Marisol Garcia’s journey is one of resilience and transformation shaped by an unyielding commitment to systemic change. Twice incarcerated in Connecticut prisons, Garcia witnessed firsthand the profound failures of the prison system—not only in its inability to provide adequate healthcare but also in its neglect of human dignity.

Her story is not one of mere survival but of defiance against a system that dehumanizes individuals and reduces them to their inmate numbers. Through her advocacy work and her organization, Prison 2 Public Policy, Garcia has become a fierce voice for those often silenced, challenging stereotypes and dismantling barriers to full citizenship for formerly incarcerated individuals.

Garcia’s time in prison deeply shaped her perspective on the prison system, particularly through her experience as a hospice volunteer. She recalls the inadequate healthcare available to inmates, describing an overburdened and underfunded system.

“There is not even a community standard level of care,” she explains, sharing the tragic story of a friend who died from COVID-19 complications in 2022. Bedridden and isolated, her friend contracted the virus three times, underscoring the systemic failures. For Garcia, this is unacceptable. “Prison didn’t take away our humanity,” she asserts. “I don’t understand why people think when we get our inmate number at
the door, we somehow check out our humanity.”

Beyond healthcare, Garcia emphasizes the mental toll that incarceration exacts. She
distinguishes between diagnosable mental health conditions and what she calls “mental hygiene”—the pervasive trauma of incarceration that impedes reentry into society. “We come home one of two ways, either in a body bag or in pieces,” she says. “And when I say pieces, it’s because we never come out of prison whole.”

This trauma is particularly acute for young people who grow up in prison, experiencing what Garcia calls “carceral arrested development.” These individuals, she explains, emerge as adults but with lingering adolescent tendencies, unprepared for life outside. “You just hit them at their most vulnerable developmental stage,” she says, underscoring the need for tailored support during reentry.

Prison 2 Public Policy, founded just a year ago, seeks to address these challenges. Garcia’s advocacy focuses on restoring full citizenship, which she defines as not just the legal right to vote but the holistic reintegration of individuals into society. This involves mental health resources, education, housing, and other essential services. “When people are incarcerated, we don’t come home as full citizens,” she explains. “We don’t ever fully come home.”

Her mission was inspired by James Jeter of the Full Citizen Coalition, whose vision deeply resonated with her.

Garcia’s work extends to advocating for marginalized groups within the incarcerated
population, including those accused of sexual offenses. As a survivor of sexual assault and domestic violence herself, Garcia approaches this issue with empathy. She is particularly concerned about young people caught up in the system for minor offenses that derail their lives.

“At least provide the ability to return to some semblance of a normal life,” she says. For Garcia, the goal is clear: “Making sure people have that fair chance to have a life.”

This advocacy has not been without challenges. She confronts societal attitudes that
marginalize formerly incarcerated individuals, often reducing them to token figures in advocacy spaces. “There’s this idea in society: be grateful you’re free,” she explains. “What you’re really indirectly saying is, be grateful for whatever scraps I give you.” She criticizes the systemic barriers that keep formerly incarcerated people on the fringe of society, limiting their ability to effect meaningful change. Yet, she remains undeterred.

“I constantly see people will talk for us, but we really don’t have an equal voice at the table,” she says, emphasizing the importance of empowering justice-impacted individuals to lead the conversation.

Garcia’s own story defies the tokenism she critiques. Since her release in 2019, she has
achieved an associate’s degree, a bachelor’s degree from Trinity College, and a master’s degree. She is currently pursuing dual degrees in law and policy at Vermont Law School. But she resists the narrative that her success should be the benchmark for others. “Unfortunately, that’s not the story of every person who’s been formerly incarcerated,” she acknowledges. Her focus is not on creating exceptional cases but on ensuring systemic support for all.

Through Prison 2 Public Policy, Garcia is challenging stereotypes and advocating for
systemic change, rooted in the belief that incarceration should not strip individuals of their humanity or their right to a meaningful life. By addressing the mental, emotional, and practical barriers to reentry, she is paving the way for a more inclusive society.

As she puts it, “Prison didn’t take away your humanity. It’s time society stopped acting like it did.”

Noah Killeen is a sophomore at Yale University studying political science. He serves as a researcher at the Equal Justice Center within the Yale Policy Institute, the college’s student-run think tank.