Kristie Puckett-Williams is an American civil rights activist.[1] She is also a scholar who focuses on mass incarceration and the treatment of women.[2]

Early life and education

In her early twenties, Puckett-Williams was in an abusive relationship and addicted to cocaine.[3][2] In 2009, she was charged with cocaine trafficking; at the time, she was pregnant.[3] She was jailed for five months and was unable to pay the $167,000 bond for pretrial release.[3] In interviews, she has said she accepted a plea deal to avoid giving birth while in jail, in exchange for her agreement to participate in drug court, probation, and treatment.[3][2]

Puckett-Williams gave premature birth to her twin children, five days after she was released from jail.[3][2] The twins were in the neonatal intensive care unit for 21 days.[2] She also has another son, who was twenty years old in 2021.[2]

She participated in ten months of treatment as part of probation as well as parenting classes required by the Department of Social Services.[2] She later completed an associate's degree at Central Piedmont Community College, then attended Gardner–Webb University, earning a bachelor's degree in human services, and then earned a master's degree in addiction and recovery counseling at Liberty University.[2]

Advocacy and activism

Because of her experiences, Puckett-Williams chose to work as an advocate for incarcerated women, including as a field organizer for the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) in 2019[3] and later as the statewide Campaign for Smart Justice manager at the ACLU of North Carolina.[4][2] She also served as the chair of Women in Incarceration Workgroup for the State Reentry Council Collaborative and was on the board of Emancipate N.C.[5] By August 2022, she was the deputy director for engagement and mobilization at the ACLU of North Carolina.[6][7] As of February 2023, Puckett-Williams was no longer working at the ACLU.[8]

She is also an activist for police reform,[9] defunding police[10] and prison reform,[11][12] She also participated in George Floyd protests in Charlotte, North Carolina.[13]

Selected publications

References

  1. ↑ Lyons, Kelan (3 May 2023). "Criminal justice advocates lobby on behalf of formerly incarcerated". NC Newsline. Retrieved 22 December 2023.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Mahoney, Ashley (July 15, 2021). "Turning trauma behind bars into advocacy for formerly incarcerated". The Charlotte Post. Retrieved 22 December 2023.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Shaffer, Josh (February 21, 2019). "Without bail money, she pleaded guilty so she wouldn't give birth in jail". News & Observer. Retrieved 22 December 2023.
  4. ↑ Glenn, Gwendolyn (10 April 2020). "Activists, Advocates Protest For Mecklenburg County Inmates To Be Released Due To COVID-19". WFAE 90.7 - Charlotte's NPR News Source. Retrieved 23 December 2023.
  5. ↑ "Kristie Puckett-Williams". ACLU North Carolina. Archived from the original on November 3, 2021.
  6. ↑ Lyons, Kelan (12 August 2022). "Two men serving life sentences lobby lawmakers to expand parole eligibility". NC Newsline. Retrieved 23 December 2023.
  7. ↑ Kummerer, Samantha (19 January 2023). "An estimated 500 people have died from police use of tasers nationwide between 2010-2021". ABC11 Raleigh-Durham. Retrieved 23 December 2023.
  8. ↑ Harrison, Steve (20 February 2023). "The new North Carolina Democratic party chair: Is her record as strong as she says?". WFAE 90.7 - Charlotte's NPR News Source. Retrieved 23 December 2023.
  9. ↑ Kendall, Lewis (2 May 2021). "Andrew Brown killing: protesters say police will 'push town into riot mode'". The Guardian. Retrieved 23 December 2023.
  10. ↑ Sáenz, Hunter (2 June 2021). "Protester reflects one year after CMPD surrounded, gassed Uptown demonstrators". WCNC-TV. Retrieved 22 December 2023.
  11. ↑ Chapman, Bridget (28 October 2019). "Activist fights against keeping pregnant women in solitary confinement in NC prisons, jails". WBTV. Retrieved 22 December 2023.
  12. ↑ deBruyn, Jason (31 January 2023). "Advocates worry of looming mental health crisis inside North Carolina prisons". WHQR. Retrieved 22 December 2023.
  13. ↑ Zhou, Amanda; Thomas, Donovan; Rao, Sonia (June 3, 2020). "Who was arrested at Charlotte's George Floyd protests?". The Charlotte Observer. Retrieved 22 December 2023.
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