

Today we’d like to introduce you to Pamela Winn.
Pamela Winn is an activist of Atlanta, Georgia, and a single mother of two sons. She studied biology at Spelman College and earned three post-secondary degrees in nursing. Pamela was a successful entrepreneur and worked as a registered nurse for over ten years specializing in OB/GYN, gynecological oncology, and surgery. She also served a 78-month federal sentence for a white-collar crime. Rather than diminishing her spirit, Pamela allowed the separation of her family, a miscarriage, revocation of her nursing license, and closing of her businesses that she experienced while in prison to empower her.
Pamela Winn is the founder of RestoreHER US.America. RestoreHER is a reentry policy advocacy, leadership organization dedicated to enhancing the lives of directly impacted women to end mass incarceration for women of color and pregnant women. RestoreHER is a core movement partner of Southern Black Girls and Women. Pamela spearheaded the campaign, #DIGNITY For Incarcerated Women GA, where HB345 passed “unanimously” ending shackling and solitary confinement of incarcerated pregnant women in GA. Pamela is a co-founder of the Formerly Incarcerated College Graduates Network (FICGN) who advocates to change the narrative of formerly incarcerated people through higher education. FICGN has more 1000 members nationwide with 150 doctorate degrees and 5 law students.
Pamela Winn is a national leader in anti-shackling legislation. She serves as National Advisory Council for the National Religious Campaign Against Torture to end solitary confinement. Pamela sits on the board of Motherhood Beyond Bars. She serves on the Women’s Advisory Team with Human Impact Partners, where public health officials and formerly incarcerated women collaborate to address the social determinants of criminalization. Pamela is part of the National Advisory Board working in collaboration with other organizations, women who have experienced shackling while pregnant, and advocates motivated to pass anti-shackling laws in their states. Together, they have developed a Bill of Rights For Incarcerated Pregnant People. She facilitated for the 2017 Convening on Pregnancy in Correctional Settings, hosted by Pregnant In Prison Statistics.
In collaboration with Change.org, Pamela leads a petition that has approximately 200K signatures with an endorsement from Senator Cory Booker advocating the Dignity For Incarcerated Women and her video with ATTN: Media & #Cut50 currently has over 5M views. Pamela Winn consulted on the national legislation, “Pregnant Women In Custody Act” introduced by Representative Karen Bass. Pamela Winn has provided written and oral testimony for the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights Briefing: Women In Prison: Seeking Justice Behind Bars. Pamela was invited by Jared Kushner to the White House for the Prison Reform Summit as well as the Criminal Justice Reform to speak on “Women’s Issues” of incarceration. She was instrumental in the historic passing of federal legislation HR5682, First Step Act.
Pamela has been featured in Essence Magazine, “She The People”. She has been a speaker on a number of panels and keynote across the nation including Spelman College, St. Olaf College, Emory University, Association For Justice-Involved Females and Organizations (AJFO) 2019, Healthy Mothers Healthy Babies, ForeverFamily, 2017 International Drug Policy Reform Conference hosted by the Drug Policy Alliance, and Dignity For Incarcerated Women Roundtable with Senator Cory Booker.
Pamela Winn is a 2017 Leading with Conviction Fellow of JustLeadership USA dedicated to reducing mass incarceration #HalfBy2030, 2018 Erin J. Vuley Fellow of Feminist Women’s Health Center fighting for the #ReproductiveJustice, 2019 Community Change Women’s Leadership Fellow showing what it looks like when #WomenOfColorLead, and 2019 Soros Justice Fellow with Open Society Foundation.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
The price paid highly exceeds crime, and far exceeds the sentence. My freedom, 78 months away from my sons, as well as the life of my unborn child are some of the costs I have paid on the road to victory of the historical passing of state bill HB345, Dignity of Incarcerated Women and federal bill HR5682, First Step Act has cost me my freedom, time away from my sons, and ultimately the life of my unborn baby. The injustices of my personal life and the criminal justice system has groomed me to serve the voiceless invisible women, improve conditions of confinement, and rise up to make a major impact, overcoming all adversities against me.
RestoreHER – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
RestoreHER is a national nonprofit organization based in Atlanta, led by and for directly impacted women inclusive of incarcerated pregnant women in the south. We address the social determinants of criminalization and intersectionality of social inequities to enhance the lives of these women through dignity, education, leadership, reproductive justice, and policy change. Then we partner with these women to end the mass incarceration of women in the south. RestoreHER is known for the historical passages of the federal law, First Step Act and more importantly, the state law HB345 Dignity For Incarcerated Women which prohibits the shackling and solitary confinement of pregnant women in federal prison and the state of Georgia. We are also the first to offer a safe alternative rideshare, for women by women through our mobile app HERide.
We are most proud to serve and protect directly impacted women, also the reproductive justice of voiceless, invisible incarcerated women through the efforts of our alternative rideshare app, HERide as well as the federal and state impact we have made to bring justice and improve conditions of confinement for incarcerated women. The innovative leadership of “lived experience”, medical background, and tenacity incorporated in the vision of our founder Pamela Winn combined with our bipartisan effort of victories we accomplished within our first year has set us apart from others.
What is “success” or “successful” for you?
I measure my success by faith in what I believe and my tenacity in knowing who I am, to never give up but continue to press forward to achieve my goals then use my platform of uplift others to their success.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.restoreher.us
- Phone: 4704246880
- Email: info@restoreher.us
- Instagram: @restoreher.us
- Facebook: @restoreher.us
- Twitter: @RestoreHER_US
Image Credit:
MajaMajor MMB-WinnKing
Melissa Golden
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