Honored, Humbled… and Ugly Crying

A Response to Tee’s Blog: “When God Sends an Angel”

I don’t even know where to start — except to say that I’m sitting here, tears rolling down my face, trying to gather myself after reading Tee’s blog post about me:

When God Sends an Angel: My Encounter with DeAnna Epperson

Let me tell y’all something... this woman wrecked me (in the best way possible).

Her words? They hit my soul like a tidal wave. Not just because she shared her pain so openly, but because she allowed me to see just how much our connection meant — and y’all, I wasn’t ready. I wasn’t ready to see myself through someone else’s eyes like that. I ugly cried. Like, tissue-in-each-hand, snotty-nose, makeup-running, full-on “don’t look at me” cry. Tee, how dare you?! 😂

But seriously — to know that God used me in such a powerful and specific way, in her darkest hour, is the kind of reminder that stops you in your tracks. I didn’t swoop in with a cape or some master plan — I just showed up, as myself, and gave what I had: understanding, empathy, and fire. And she lit right up like a match soaked in gasoline.

She didn’t need rescuing. She just needed backup. And now she knows: I’ve got her back.

Working with Tee to move PrisonStopsNothing.com forward hasn’t just been an honor — it’s been a calling. She has a vision that’s bold, fierce, and dripping with purpose. And I’ll be damned if she’s going to walk that road alone. Together, we are going to build something that shatters stigma, amplifies stories, and helps women who are holding it down while the world turns its back.

Tee, thank you for trusting me. Thank you for pouring your heart into that post. Thank you for reminding me why I do what I do — even when I’m tired, even when the odds feel stacked. You’re not just a sister in this fight — you’re family now.

If you haven’t read her post yet, go read it now. It’s not just about me — it’s about what happens when women support women, when faith meets action, and when silence gets replaced with strength.

To anyone out there who feels like no one’s listening: I hear you. Tee, I heard you. And you are not alone.

Let’s keep pushing forward. Together.

#PrisonStopsNothing #EppersonEmpowerment #WomenForWomen #GodIsAmazing #GodMakesNoMistakes #BuildEachotherUp

Comments

Exposing the Deadly Reality at La Palma Correctional Facility: How Many More Have to Die?

For years, La Palma Correctional Facility in Eloy, Arizona, has been a hotspot for controversy, yet little has been done to address the rampant corruption, officer misconduct, and systemic failures that have turned it into a living hell for those incarcerated within its walls. Most recently, another inmate has died—one of many whose deaths could have been prevented if those in charge had taken real action instead of covering up their negligence. On January 2, 2025, I fought to have my husband moved out of La Palma due to the sheer volume of drugs flooding the yard, which were being brought in by correctional officers. I reported specific names to the Special Security Unit (SSU), thinking that doing the right thing would bring change. Instead, my concerns fell on deaf ears. Now, here we are, with more inmates losing their lives—many of these deaths are suspected overdoses, yet little to no investigation ever seems to result in actual change. A History of Negligence and Deaths This lates...

Until You’ve Walked Through Those Gates, Sit Down and Be Quiet

-By DeAnna You see memes like this floating around all the time — the ones that crack jokes about how “good” inmates supposedly have it. You know the ones: they talk about sex three times a day, reading books, working out, and then “complaining” about prison life. People laugh, hit share, and feel smug because they think they know something about what it’s like inside. I used to be one of them. I used to think prison was “right.” I believed it was what people deserved if they broke the law. I repeated the clichés: “Don’t do the crime if you can’t do the time.” “Three hots and a cot.” “They’ve got it easy in there.” And then… I worked there. Let me tell you something: until you’ve walked through those locking gates — hearing that buzzer, watching that steel door slam behind you, feeling the air shift from free to suffocating — you don’t know a damn thing about prison. Until you’ve seen the reality — the mace, the gas grenades, the cell extractions that leave blood on the floor, the...

Two Years for Corruption. Seven Years for Addiction.

There’s something I can’t shake today. And honestly… it makes me sick. I just read about a correctional officer at the same prison my husband is sitting in right now —Lewis Prison Complex—who was caught smuggling heroin, fentanyl, and cell phones into the facility. Not using. Not struggling. Not trying to survive addiction. Smuggling. Trafficking. Profiting. Investigators didn’t just catch him once either. This wasn’t some “bad decision” moment. This was a full investigation—months long—with surveillance, evidence, and tens of thousands of dollars’ worth of drugs tied to it. Let me say that again… A man with a badge, authority, and access was bringing poison into a prison —into a place already filled with men fighting addiction, trauma, and survival every single day. Now here’s the part that I cannot wrap my head around… My husband is serving seven years for doing drugs. Seven years. For addiction. For a battle that started when he was a child—before he even had ...

From Guard to Wife: My Journey in the Shadows of the Justice System

Search This Blog