Episode 8: From the Playground to the Prison Yard

In episode eight of the Unvarnished Edit, Angie and Jaelene discuss Jaelene’s experience with the criminal justice system and how it changed her, with content warnings for substance abuse and maternal trauma. Jaelene describes how a traumatic maternal trauma contributed to her turning to Xanax, Ambien, and Percocet, escalating into a hidden, high-functioning prescription drug addiction. She explains how this escalated to criminal charges and eventually took a plea for 2.5 years, serving 22 months in prison during COVID with no in-person visits. She reflects on anxiety, survival, personal growth, and the ongoing stigma as a felon.   00:00 Episode 8 - From the Playground to the Prison Yard 00:21 Introduction 04:26 Why this story is important to tell 07:13 Maternal Trauma and the Start of Substance Abuse 16:37 Getting Clean and Coming Clean 23:26 The Police, The Plea and Prison 33:27 Prison Lockdown and COVID Lockdown 39:32 Friendship Through This Process 45:05 Privilege and Criminal Justice 51:06 Post Prison and The Stigma