From Inmate # 1145277 to College of Southern Nevada’s 50th Student Graduation Speaker
Photo by Ronda Churchill.
By Kesha Westbrooks
I could not imagine while I sat in my cell that my life would become what it has since my release in 2019. I spent almost four years in Florence McClure Women’s Correctional Center for a first offense nonviolent money crime. I couldn’t dream that success was waiting for me on the other side of those gates. I felt like a failure and disappointment to my family.
I suffered a stroke a few months before going through the criminal justice process and sent to prison. I was partially paralyzed and wheelchair bound. I rolled into prison physically, mentally, and spiritually broken. I promised myself that I would walk out a better version of myself. I would not let them change me or take my dignity away. They could take my freedom of movement and choice away, but they could not take what they hadn’t given me in the first place. I remained resolute in my promise to myself. I started doing some long overdue soul searching, trying to figure out how I ended up here. I realized that I had been locked in a prison of my own making long before I entered a cell of literal bars.
I took time to dig deep and began to heal old wounds. I started becoming stronger mentally and emotionally. I decided to fight for my recovery and taught myself how to walk again by sheer determination. Nevada Department of Corrections (NDOC) did absolutely nothing to help with my recovery. NDOC made it much harder by taking away the medication and contracture-preventing equipment that were prescribed to me by a doctor. It took my mother calling and threatening a lawsuit for them to finally give me half the original dosage of my medication. Due to the lack of proper medical care and inhumane treatment I struggled with constant physical pain for much of the time, and I left prison with a permanent arm contracture.
It was the College of Southern Nevada (CSN) Prison Education Program that gave me hope, helped turn my pain and frustration into the passion that helped me endure the last months of incarceration. I walked out of prison a stronger, very determined woman on a mission. Upon my release I enrolled at CSN’s West Charleston campus. I began volunteering in the community and advocating for prison education by speaking to the Nevada System of Higher Education, KNPR, and Nevada legislators. Due to my advocacy, I began making a name for myself on campus. I was encouraged to submit a speech to the graduation committee. I never thought they would choose me. I was shocked when I got the call. It was an honor to be the one chosen as the student speaker for CSN’s 50th graduation ceremony.
Instead of turning bitter and angry from a lengthy prison sentence, lack of appropriate medical care, and degrading treatment from prison staff, I turned the pain of incarceration into my pride at the podium.
Kesha, a veteran, a cancer, and stroke survivor, has overcome many challenges to achieve her educational goals. Kesha continues her journey to become a woman and leader that her community, her parents, mentors, friends, and especially her two beautiful daughters can be proud of.