Tanya's Post-Release Fund

Hi, my name is Carrie Monahan, and I am raising funds for my friend Tanya Rochelle Nugent, who has been incarcerated since 2004. Tanya and I met nearly four years ago through Black and Pink's penpal program, which supports LGBTQ+ individuals who are incarcerated. Our correspondence quickly turned into a meaningful friendship for the both of us, plus a way for Tanya to advocate for herself and her community while inside the carceral system.

Tanya, who has given me permission to share her story, has been on her own since age 12, when her family rejected her for expressing her transgender identity. With no one to turn to, she went to Skid Row in Los Angeles, where she found other unhoused trans youth and eventually was trafficked for sex. The difficult years that followed were marked by drug addiction, sexual and physical abuse, homelessness, and several stays in brutal juvenile facilities where she was harmed by staff and other children alike. As a young adult in the late 1990s, Tanya lived in constant proximity to violence as a Black trans sex worker, surviving by the grace of "Johns" who could turn on her at any moment.

In 2004, Tanya, then 24, was sentenced to seven years in prison for a carjacking conviction. But because of sentencing enhancements and mandatory minimums, this turned into a 21-year sentence due to prior drug and loitering charges from Tanya's teenage years.

On May 5, 2025, Tanya will be released from prison -- a transition that is already causing her much anxiety. By the time of her release, Tanya will be 45 years old, entering a very different world from the one she left. She has kept up with the news and pop culture (particularly all things Wendy Williams) but the change is going to be incredibly overwhelming. I am doing everything I can to help Tanya secure housing and job training, but I wanted to start this Go Fund Me campaign to help her make a fresh start upon release.

Tanya is an incredible human being - kind, hilarious, generous, smart, and brave. Let's give her the best possible chance of enjoying her new life, which will hopefully include lots of cooking, Megan Thee Stallion concerts, and, of course, amusement parks.