Ayanna Pressley is an advocate, a policy-maker, an activist, and a survivor. On November 6, 2018, Ayanna was elected to represent Massachusetts’ 7th Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives, making her the first woman of color to be elected to Congress from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Ayanna believes that the people closest to the pain should be closest to the power, and that a diversity of voices in the political process is essential to crafting more effective public policy.
Individuals who have been incarcerated often face tremendous obstacles when they are released, in terms of finding housing, securing employment, and accessing healthcare. Willfully ignoring these individuals is an admission that our criminal justice system is intended to be only punitive, and not rehabilitative. As we think about policies related to education, housing, and economic development, we must consider how we can include incarcerated individuals and those recently released, so that they are able to access stable housing and employment, significantly reducing the chance of recidivism.