Interviews
6 Interviews articles categorized as: Substance Abuse
Interview with Pamela Thomas
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Pamela Thomas
In this interview, Pamela Thomas discusses her life, beginning with her life on the street as a teenager and her abusive relationship with an older man. She discusses her children, her relationship to her parents, and her path into drug addiction. She also describes her path out of prison, including a later parole violation that arose after she called the police for her personal safety, and her current work in the social services.
Interview with Yolanda Mills
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Yolanda Mills
In this interview, Yolanda Mills discusses her childhood growing up without parents, her involvement in prostitution and substance abuse, and the death of her son. She also discusses her history of sexual abuse in her family and foster care.
Interview with Donna Henry
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Donna Henry
In this interview with Carolyn Watson, Donna Henry gives a detailed account of being raped at age 16, starting heroin at age 23, and entering Dwight Correctional Facility. She talks about losing her children to DCFS and the steps that she is taking to have them returned. She also describes her experiences in a drug treatment program within the prison, including a typical day and the worst day.
Interview with Annette Anderson
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Annette Anderson
In this interview, Annette explains how she came to work in the sex industry and the impact it has had on her and her family. Annette describes how her drug use led to her involvement in the sex industry and shares some of the dangerous, violent encounters that ensued. After being incarcerated on drug and prostitution charges, Annette reflected on her lifestyle and decided to make a change in her life. Now, she works for the Department of Human Services and is active with the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless.
Interview with Naoma Dye
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Naoma Dye
In this interview conducted by Carolyn Watson and Salome Chasnoff, Naoma Dye discusses her life starting with childhood, through her involvement in the drug and sex trade, and continuing on through her incarceration and eventual release.
Interview with Hilda Berghammer
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Hilda Berghammer
In the course of being interviewed by Carolyn Watson and Salome Chasnoff, Hilda Berghammer discusses her life beginning with her immigration to the U.S. at age 9. She was involved in a series of abusive relationships, before being arrested on charges related to driving under the influence. She details her experiences inside Cook County Jail and Illinois state prisons, describing the intake process and the physical space of the prison. She also talks about her experiences in prostitution, and discusses her relationship with her son.