Behind barbed wire and heavily secured gates, the women housed at the Mark H. Luttrell Correctional Center fixate on the days left until they’re up for parole.
But for many, the real hurdles lie beyond prison fences.
“The biggest problem is they don’t have the support system out there,” said Patrisha Bridges, pre-release coordinator for the East Memphis prison.
Too often, that means returning to drugs and prostitution and eventually back in jail.
But a faith-based program out of Nashville, which helps women with a history of prostitution and addiction turn their lives around, visited Memphis inmates on Monday to show there’s another way.