Blind Plea - Stuck in the System

Episode Date: July 12, 2023

Episode 10: After five long years behind bars, the day has finally come for Deven to leave prison. But hours before she’s set to go home, a breakdown in the process throws Deven’s release into jeopardy, which leaves her and her family scrambling for answers in the tangled bureaucracy of the Alabama prison system.  Resources: If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic abuse, use a safe computer and contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline at www.thehotline.org or call 1-800-799-7233. You can also search for a local domestic violence shelter at www.domesticshelters.org/. If you have experienced sexual assault and need support, visit the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN) at www.rainn.org or call 1-800-656-HOPE Have questions about consent? Take a look at this guide from RAINN at www.rainn.org/articles/what-is-consent  Learn more about criminalized survival https://survivedandpunished.org/   This series is created with Evoke Media, a woman-founded company devoted to harnessing the power of storytelling to drive social change. https://weareevokemedia.com  This series is presented by Marguerite Casey Foundation. MCF supports leaders who work to shift the balance of power in their communities toward working people and families, and who have the vision and capacity for building a truly representative economy. Learn more at caseygrants.org or visit on social media @caseygrants. Follow host Liz Flock on Twitter @lizflock. For more stories of women and self-defense, check out her book “The Furies” from Harper Books, available for pre-order now. https://www.harpercollins.com/products/the-furies-elizabeth-flock Interested in bonus content and behind the scenes material? Subscribe to Lemonada Premium right now in the Apple Podcasts app by clicking on our podcast logo and the "subscribe” button. Click this link for a list of current sponsors and discount codes for this and all other Lemonada series: lemonadamedia.com/sponsors.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Can't get enough of your favorite lemon-automedia podcasts? By subscribing to Lemon-automedia today, you'll gain access to fun and inspiring bonus content from all of our podcasts across the Lemon-automedia network. As a subscriber, you can listen to Never Before Herd interview excerpts, behind-the-scenes segments, and continue to uncover new ways to make life suck less through all of our exclusive subscriber audio. Check out a free trial of Lemonada Premium today in the Apple Podcast app by clicking on our podcast logo and then the subscribe button.

Hello, hello, hello, I am Jose Andres. Maybe you know me from my restaurants or maybe from Wall Central Kitchen. The organization I founded to feed people after disasters. Well, it's time for you to know my podcast, Longer Tables. Each episode I get to know fascinating people in the most intimate way. Through food, Stacey Abrams, Jojo Ma, Jane Goodall, Padma Lashmi. I will answer questions from listeners too. Join me in building longer tables, not higher walls, whatever you get your podcasts. Lemonada

This show contains mentions of suicide and domestic abuse. This call is from a correction facility and is subject to monitoring and recording. Thank you for using global tell link. Hello. Hi. Hi. How are you? Good.

Thanks for calling me. How are you doing? I'm good. I'm anxious. I'm ready to go. Hi, how are you? Good. Thanks for calling me. How are you doing? I'm good. I'm anxious and ready to go. Oh, I'm a bit. I'm a bit. Yeah.

24 hours. Yeah, I know. 24 hours until Devin's mandatory release date, April 25, 2023. 24 hours until she could leave prison behind forever. You can tell that she's more anxious than excited, because at this point, Devon has spent over five years behind bars, ages 25 to 31, missing her daughter, her family, and her freedom. The following day, she'd have the chance to close that chapter of her life.

According to the terms of her release, she'd have to wear an ankle monitor and check in with a parole officer for one year. It was a lot to process. I think my nerves won't kick in until it actually becomes like a real thing. I don't know. It's like a lot of mixed emotions that I'm feeling right now.

In preparation for her release, Devon had given away almost all of her belongings in prison, and she was also leaving behind friends, so she said her goodbyes to the people that mattered. They're counting down with me, and so it's been kind of crazy. Yeah, yeah. This is Blind Plei and I'm your host, Liz Flak. On my first call with Devon three years ago, I never imagined we'd get to know each other this deeply. We've racked up hundreds of hours and calls to each other. From all of it, those calls, conversations with her family and friends, and my reporting,

I've come to root for Devon. When we got off of the phone, I thought, this might be the last time I'll have to talk to Devon on a prison line. And then another thought, that for the first time I'd get to meet Devon in person because I was on my way to Alabama to see her on the day of her release. Everybody, does it back? It's like I just had a two hour and eleven minute play over to the Birmingham. Every time I've been to Alabama, I've been stunned by the natural landscape. Driving from the airport, you can see thickets of forest and gurgling rivers.

It's beautiful. But just under that beauty lies a darkness. A darkness Devon still had not escaped. I met up with my audio engineer Andy at the Bed and Breakfast we'd booked, The Fox and Fesit. It's run by a woman named Janice. Here is what you need to know about Janice. She's a sort of person that will call you sweetheart, and you feel like one. She was a motorcycle chick in a past life, and she's kind. She even drove all the way out to the airport to pick up Andy.

Hi, nice to meet you. She was well-baked. port to pick up Andy. And at the B&B, she was chatty, sharing local gossip and stories from her love life. You know, the reason we broke up, he said it was because he's seeking enlightenment. This is the one who... The karate guy. Yeah. Uh-huh.

That evening, Andy and I went over our plan for the next day. Aunt Sheila would pick up Devon from prison in Watthubka and take her back to Calirah. Then, Andy and I would meet up with them to see Devon face to face. After all of that, Devon would hop on a train from Birmingham to Baltimore, where she'd reunite with her family at last.

As I drifted off to sleep that night, I thought about how Devon wouldn't be locked in that darkness any longer. The next morning, I woke up to sunshine streaming through the windows, feeling at ease. Because by 10 a.m., Devon would be out of prison. That's what correction staff had told her. By around noon, she said, she'd call me from Anchialis phone to tell me they'd gotten home. But hours passed, and there was no call.

I kept staring at my phone, willing it to ring. Then around 2pm, I got an incoming call. From Aunt Leslie, who was back in Baltimore with Devon's family, anticipating her release. Hi. Have you talked to Devon? Have I talked to her? No, have you? No, because I'm there as she's still in prison. Not only was Devon still in prison, but Aunt Sheila, who was supposed to pick her up, was lost. Somewhere in the middle of nowhere, unable to find the facility. Is she still in prison because Sheila is not there or is she still in prison? No, I think because we don't know.

Leslie trailed off. I could hear she was talking to someone else in the room. Devon's sister, Simone, who is normally the most chill person ever, Leslie handed the phone to her. Because there's no paperwork or anything that says she's supposed to get out for that. Didn't send anything over to release her so she's still incarcerated. This wasn't the chill Simone I knew. She was pissed because there was a paperwork issue and she and Leslie hadn't received any information about what it was.

They were left totally in the dark about Devon's situation. We need to figure this out because I'm trying to call the GLC. Yeah. And you know ask what's going on. That's Alabama Department of Corrections that oversees everything. I'm going to say if we can do some like this is credit this is done just a little bit. I can't believe it. Oh god I got a call for Sheila back. Okay. Okay, go ahead. Okay, all right. Okay, bye. It was the worst case scenario. And as concerned as I was, I felt myself shifting into reporter mode. Like Simone said,

we needed to get in touch with the Alabama Department of Corrections or ADOC. I'd also try ATAF, the facility where Devon was staying most recently, as well as Tuttweiler, the prison. I started dialing. Yeah, hi. I'm calling because inmate Devon Grey was scheduled for release today, but I was just told at that time. Because inmate Devon Grey was supposed to be released today, but they were just missing paperwork that wasn't filled out by staff.

I was hoping you could help me figure out what's going on. My number is 7773. Dead End After Dead End I still didn't even know where Devon was at this point. So Andy and I pulled up the ADOC website to do some sleuth thing. They have a database of everyone who is incarcerated in Alabama. A month or two prior, it had updated Devon's release date to April 25, 2023. Devon Marie Gray, Alabama therapeutic educational facility. Her mandatory isn't on here.

It was before. Now it just says minimum release date of April 19th, 2024. That's really weird. Why would it, yeah. I called Atef again, since the website said that's where Devon was. This time, I actually got in touch with someone. Do you know what's going on? I was just trying to figure out what's happening. Now you would have to call Tut Wider.

OK, so she's that Tut Wider now? No, you would have to call Tut Wider if Alba's Department of Corrections. OK. No idea as to what might be going on before service. And Alba's Department of Corrections. All right, I'll do that. Thank you.

So I called Tutwiler again. I was transferred twice and put on hold. It feels like it's been like having her. It's been like six minutes. Oh my God, what is going on? Oh my God, after all that. Con dropped. That's when I got a glad. I'm so glad. That's when I got a really scary text from Aunt Leslie.

She said, I don't think she will be released. One of the inmates called and said she is in medical for suicide. Oh my God. So if you know me, then you know how much I love shopping from places that offer clothing that really lasts. It can be hard to find that mix of timeless and stylish, and that's why I love Quince so much. Quince offers a range of must-have items like 100% European linen under $50, Italian leather bags, and 14 karat gold jewelry from $30. All their

prices are 50 to 80% less than similar brands. And trust me, you will have these pieces in your closet forever. I wear my classic gold hoop earrings from quince every day. They are simple and elegant and amazing quality for the price. I know you're wondering just how they do it. Quince partners directly with top factories to cut out the cost of the middle man and pass the savings on to you. What's even better, Quince only works with factories that use safe, ethical, and responsible manufacturing practices and premium eco-friendly fabrics and finishes. Upgrade your closet this summer with Quince. Right now, go to Quince.com slash

Blind Plei to get free shipping and 365-day returns on your next order. That's qu, i-n-c-e, dot com slash Blind Plei for free shipping and 365-day returns. Quince.com slash blind plea. Recently, I've gotten really into cooking. It's my favorite time of year to start experimenting with flavors because there's such an incredible array of food that's in season. And hello, fresh makes it so easy to try it all, making sure you get all the best picks all season long.

Their ingredients travel from the farm to your door easy to try it all, making sure you get all the best picks all season long. Their ingredients travel from the farm to your door in less than seven days for quality you can taste. From chef-crafted seasonal recipes to their new fresh and fit summer menu, Hello Fresh brings flavor right to your door. Plus, they have options for add-ons like snacks, sides, and more. It's never been easier to skip that extra trip to the grocery store, letting Hello Fresh bring everything you need to eat well to you. I love how much time Hello Fresh saves me in the kitchen. They really managed to make

cooking fun without sacrificing any of the efficiency. I get to enjoy the tactile experience of storing tomato sauce in a pan without ever having to wash a measuring spoon. Go to HelloFresh.com, slash BlindPlea50, and use code BlindPlea50 for 50% off plus free shipping. That's HelloFresh.com, slash BlindPlea50, and code BlindPlea50 for 50% off plus free shipping. HelloFresh, America's number one meal kit. Number one, meal kit. Hey, there. So sorry, I'm glad she's been calling the whole Alabama system.

When Leslie called me, I was feeling so shaken up by her text. I asked her what the hell was going on. So she went crazy and said she's on Trillisome, so she's not even at the rehabbing. They usually do a 24 hour hold and so. Oh, God. I had so many questions. Did Devon become suicidal after she learned she wasn't getting out? Or was she just upset and said she wanted to die? How serious was it?

But Leslie didn't know any more about it. While we waited to learn more, I asked Leslie if she'd learned why ADOC wasn't letting Devon out. They've been trying to get a hold of the John's mother. Mm-hmm. They've been able to get a hold of her. They cannot release her in the lady let her know that she's being released. OK.

OK. The reason Devon wasn't getting out was because the prison had failed to get in touch with John's mom, Christine. Under Alabama's early release law, the prison has to contact victims' families when people who committed violent crimes are released, which theoretically could be a good thing. But since they hadn't made contact with Christine yet, the law prohibited Devon from leaving the facility. I thought it was weird that ADOC hadn't been able to get in touch with Christine. Because every time I've called her, she's answered right away or called me right back.

But I was more worried about how Devon was doing. She'd have to get a new tablet to message me so I kept asking Leslie to confirm Devon was all right. So is Devon okay? What's the... Yeah, he's okay. She just says she was gonna kill herself. Okay.

Down. Something I've noticed about the Grey family is that they tend to be cool-headed, even in the face of the most devastating news. In this moment, I couldn't help but think about all the women I'd watched go through the system before. This is what prisons always do, which is like so much bureaucracy, nothing is communicated, nothing is transparent. It's crazy. Oh my gosh, it's crazy. It's crazy, right?

Like Leslie said, Devon was stuck in prison until ADOC got in touch with Christine. At least that's how I interpreted the victim notification law at the time. I'd later learn that in practice, it wasn't so cut and dried. Worst case, Devon could be in prison for up to another year, until April 2024. The whole situation felt so delicate. I wasn't sure if Christine even knew the prison needed to get in touch with her. To be honest, I wanted to do whatever I could

to get Devon out. But as a journalist, I didn't want to divulge information to Christine that wasn't mine to tell. Christine that wasn't mine to tell. Yeah. Hey, Jim a minute. So I called up Kristen, my senior producer, for advice. So I got more information from Leslie, she just called and gave us the full update.

Apparently the reason she's not getting out is because they tried to reach Christine for a long time and they haven't been able to reach her. And if the victim's family isn't notified, they can't let you out. I updated Kristen on everything Leslie had told me. Yeah. I was just calling you because I'm trying to figure out the ethics of whether I can call Christine and ask her if she's even gotten these calls. Do you think that she is perfectly avoiding the call?

I don't know because it's... I guess she's usually good about picking up your phone calls. She picks up all of my calls usually on the first ring or if not, she calls me right back. The only thing that could potentially go wrong is that by you telling her that it convinces her to continue to not pick up the phone. Right, exactly. We decided it would be okay for me to call Christine, but I had to keep it short. Okay, can you hear me?

Yeah, I'm having an appointment. Nothing, I was just checking in with you. I heard from the Alabama Department of Corrections and they said they were trying to get in touch with you. Have you talked to them at all? No. Okay. I don't know.

They said they tried to call you a bunch. My phone has been messed up the last couple of days. The battery is dying and I haven't been able to get, usually I haven't been able to get the phone service. Shit, is she out? I didn't tell Christine they were calling about Devon getting out. And it was pretty clear she had no idea

what I was asking about. She hadn't gotten their call. ADOC should have had Christine's email and mailing address, but they didn't notify her in those ways either. Their office was closed by the time we talked, so Christine told me she planned to call them the next day to see what was up. In a way, I'll let you know what I hear.

All right, sounds good. All right, then, you take care yourself. Good to see you. All right. As a journalist, I try ourselves. Good to see you. All right. As a journalist, I try not to let my emotions get in the way. But at this point, I was worried about a lot of people who I'd gotten to know. Aunt Sheila, who was not feeling well

and drove several hours to pick up Devon, and got totally lost on the way. Devon's dad, Jean, who had been preparing Devon's daughter for her mom to come home. Simone, who had entirely lost her chill. And of course, Devon. I don't know exactly what went down at ADOC, and maybe I never will, but I was so frustrated by how much the mishap had affected everyone. So I took a walk and unloaded all of my thoughts into a voice memo. They don't care about the impact that these policies have, like the fact that they have

to notify Christine. When did they start calling Christine? Christine said her phone has been messed up for a couple days, which means they only started calling her like yesterday today because she said she hasn't gotten a call from them and she sounded genuinely surprised. Which means they only gave it 24 hours to contact the victim's family. Why didn't they send her a letter by certified mail? Why didn't they send her an email? There are so many ways they could have contacted Christine and they didn't. They waited till release day. Devon thought she was going to get out today. They told her that. Lots of staff told her that. She made all the preparations. Her family won an

expensive train ticket. I was worried about Christine too. The law was set up to honor the wishes of the victims' families. Yet it didn't seem like ADOC had tried to reach Christine until the week of Devon's actual release. This is the system in a nutshell, which is that little bureaucratic processes that allegedly are making all of us safer are causing so much damage and pain in our communities and they don't care. No communication, no transparency, no awareness, no nothing.

It's disgusting. Over the next few days, as I waited to hear from Devon, I kept calling ADOC to learn more. Our entire team sent emails to their department in an effort to get their attention. Someone from their office did respond to some of our emails, asking for Christine's contact information. Information ADOC should have already had. Our team shared it with them. I also called a bunch of high-up officials

to try to find out more about what was going on. Our team had previously interviewed Cam Ward, director of the Alabama Bureau of Partons and Paroles, and I figured it was worth asking him about Devon's situation directly, since I couldn't get in touch with anyone else. Oh my God, Cam's gonna be like, why are you calling myself? Your call has been forwarded to a automatic voice message system. At the tone, please record your message. When you have finished recording, you may hang up or press one for more options.

Hi, Cam. My name is Liz Flock. And I'm sorry. While we waited for Cam to call back, our team did some digging into Devon's situation and discovered she's not the only inmate who has faced this problem. Alabama's victim notification system has been underfunded and racked by problems for years. And it got worse with all the mandatory releases that we told you about last episode. Because so many more people were getting out early under that law, there were a lot more victims' families to notify all at once. In January 2023, approximately 400 people were due to be released ahead of schedule.

The system, already dysfunctional, was overwhelmed by all the notifications they had to make. A few days before the big release, ADOC had contacted fewer than 20 families. And that is what caused general chaos in Alabama. Ivana Hrenkew is a reporter who covered the debacle. She works for ale.com, an Alabama news site that won two Pulitzer's this year. There is conflicting accounts on who drops the ball. Some people will blame that on the lack of a victim notification system. Some people will blame that on the lack of a victim notification system.

Some people will blame that on the Department of Corrections for not properly notifying. Some people will blame that on. Again, victims and victim families not having proper enrollment into a type of victim notification service, whether it's through the prison or through an electronic system. Nobody has taken full responsibility for what exactly the problem was, but the general public did not know there was a problem until about the day before that law was set to go into effect. And the general public kind of freaked out.

It probably didn't help that TV news was really playing up the fear factor. A mandatory supervision law is now in effect, allowing the Alabama Department of Corrections to release hundreds of inmates, including convicted murderers. More than half of the inmates were set to be released, committed violent crimes, some convicted murderers. At least 50 to be released inmates are serving time for committing murder or man's slaughter. In reality, the vast majority of the people getting released weren't convicted murders. Most had committed low-level crimes like burglaries or drug offenses. Plus, before this law went into effect, all of them would have been released within the next year anyway,

when their sentence is ended. In short, the whole victim notification system is a mess and it's the system Devon was caught up in. It's likely why Christine didn't get an earlier call. I don't think that anybody would say the system has worked itself out in terms of a victim notification. I think that everybody would say the prison system is doing these notifications as they can as they get them. And Ivana told us that getting answers like how the Alabama prison system is working to correct these issues has been difficult. Because there is not very much transparency between the prison system and between

just agencies and Alabama in general, it is very hard to get to the root of the problem there. It's very hard to see inside of these facilities because the people at the top, the people who could provide the answers, don't provide the answers. Speaking of people at the top, a few days later, Cam Ward called me back. Are you there? Yeah, I'm here. Okay, gotcha. So thanks for calling me back.

Cam, I know you have a minute. I think it's going on. And that's okay. I was looking at Devon's case. Hold on, I want to see if I can get you some more information. I think I know without even looking what the issue was, but let me check. Cam looked up Devon's case and confirmed the victim notification system had failed her.

This is a common issue and victims notification in Alabama is an area that could be drastically improved upon in my opinion for both the victims and the inmates. Yeah, yeah, no, absolutely. Nobody's going to come over the answer that I can tell you that. It's a bizarre challenge. I don't know if bizarre really sums it up, but Cam was clear about one thing. It was not his agency's job to notify Christine. Yeah, this is an important corrections issue. So on mandatory release, the only thing we do on Porton Parole side is we show up and put an ankle

mongrel on you and then we supervise you. But leading up to that time when you walk out that door, on mandatory release, we don't have any sale now. That's all the Porton Parole corrections, yeah. What's crazy is that Parton's and Pearls successfully notified Christine about Devon's Pearl hearing last year, but now that she's supposed to be released, it's all up to ADOC. Does ADOC have the same methods of notification as Pearls? Do or you don't know. I don't know. It's a tangled bureaucracy and it doesn't seem like it's working for anyone. Not for incarcerated people like Devon,

who wake up thinking they are going to go free, only to learn that's not true. And not for victims' family members like Christine, who don't get a proper heads up if someone is getting out. Cam had been the only higher up that I've been able to reach about this. No one at ADOC had been willing to talk to me. But because the notification system was split

up between government agencies, he was pretty powerless to help in devin situation. I think the problem is the system we have sucks. That's what I said is sucks. Because you have everybody working in silence, it's just a disjointed system. We need a unified reporting system. The system sucks. The two agencies, ADOC and Pardons and Peroles do not work together on notifications. They do not share resources. And so, victims' families are not informed. And incarcerated people are confused about when they'll even be released. As we're seeing with Devon, people fall through the cracks. Anyone else hoping to squeeze in one last get away this summer and does anyone else get worried about leaving their house or apartment unattended for so long?

Before you leave, protect your home with simply save home security. 24-7 live guard protection. Now if an intruder breaks into your home, simply save professional monitoring agents can actually see, speak to, and deter them through the new Smart Alarm Wireless Indoor Camera, warning them that police are on their way. My Simply Safe system was installed incredibly quickly, and I feel so much better knowing that I have a system ready to go if I want to leave home for any longer stretches of time. Plus, the level of customer service has been unparalleled.

24-7 LiveGar Protection is made possible by the new Smart Alarm Wireless Indoor Camera, available with the Fast Protect Monitoring Plan. With advanced motion detection and vision AI, the Smart Alarm Indoor Camera can sense the difference between potential intruders and pets to reduce false alarms. Simply save tech and their 24-7 LiveGar Protection works seamlessly together to keep your whole home safe from break ins, fires, flooding, and more. There's a reason over 4 million people trust SimplySafe to keep their home secure. Right now, BlindPlee listeners get a special 20% off any SimplySafe system when you sign

up for a free month trial of fast-protect monitoring. This special offer is for a limited time only. Visit SimplySafe.com slash blind plea. At simplysafe.com slash blind plea. There's no safe, like simply safe. I'm MSNBC's Ali Velshi. A book banning epidemic is infiltrating our classrooms with 1,500 titles banned last year alone. Each week on my podcast, Velshi Band Book Club,

a different author joins me to discuss their band book, like Margaret Atwood, Lori Hals Anderson, and many more. Using books, that's how we share our wisdom, our values, that's how we take our country to the place it should be in. Listen to Velshi BAND Book Club now, wherever you get your podcasts, new episodes Thursdays. Day after Devon's supposed release date, I finally got a call from her, and she told me what she'd been through. When she found out she wasn't getting out of prison, she called suicide, and corrections transferred her from Atef to Tuttweiler to put her on suicide watch. So I kind of had like a, well, I had a big panic attack.

And then I ended up calling a suicide to come back here so I could find some stuff out. Tutt Wiler was in charge of her release so she was trying to get there. She was also incredibly distressed about her situation. Because I'm thinking, oh my god, Sheila, she's down there waiting for me here. I want the train to catch, but I

you don't understand. I said, Liz is here. Like, I'm thinking in my head, I've got all these people. There's a plan in most of here. And Sheila had made it back home safely. Aunt Leslie had canceled Devon's train ticket and got some of the money back. But of course, Devon was still in prison

and there was a lot she wasn't able to get back. I can't do anything. Like, I'm such a control freak, but I have to be at peace with the fact that there's no, there's nothing for me to do, but sit here and wait for them to do their part for Christine to do their part for Christine to do her part.

Because she'd expected to leave prison, she'd given pretty much everything away. Her clothes, her shoes, and her hygiene products. The prison gave her new underwear and a uniform, but she had to borrow everything else from other women. She'd had her sights set on April 25th. The promise of that release had given her hope. Now, the future wasn't certain. Depending on whether or not Christine answered the phone,

Devon could spend another year behind bars. A few days later, I talked to Christine again and she gave me an update. She said she'd called ADOC and they told her they hadn't been trying to reach her. So what was going on? All anyone could do was wait. Have you heard anything yet? Well, I heard that I'm not getting out on the night.

One little phone call is keeping me from getting out of prison. I've just frustrated at the entire system. There's no organization, there's no real resolution. I hope one of us will hear something soon. Yeah, me too, Me too, for real. A few weeks later, I got a missed call from Devon late at night, which was unusual for her. She called again the next morning and I answered. To refuse this pre-call press, too. If you wouldn't keep for using, secure us. You may start the conversation now. Hey, Eve Evan.

I got my release papers. No way. Yes, I got my release papers. Oh my gosh, what happened exactly? How'd you find out? What happened? Devin told me she'd gotten an orange slip the night before. And on it, it said she'd get released on May 23rd, 2023, in a week's time.

Oh my God, I'm so excited. I'm so happy for you. released on May 23rd, 2023, in a week's time. Oh my God, I'm so excited. I'm so happy for you. Thank you. Thank you. Oh, thank you, God. Wow. So did you freak out?

I did, but it was like, you know, I already had like a, like, I was already disappointed the first time. So it's kind of surreal to me like, you know, kind of like, oh, okay, this is happening, you know, has this one of the women that I know from forever. Like since I've been here, like I showed her my orange paper and she started crying, so then I started crying.

Like it didn't, wasn't real until she started crying. Wow, yeah. Woo. Ha, ha, ha, crying. Wow. Yeah. Woo. Ha ha ha. Yeah. Yeah. OK, one week you're out. Oh, yeah. Have a great, have a great, great, great day.

All right, I'll talk to you later. OK, bye. Bye. Bye. Here's what's crazy, though. ADOC still hadn't reached Christine. And yet they were letting Devon out. We didn't know if it was because we sent so many emails or because they just decided to release her.

There was only one snag left. Devon didn't have anyone to pick her up from prison. Once again, she was being released in the middle of the work week, and a lot was going on with her family, so they couldn't come down. Anchila's health wasn't great, and I wasn't able to return to Alabama because by this point I was very pregnant. So instead, Devon had to rely on strangers. I really feel like it's an honor just to go get her. Janice, our bed and breakfast host, had agreed to pick up Devon. So on the morning of May 23rd, she was headed to Tottweiler.

We sent Mora an audio engineer to record the day. On the ride there, Janice was already thinking several steps ahead. She's a planner like that. Like, what would Devon want to do when she gets out? I've got a whole list of possible activities. I don't know what you think. Well, I'm thinking many petty, you know, that's but that's me. And I'm sure she's going to want to eat, you know. Janice had spent the night before preparing. She'd purchased a box of fancy cookies and

clothes for Devon and even blown up balloons. There were five of them bobbing around in Janice's backseat. One to release for each year Devon had been locked up. I see somebody. I'm gonna put down my window and ask what's going on. Hey there. We're here to pick up Devon Gray. Janice pulled up to Tiltwiler. It was as intimidating as ever with its watchtower, chain link fences, and concertina wire. When they passed through the gate, Janice saw they weren't alone. It was a release day at the prison,

so other people had congregated in the parking lot. An officer came up to Janice's car, and she told them they were there for Devon Gray. Get the dress out there. Now bring it close for her. Okay, let me in the clothes for her? Get the owner below the tank. OK, let me get the clothes out. I'll take more of that. The officer grabbed the bag of clothes for Devon.

He'd bring them to her so she could change before getting released. Then he eyed the microphone and recorded her. You don't know what I'm all about. A live report. I don't think they are. I'm not that close. They can come out and get out there. It's a big day.

They always think that when you go home. How many of you got up there? Well, Janice and Mora waited. They accidentally released one of Devon's balloons early. They watched it rise into the air and turn into a tiny dot in the sky until it disappeared completely. And then... What have I'm already skydiving?

No! Oh God, this is so good to see you too! It fits! Yeah! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes!

I love my belief! You can hear the elation in Devon's voice. I can't believe I'm out! Oh, really! So awesome! and Devon's voice. I can't believe I'm out! This is unbelievable! So awesome! Yeah, I don't know if I want to cry or what. I'm just overwhelmed. That's amazing.

That's amazing. It's amazing. In the parking lot of the prison, Janice handed the remaining four balloons to Devon so she could let them go. Look at them go! Oh! On the road to Birmingham, Tutweiler became smaller and smaller in the rearview mirror. Devon was overcome with emotion, and most of all, she was excited about seeing her daughter.

Yes, I'm just excited to go home and see my family and go to hook my little girl. Yes, I miss her so much. She was three when I left her, so she'll be nine this year. Oh my gosh, we both been through a lot. She's been out through a lot without me and I've been through a lot without her. They were going to have to find their way back to each other. Devon knew it would be a lot for her, for her daughter. But first, she had a flight to Baltimore to catch.

It was scheduled for later that afternoon, so there was some time to fill in between. I was thinking we could go get a present for your daughter. What do you think She would like. She loves dinosaurs, believe it or not. Dinosaur. Yeah, she loves dinosaurs. Janice had other ideas to fill the time too.

I threw out Manny Petty. You know, Manny Curipetticure? Yeah. Wicked. That? Really? Oh, absolutely! Janice's phone rang.

It was Aunt Leslie. She and the rest of the family had been anxiously awaiting news about Devon's release. They'd all been calling Leslie for updates since she was the one with Janice's number. Leslie? There's Wayne and Philly! Yes, I'm so sorry we haven't called you! Oh my god! You have her? Girl, we're riding down the highway!

Oh, oh, oh, man! Hey! Oh, hi, Auntie! Oh my gosh! Oh, my gosh! Oh my lord! Oh god! Oh, okay, get it together, Leslie! Oh my God! Oh my God! Oh my God! Get it together Leslie! Oh my God! Thank you Leslie for all you've done. Oh thank you! You're my angel! Let's go everybody! We gotta thank you without a word!

Oh my God! That is so sweet! Thank you so much. I'm honored to do this. Oh, thank you so much. I love you, I love you, auntie. I'll see you soon. Okay. Bye, bye. Bye, bye. Janice took the exit for Alibaster.

Their first destination, classic nails for Manny Petty's. In the Strip Mall parking lot, Devon took it all in. This is crazy. What's crazy? It's just being out like in the open, like a person. This is crazy. In the world. In the world.

It's crazy. And that crazy feeling didn't go away. After a visit to the salon, they stopped for lunch where Devon encountered more novelties. I haven't held real silverware. And five years, five and a half years. So that was crazy. I almost felt like I was holding it wrong

because it was heavy in my hand. And I'm just not used to that. So that was experiencing like someone trusting me with a knife and a shark knife. I mean, it's to plastic. So now... I target Devon picked out a toy for her daughter. Oh, this one's the best one I think.

Oh, this one. Oh, this one. Oh, this one. Oh, this one. Oh, this one. This one's the best one I think. Oh, this one's the best one I think. Oh, this one's the best one I think. Oh, this one's the best one I think.

Oh, this one's the best one I think. Oh, this one's the best one I think. Oh, this one's the best one I think. Oh, this one's the best one I think. Oh, this one's the best one I think. wearing on Devon. It was all so overwhelming. I hate that I have an income monitor. I just wanted you to know that. I hate it. I mean, it doesn't bother me, but it bothers me because I feel like if I bake too much of a big deal about it, people will look right at it. So I try to act like, um, okay, but I hate it. What does it make you feel like?

Like I'm still a prisoner, like I'm still an inmate. Like I'm not all the way free because, you know, people are gonna look at me and be like, what you got that? What's that for? So I'm a wanted fugitive. How about that? How about that, okay?

By this point, she just wanted to be home. You ready to like just close your eyes? Yes, like I just want to be where I'm supposed to be. I got a whole other journey on my hands. A whole another journey. They got to the Birmingham airport early. Airports are stressful in general so you can imagine how intense it must have felt for Devon to be there. She had last flown on an airplane as a teenager. Janice was there to help guide Devon through the process. They went to check in. But before Devon even got in line for security, an airline employee stopped her.

The issue was her ankle monitor. Janna is immediately stepped in, Mama Bear style, to explain Devon's situation. on the way to Baltimore where her parole officer will be her type of if we just got her proof into that. OK, so I'll have to make a real quick call to self-per-safety and security. It's highly unusual. Should not be an issue. Just hang tight with us. OK, thank you.

Devon Janice and Mora sat on a bench in the airport waiting for an update. After everything Devon had been through, it was another obstacle and a reminder that she wasn't free, that this transition out of prison wouldn't be easy. There are events. I appreciate it.

So I can see. As it turned out, the monitor was against airline policy because the device might interfere with electronics on the aircraft. At this point, I thought Devon was boarding her flight. Hi, Siri. Call Liz Hlaug. Calling Liz Hlaug, bubble.

I had no idea things were falling apart until Janice called me. They say it's interfering with their devices on the airplane. And I said, I don't believe it's turned on as she has not met yet, even with a parole officer. They say they have no way of knowing whether it's on or not. So we need to try to see if there's a way

we can have it removed and let her bring it with her to Maryland, if that's what she needs to do or definitely we should call ADOT the prison. I'll send you the number that I have for the media line or whatever. Yeah. And truthfully they should have known this. And, and, and, and, and, and, and, holding close to the dinosaur blanket she'd picked out for her daughter. After what felt like forever, Janice came bursting back into the airport. Listen to her footsteps, she was in an all-out run. I'm just taking off!

Are you serious? I'm serious as take it off. Are you serious? I'm serious, it's a heart attack. The Birmingham Police Department sent an officer over to the airport to take off the monitor. This has been such a journey. One thing after another. That's it. That's all. Thank you so much. I can go home now. That's incredible. Thank you so much. Thank you.

Devon had a long road ahead of her, adjusting to life in the outside world, living with her family she hadn't seen face to face in a decade. Devon said her goodbyes to Janice and Moira, two people who had been strangers to her until this morning, and who had now witnessed one of the most important days of her life. She got in line for security. As the hours passed, I waited to hear from Janice or Leslie that Devon had made it safely. At last, I got a voicemail from Janice.

Hey, Liz, just calling you back. I guess you've heard of the plane. The eagle has landed. She is in Baltimore, so anyway, in Kuala-Japan. Hope you're doing well. Bye-bye. After that, I got photos from Leslie of Devon's airport greeting. Her dad hugging her, Devon

holding Simone's baby, and I knew she'd see her daughter at home. It was all so surreal and beautiful and surreal. She was a very good person. Devon had so many people in her corner over the years. People who helped her get to this point of her release. Her family, friends, lawyer, kindhearted strangers, and our entire podcast team. That support looked like witness testimony, commissary money, legal help, and pressure on ADOC to name a few. Despite all of that, Devon's experience in the system was still incredibly arduous. So you can imagine how it would be for someone like Devon who didn't have that

financial, familial, and legal backing who didn't have any attention from the media. Of course, that's the reality for the majority of criminalized survivors. Their stories are unfolding every day, likely in your own state, in your own community. And Devon's story isn't over either. Next time, on a bonus episode of Blind Plei, I talked to Devon about adjusting to life in Baltimore.

I still haven't processed anything. I still haven't processed anything because I have to just get back to life in Baltimore. I still haven't processed anything. I still haven't processed anything because I have to just get back to life. There's more blind plea with Lemonada Premium. Subscribers get exclusive access to bonus content like a visit inside a safe house for domestic abuse survivors in Shelby County. Subscribe now in Apple Podcasts. Blind plea is a production of Lemonada Media. I'm your host, Liz Flock.

This episode was produced by Hannah Bumershine. Rachel Pilgrim is also our producer. Kristen Lapor is our senior producer. Tony Williams is our associate producer. Story editing by Martina Abraham's Alunga. Mixed music and sound designed by Andrea Christen Stutter with additional mixing and engineering from Ivan Kureia, field producing from Mora McNamara. Naomi Bar is our fact checker. Jala Everett is our production intern. Jackie Dancicker is our vice president of

narrative content. Executive producers are Stephanie Widdle's Wax, Jessica Cordova Kramer, evoke media, andage-Nayim, and myself Liz Flak. This series was co-created with evoke media and presented by Margaret Casey Foundation. Help others find our show by leaving us a rating and writing a review. Follow me at Liz Flak, and for more stories of women and self-defense, check out my book, The Furies, from Harper Books, available for pre-order now. Find Lemonada at Lemonada Media across all social platforms, and follow Blind Plea wherever you get your podcasts,

or listen ad-free on Amazon Music with your Prime membership. Thanks so much for listening. If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic abuse, use the Safe Computer and contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline at thehotline.org or call 1-800-799-7233. What's up everyone, I'm Delaney Fisher, comedian and serial entrepreneur, and I'm Kelsey Cook, comedian and I swear this is real, a world champion foosball player. On our podcast, Self Help List, we dig into everything from heartbreak, to career burn out, to the wild stories from our 20s, and the many anxieties we've experienced along the way.

We're often joined by guests who range from celebrities to renowned health experts. And together we'll unpack big topics like deciding whether or not we want kids, building your dream career, strengthening self trust and much much more. So join us every Monday for an unfiltered, entertaining and honest conversation with friends where you don't even have to leave your house. If you're not wearing pants, we will never know. That's right. So listen to Self Helpless wherever you get your podcasts.

This message is brought to you by Makersmark. Hey everyone, I'm Sam B. You might know me from the Daily Show, from Full Frontal with Samantha B. Or maybe from my new podcast Choice Words, which is another Lemonada media show as well. Each week on Choice Words, I interview people I admire about the biggest decisions they've made in their lives and what they've learned from those experiences. That's why I'm so excited to partner with Maker's Mark on Choice Words, because just like our show, Maker celebrates those who live life for the curious mindset.

And now, thanks to the Maker's Mark Personalized Label Program, you can create a custom label for the people in your life who you admire. And best of all, the label program is free. Go to MakeersMarkpersonalized.com to order your personalized label today. Must be 21 or older. Labels currently available for 750-milliliters bottles only. Bottle must be purchased separately. Makersmark makes their bourbon carefully, so please enjoy it that way.

Makersmark Kentucky Strait, bourbon, whiskey, 45% alcohol by volume, copyright 2023, Makersmark Distillery Incorporated, Loretto, Kentucky. Oh, and listen to Choice Words wherever you get your podcasts. Oh, and listen to Choice Words wherever you get your podcasts.