National Women's Prison Project, Inc.

   Biographical Sketch

Alfreda A. Robinson

"Frieda"

On November 18, 2000, Alfreda A. Robinson, #28611-037, walked out of Alderson, WV federal prison camp sure of one thing - that she would never return. On March 18, 2001, she completed her tenure and began the continuation of accountability from the Volunteers of America Halfway House. She was now physically free from captivity!  After nine and one half years in federal custody, the task of returning to who she once was became her daily task, trying to seek ways to eradicate the systematic desensitization, degradation, and dehumanization that had been routinely applied and the stigma and shame prevalent in the day to day encounters of previously incarcerated persons everywhere as it affects our adjustment back into communities across the U.S.

While in prison, Alfreda was anything but a "model" prisoner. Angry about serving a 10-year sentence of minimal involvement in her son's drug case (which amounted to her making a phone call), she lost everything - her home, her  credibility in the community, her job, her parent's presence and her only son, David - now serving a 45 year federal sentence, called her co-conspirator.  Living with over 1000+ women daily altered the reality she had once known. Being a born-again Christian gave her the needed inner strength to deal with everything that was to come. She went about the business of survival, and began reaching out to others, now like her. She founded the National Women’s Prison Project to provide a system of support to women who have experienced the criminal justice system, built upon her first hand experience.

Before prison (BP) Alfreda was an educator in Baltimore city, having taught for 7 years with the Baltimore City School System and 3 years for Montrose Training School. She was in her 6th year as high school guidance counselor for the Hopkins-Dunbar Health Professions Program when hit with a two-count federal indictment. Having a BS in Sociology (Morgan State), an MA in Special Education (Coppin State) and another MA in Counseling (Johns Hopkins University), Alfreda used her formal training to survive, before, during, and since returning home. While away, she completed a certificate program in Paralegal Studies from Blackstone's School of Law, and a Legal Secretarial Course from Los Positos College.

Since being home, she has confronted issues of unemployment, absence of her only son she still fights to get home, limited health benefits, economic instability, alienation and isolation, apprehensions over new experiences, and an inability to secure independent living. These experiences are common to previously incarcerated persons.  Alfreda realizes she is actually blessed, while many others are faced with limited education, drug abuse problems, limited job experience, mental health and psychological abuse issues.  She knows she is called to do the work that she does.

From the words of Alfreda: “I cannot walk around allowing shame to limit or define my life's goals, nor can I allow it to shape other women’s goals as they try to start over. We must provide opportunities for them, their children and families, and our community at large. If you have ever made a mistake, would you not seek another chance? That's what the NWPP, Inc. does. It gives ladies who have been incarcerated another chance that begins with the hope that you can go forward and release the shame to succeed. We all fall down, but we get back up!”  Alfreda gives all praises to her God for allowing every detail of her life which has brought her where she is today!