I am a 50-year-old female who is married to a loving, supportive husband of 24 years and a proud mother to a recent high school grad earning an exemplary 4.2 GPA. Born in Sacramento, California, and has been a California resident my entire life. My life outside of prison is an active one. I volunteer on a regular basis at the local homeless shelter. I enjoy being outdoors, engaging in various activities with the family such as riding quads, mountain biking, ‘sup boarding on lakes, swimming, camping, and running our two labs, Callie & Bella. Other hobbies include drawing, cooking, sewing, gardening, crocheting, and ongoing educational learning in various subjects. I am a sister to an older brother and a daughter to a 76-year-old mother who remains actively working at age 76, at her local Baptist Church for the past 20 + years. My father recently passed away while I was incarcerated, losing to a short battle with Alzheimer’s. My story of how I got to Prison, like most, is a difficult and shameful story, but a positive takeaway from this experience is learning a great deal about myself while going through Pretrial and while being incarcerated. My crime involves a money crime. Not to point out excuses for why I committed this crime, but now I understand what drove me to perform them. In most crimes, I learned the majority of individuals involved in such crimes end up feeling, “I deserved that money because I worked until I was at wit’s end where I had no enjoyment in life outside of work as it consumed me.” Later I also learned all of this could’ve easily been prevented had I established boundaries and been truthful with my former employers in regards to my excessive workload. I was not supplied with the proper tools or knowledge on expressing myself which also stems from a neglected childhood upbringing which proved to be a vicious cycle of the generational curse which my parents experienced through their adolescent years as well. They raised us to the best of their ability. At the height of my crime, I tried to do the right thing, give the money back and work with Management at the Bank. It was a stressful situation where I was trying to reverse the damage that was done by cooperating with officials but knew there were bound to be repercussions as a result. The day I was sentenced, June 30th, 2022, it was a hard pill to swallow. My mom crying hysterically in the gallery, and my husband shaking his head in disbelief, wondering how our lives had gotten to this point. I understand it could’ve been worse as the judge sentenced me to 29 months of incarceration, let alone finding out 3 days before surrendering, I was destined to be states away where visitation by my immediate family seemed impossible. Here I am, a year later, in Greenville, Illinois, having served 50% of my time. I reiterate, it could be worse but am grateful for my time here. From the time my crimes were exposed, up to now, I have invested in bettering myself and preparing for my success upon release. I have been involved in various therapy, trying to identify the root cause of my behaviors throughout my life. Having gone through 2 therapists and attempted a treatment called “Brain Spotting” to no avail, I was desperate. Using Google search, I typed in, “Why do I steal?” Google referred me to Terrence Shulman, a therapist who specialized in theft-related behaviors. After an evaluation with Terry, I immediately signed up for his intense 90-day program prior to self-surrendering. I learned a great deal about my issues that resulted in my childhood upbringing. I was involved in a support group where I could relate to. This is where I stopped feeling different and alone. At this point, there was work that needed to be done, and had the proper support. I had to invest my time into understanding and correcting the way I think or react to certain situations as I knew the prison system does not have adequate resources to do so and it all depended on me, keeping a journal and utilizing the library for self-help books was the way to go. I really learned about how the brain works by reading, “The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma,” by Bessel van der Kolk. I learned to train and correct my thinking process based on this book. Another step that I have been preparing for success is taking advantage of the educational courses offered. I most recently had a sponsor sign me up for Paralegal Courses in order to obtain a CLA certificate by the time I am released. My interest in Legal issues has peaked since I am actively involved and lived the system. I hope to gain experience and to be able to help others who struggle due to the lack of knowledge or communication with staff who are employed through the DOJ. I also continue to learn various techniques of networking and beings I am an introvert at heart, I learned a great deal about myself from “Networking For People Who Hate Networking,” by Devona Zach. I realized being an introvert is NOT BAD. We do in fact have great qualities that extroverts do not have. Introverts are exemplary team contributors by applying our attributes of focus, attention to detail, and ability to see beyond the surface, also being self-regulating. I am a huge fan of networking. I am learning to build and maintain connections for shared positive outcomes. The most authentic I am, the more resilient and valuable networks I will create. I am also in the process of reading Miriam Sabeter’s “Social Networking for Career Success.” These books are invaluable. The most recent book that I am enjoying is “The Well-Spoken Woman Speaks Out,” How to Use Your Voice to Drive Change,” by Christine K Jahnka. This book is like having a coach on my shoulder telling me, “Yes, You Can, Use Your Voice, and Change the World.”I am super excited about applying the tools learned as well as helping others in the process upon my release. Other areas I am involved in are the “Community Volunteer Program,” which I leave the compound 2 days a week, and volunteer landscaping at the local Courthouse, part of the Horticulture program that I’m currently enrolled in. It is refreshing to have a change of pace during the week. I am also a sewing instructor teaching others to sew a Quilt which gets donated to the Linus Foundation, an organization for children who need blankets to help get them through sickness or health-related issues at the local hospital. Looking back at the past 2 years, whether it being on Pretrial or incarcerated, I have learned so much. I am very grateful for this time to invest in me and make me a successful person upon release. I know I will hit the ground running whatever comes my way & know God has a plan, a purpose for me and for the rest of my life. I am nervous but excited about this new opportunity and look forward to paying it forward and helpfully being someone else’s advocate. Thank you for your time,
Stephanie Simontacchi
