Hello friends and loved ones,

We've known Debbie for over seven years now. We started writing back and forth when Debbie was finishing up a ten-year jail sentence, connected through a non-profit linking incarcerated women to folks on the outside, just to have some correspondence. Over this time we've gotten to know her as an incredibly generous, loving and open-hearted person. She's open about her past mistakes, but we've only experienced an incredibly hard-working, caring, and optimistic person. She was released from jail in 2017, and since then has worked tenaciously to support herself and maintain her freedom and independence. Good, steady, well-paying jobs are difficult to come by when you have a felony record, and I've seen her work incredibly hard in demanding jobs, with astoundingly little self-pity and a refusal to be ground-down by her struggles.

The pandemic was hard. Debbie found herself a front-line worker without a job, when the school she worked for stopped in-person learning and she was let-go. However, even through the nation-wide emergency of the pandemic, the state of Florida never reduced Debbie's restitution payments, and never recognized her hard-work or the extenuating circumstances the pandemic imposed (to be clear, a restitution payment is not a payment to an individual to compensate for a crime; it is an extension of punishment that is paid directly to the state). We all have experienced first-hand the struggles of the pandemic, but most people do not also have to contend with an extra payment to the state. In Florida, missing a monthly restitution payment counts as a violation of parole, no matter your total income or even the presence of a global pandemic. Debbie, and others in her situation, also cannot vote until this money is paid off. Miranda and I have been helping Debbie with these payments for the last several years, because we see how hard she works to make ends meet and the incredible perseverance of spirit she shows. This amazing woman cannot go back to jail because of a missed payment, re-incarcerated because of a lack of money. I don't want to live in a country that countenances what is essentially a debtor's prison. That, and knowing the stain of the history of racism in this county, of which I believe these kinds of restitution payments are part, we hope to help alleviate this burden. Now, I am asking our friends and families to contribute just a little bit, if you are able, to Debbie and to do our part in a small way to counter an unjust system. Watching this situation unfold over several years, I feel and have come to the conclusion that this system was set up to make her fail. If we can put a dent in the restitution payment, we can contribute to a hardworking, good person maintaining her freedom. She might be able to use her earnings instead for food and electricity bills and towards keeping her housing. Anything you can contribute helps, and please pass on this drive to anyone you know who might be able to help also.

As we continue to talk about justice in this country, these individual battles are bedrock. We who are in a position to do so have the opportunity to work for everyone to be able to live free in our country. Debbie has $19,786.96 to go until she is free of the threat of additional jail time. Anything you can donate will go directly towards paying these fees.

If you would like to work to further the cause of justice around this issue, we also recommend checking out, and donating to, the Fines and Fees Modification Program at the Florida Rights Restoration Coalition: https://floridarrc.com/finesprogram/

Thank you very sincerely,

Kaia and Miranda