Solid Hearts, Steel Backbones: A Shoutout to the Real Ones

- by DeAnna

Being a prison wife isn't for the weak — let’s just get that out there right now.

We don’t choose this life because it’s easy, glamorous, or something we dreamt of growing up. We choose it because love showed up, and it didn’t come with a convenient timeline or a perfect package. It came real, raw, and wrapped in barbed wire — and we said yes anyway.

Because that's what loyalty actually looks like.

While the world screams “walk away,” we show up — day after day — holding down the damn fort with nothing but our own strength, a whole lot of love, and maybe a good cry in the bathroom when no one’s watching. We do this through 30-minute calls that cut off mid-sentence. We do it through letters written with hope and pain inked on the same page. Through visits where the touch is limited, but the connection? Untouchable.

We wipe our own tears. We build them up when they’re breaking down. We speak life into them when the world around them is trying to kill their spirit. We send strength in envelopes and wrap our prayers around them like armor.

People love to label us as “naïve” — as if love has to follow a script they approve of. But this isn’t naivety. This is the kind of ride-or-die loyalty that most people couldn’t even spell, let alone understand. Loyalty when it’s inconvenient. Loyalty when it’s hard. Loyalty when no one else claps for it.

If you’re living this life, then you already know — you’re part of a sisterhood that moves in silence but loves with the volume cranked up all the way. We might be quiet out here, but don’t ever confuse that with weakness. We are warriors in lip gloss and hoodies. We carry weight most people wouldn’t survive.

So shoutout to the real ones.

To the women who keep answering those calls, who keep showing up for visitation day with butterflies and a bag of quarters, who write “I love you” a thousand different ways without ever needing the words back. To the women who said I got you — and meant it. This one's for you.

We stay solid. We stay true. And no, we’re not alone — not now, not ever.

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...

The Beating You Weren’t Supposed to See: A Former AZDOC Officer Speaks Out

Let me tell you something right now — that viral 3-minute video Fox 10 Phoenix aired last week? That wasn’t the whole story. That was just the tip of the blood-soaked iceberg. As a former Arizona Department of Corrections Officer, I know exactly what you're looking at in that video. You’re seeing the tail end of a brutal, calculated beatdown that started long before the cameras started rolling. That inmate? He’d already been dragged, pummeled, and bled out — by the time he was being chased down the entire length of the prison yard like a damn scene out of a gladiator movie. Fox 10’s report referred to it as a fight that “spilled out into the prison yard.” SPILLED OUT? Like someone knocked over a soda. No — this wasn’t some spontaneous scuffle. That man was hunted . Let’s Break Down the Bullsh*t Donna Hamm’s Comment: “The inmates are running the asylum, and that's not what the taxpayers in Arizona are paying for.” Newsflash: the inmates have always run the yard. Th...

Inside the Lewis Bachman Unit: A Call for Reform

The Lewis Prison Complex, located in Buckeye, Arizona, comprises eight units, including the Bachman Unit, where my husband is currently incarcerated. This unit houses inmates under protective custody, ranging from minimum to medium security levels, with a capacity of 752 inmates across four dormitory-style buildings. ( corrections.az.gov ) Systemic Issues Plaguing the Facility Over the years, the Lewis Complex has been marred by numerous incidents that highlight systemic issues within its walls: Contraband Infiltration: In January 2025, a correctional officer named Berman Comon was arrested for allegedly smuggling drugs and contraband cellphones into the Rast Unit of Lewis Prison. Comon, who had served as a counselor for 11 years, reportedly received $5,000 per trip to bring in the illicit items. ( abc15.com ) Inmate Unrest: In November 2018, surveillance footage revealed inmates in the Rast Max Unit setting fires outside their cells, leading to the evacuation of the entire unit. Thi...

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

Search This Blog