Article and photos by Skylar Mason

This article was written for The State Press and published on April 5, 2016.

A young woman, probably in her late twenties or early thirties, takes a few nervous steps toward the audience. Tattoos cover her arms and neck, and “SHERIFF’S INMATE- UNSENTENCED” is printed in bold red letters across her black-and-white striped uniform. She clears her throat, glances around the room and begins to sing.

“I’m not the average girl from the video / And I ain’t tan like a supermodel / But I’ve learned to love myself unconditionally / Because I am a queen,” she sings.

Her voice starts quietly, then builds as the women around her smile in support. When she finishes the song, 12 other inmates join her in a circle and take turns reciting lines in a group poem about self-worth and community.

This isn’t a normal event at Estrella Jail, a Maricopa County facility that houses approximately 1,000 inmates, predominantly female. On Saturday afternoon, the 13 inmates gathered to present their capstone performance as a part of Journey Home, an arts residency program facilitated through ASU Gammage.