Elaine in the East Village, outside her mother’s apartment. New York, NY (2019)
“I was arrested when I was 31 and was facing 10 years in prison. A Bachelor’s degree and city job did not insulate me from being wrongfully accused and guilty by association. My grandmother bailed me out after 4 days of not knowing where I was at because I never received my one phone call. After three years of fighting for my freedom, I plead guilty via the Alford doctrine to hindering prosecution in the 2nd degree so that I could be home with my 3-year-old daughter. My probation officer denied me permission to move into NYCHA with my grandparents through a reentry pilot program so I couch surf because of the stigma associated with renting to a felon and I do not want to put my grandparents at risk of eviction. Any change in employment, housing, or travel outside of the 5 boroughs need to be approved by my probation officer. Going to Palisades Mall on a whim is out of the question or any other family fun weekend activities that are not approved 30-90 days in advance.”
Elaine’s 2001 high school diploma
Elaine graduated from one of New York City’s most elite high schools, Hunter College High School, received her Bachelor’s in Business Administration in Technology Management from SUNY Cobleskill in 2007, and her Master’s in Social Work from Fordham University in 2019.
Elaine and her daughter, Elaine, Jr. New York, NY (2019)
Elaine at work at a Settlement House, New York, NY (2019)
“I was an intern here for my MSW, was hired part-time, and was just bumped up to full time. I work with families who are transitioning out of the shelter system.”
Elaine in her bedroom at her mother’s house. East Village, NY (2019)
“In October 2016, I moved back to NYC from Connecticut where I had been living for 11 years, because my husband had been arrested and I’d lost my job because of my arrest. I tried to get into the shelter system but they told me I wasn’t in need of shelter because I could sleep at my grandmother’s or my mother’s. So they told me to keep on couch surfing, that as long as my daughter had a place to sleep, I didn’t need their services. You need an eviction letter, or a letter from the police that you had a domestic disturbance to get into the shelter system. I needed services; I was starting all over; I was facing charges but I couldn’t get any help.”
Elaine and her daughter at her grandmother’s house. Lower East Side, NY (2019)
“This is our family home. I grew up with my aunts, my grandparents, my mom, and my cousins and my brother. There were 11 of us in the three-bedroom apartment. My daughter sleeps in the bed and I sleep on the couch.”
Elaine on the phone with her husband, who is serving a 45-year-sentence in a Connecticut state prison. New York, NY (2019)
“I talk to my husband three times a week. Phone calls are limited to 15 minutes. Each call costs $4.00.”
Prison polaroid, Cheshire Correctional Institution, Cheshire, CT (2018)
“Our Islamic marriage isn’t recognized so we don’t have any marital privileges. As a result, I was charged as a co-defendant rather than recognized as a spouse he has confided in. And I can’t visit him because I can’t pass a background check. Elaine, Jr., has seen her father 7 times in her life. Someone else in our family has to take her.”
