First person Narrative of Incarerated Woman

Narrative of Incarcerated Woman
Name:
Institution:

Introduction
I am a 36-year-old woman who had been incarcerated in one of the American correctional facilities. Apparently, after a long judicial process in trying to seek justice, I ended up being put to jail for three and a half years. I am of Hispanic origin and live in the Southern part of United States of America. I have lived in this part since my childhood when my parents came to the USA as immigrants. I live in a multicultural community consisting of Caucasians, Hispanics and African American people. The community is a busy one that is located, in a busy environment with all the sectors of the economy operating well. It is a society with all kind of workers from white-collar jobs to blue-collar jobs but the rising poverty levels have rendered the possibility of youths finding a job a bit difficult. I am a married woman. In fact, I was married at the age of 21 after dropping out of the fifth grade due to the challenges at my home at the time. My husband is a day worker at the nearest fruit-canning factory. I am an average income earner but I am still unemployed at present though occasionally, I am able to get temporary jobs that I work on a contract basis and contribute to family’s welfare in providing at least the basic needs for my family including my children whom I feel attached to very much. My children are young, four in number and ranging from the ages of six years to fourteen years. I am an American citizen in the state of Texas. Here we live with my family; with my husband as the breadwinner. My children are still attending school, they are proceeding well but are still finding it hard to cope with a mother whom they feel that she cares less about them, and apparently, they believe that I went to jail because I was irresponsible.
Life before Incarceration
Within the multicultural society that I lived in, poverty levels and the unemployment levels ware very high. Notwithstanding the buzzing economy in Texas, we still find it hard to get permanent jobs, as most of these require higher qualifications than the fifth grade that I attained. Most workers in my neighborhood are thus the lower class in the society living adjacent to a wealthy neighborhood that provides most of the jobs that we rely on. However, despite the lack of permanent jobs around, people have moved across regions to search for jobs. Those who are not able to get one therefore rely on the day jobs available at the agricultural processing industries in the near town. Since I got married, I have been able to get these day jobs sometimes on a contractual basis usually ending within two weeks’ time. At these times, my average income on a monthly basis had been at most $500, which I had to rely on in providing the household necessities while my husband catered for the children’s educational needs, health care and rent for our house that we live in.
Due to this low income, and my struggling husband who could not adequately satisfy the household financial needs, I ended up peddling marijuana to the nearest township and the ghetto that we were living in to get an additional income. As you are aware therefore, the act of dealing with illegal drugs including their consumptio...