, well, a lot of it's jealous. You're there for a certain period of time, they're there for a life sentence.

[Sharita]

So we were sitting, we were sitting there, your mom would look at me, she said, you know what I said?

[Savannah]

What?

[Sharita]

She said, in a few years, I'mma leave out of this and she's still going to be sitting her ass in this little half ass job. I said, julie, she said, no, it's true. This is the existence of her life. This is the existence of her life. And I said, yeah. She said, if I gotta sit here, she said, I'll sit here, I'll do it. Because when I leave, I got my whole life in front of me. I'm not gonna let her tear me down. I'm not. I said, julie, don't. Don't let them, don't let them get to you.

[Savannah]

That is. And I love though, that she is in that mindset. Like, I'm not. They're taking me for a time. They're not taking me for the rest of my life.

[Sharita]

No. And I will say this. I know you're going to fight for your parents to have their rights. Your mama is more than good. Like, she's very. She got this.

[Savannah]

Yeah, she.

[Sharita]

At least she did when I was there. Your mama was like, she ain't going these people about getting there.

[Savannah]

And they're both that way. Thank God. They're both just like, all right. Like, we're getting out of here and they're not taking the rest of my life.

[Sharita]

Yeah. She's not. She. She wasn't. You know, I know. She. Everybody has their moments. So for the most part, your mama was like, I got this.

[Savannah]

Yeah.

[Sharita]

They're not gonna break me down. She wasn't. She. And she know how to work.

[Savannah]

Yeah. Oh, she's a. She's a hustler. She is. And you can go and pre order her book now and it will be out in April. So until next week, have a good one.

[D]

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