“Incarceration has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember,” she says. “My mother spent over 6 years during my own childhood in prison, I followed in her footsteps, spending 10 years of my own daughter's childhood incarcerated. Then my oldest daughter became justice involved thus completing the 3-generation cycle of generational crime.”
Jarvis became involved with OPEEP when she was incarcerated at the Ohio Reformatory for Women. “I completed 3 courses as an inside student and also was brought into the learning community… now I am going to the main campus and am only a few semesters away from my BA in Social Work.” She holds an A.A.S. in correctional Rehabilitation from Sinclair College and is currently a student at The Ohio State University.
Her personal experiences are what feed Jarvis’ passion for criminal justice reform. “I went through it and was determined to not let my time be wasted. I want to help others also make their time mean something and pursue true, courageous self-change.”
She wishes more people understood the value of higher education opportunities like OPEEP in prison. “I read a fact once that for every $1 dollar taxpayers pay towards education, $5 is saved in the long run. I wish more people knew that and there was more support for educational programs inside. Education empowers incarcerated individuals and shows them there is a different way of life. Education enables returning citizens to have a leg up in the workforce once released. It reduces violence and leads to an overall better morale within the institutions. It gives purpose.”
Today, Jarvis spends much of her free time with her daughters, rebuilding their connections, and enjoys practicing her skills around content creation and digital storytelling. She knows her story is not unique, and she strives to inspire others to find their strength and change their narratives. “The truth is thousands of individuals would love a chance to pursue higher education but will never get to because of the limited resources. Educational opportunities for incarcerated individuals are few and far between despite the great interest by those incarcerated and the proven benefits…. Corrections do not heal people - connection does. I want to help build bridges between incarcerated individuals, their families and the community. OPEEP was a bridge for me.”
