From Chalkboard to Shackles

“You are hereby sentenced to sixteen months in the California State Penitentiary for Women for two counts of felony driving under the influence of alcohol.” As the judge read my sentence, my knees were trembling and my tears gushed out a flood of emotions, emotions I could no longer drown with alcohol. Just a few years prior to this moment, I stood in front of the chalkboard in my middle school classroom as a respected and admired teacher, mother and wife. Now I stood in front of the judge a shackled convict, alone, separated and spiritually bankrupt.