Empowering Through Education for Justice-Impacted Women

How The Thurman Perry Foundation and The Last Mile are teaming up to empower justice-impacted women with scholarships, resources, and community support.

Gabrielle Perry’s Journey: From Incarceration to Advocacy

Gabrielle Perry’s life is a powerful story of transformation, resilience, and advocacy. Raised in Louisiana, Gabrielle’s early years were shaped by a system that seemed stacked against her. Separated from her biological mother at birth, Gabrielle didn’t meet her until she was 16, for her mother had been released from prison due to neglected health concerns. As she described in her episode on The Last Mile Radio, Gabrielle recalled the poignant experience: “I was 16 years old. I remember the car ride to the hospital, and then a bunch of people in a room parting like the Red Sea for me, to then look at someone who had the same face as me” — Gabrielle had found her mother, whom she would lose just one month later due to lack of health care that she received in prison.

Her journey into advocacy began after she herself was incarcerated while attending Louisiana State University. The financial pressures of being a primary caregiver while trying to succeed in school led her to forge timecards in order to maintain her work-study job. “It was like a pressure cooker.” she explained on The Last Mile Radio. Her arrest was a turning point, but even in that difficult moment, Gabrielle found unexpected kindness from her fellow incarcerated women, an experience that shaped her future mission.

Gabrielle’s journey through incarceration and the struggles that followed on her release—trying to rebuild her life, deal with the stigma, and finish her education—led her to found The Thurman Perry Foundation, named after her adoptive father. The Foundation’s mission is rooted in providing second chances to justice impacted women, most notably through educational scholarships. “My education saved my life,” Gabrielle told us while explaining this service of her organization. She graduated with three degrees by the age of 26, including a Master’s in Public Health, and became an epidemiologist. As a justice-impacted woman, Gabrielle knew her story was an anomaly, and she wanted to help other women have access to similar opportunities.

The Thurman Perry Foundation: Empowering Women and Building a Legacy

The Thurman Perry Foundation is dedicated to addressing the unique challenges faced by justice-impacted women. From scholarships for formerly incarcerated women and the daughters of incarcerated individuals to providing menstrual products for women in prison, the foundation is committed to removing barriers that make reentry difficult. Gabrielle shared on The Last Mile Radio, “We have donated 283,305 organic menstrual products to correctional facilities and transitional housing facilities in Louisiana, Texas, and now New York State.” This initiative, known as the Girl Code Program, is just one example of the Foundation’s dedication to serving women.

The Foundation also offers the Perry Second Chance Scholarship, which has provided $100,000 in scholarships to justice-impacted women and their daughters. As Gabrielle explained, “I started giving money out of my own savings account to random women on Twitter…that grew into something bigger than I ever imagined.” The scholarship allows these women to pursue higher education, breaking the cycle of poverty and systemic barriers that have often trapped generations of women.

Partnering with The Last Mile: Creating Opportunities for Justice-Impacted Women

The partnership between The Thurman Perry Foundation and The Last Mile (TLM) represents a powerful collaboration aimed at expanding support for justice-impacted women. “We are working together to award four additional scholarships to formerly incarcerated women,” Gabrielle explained in a recent interview, “These scholarships offer life-changing opportunities to women who are often overlooked by the criminal justice reform movement.”

TLM, with its mission to provide technology-based job training to incarcerated individuals, aligns perfectly with The Thurman Perry Foundation’s goal of empowering women through education and resources. Gabrielle praised TLM for fostering a strong sense of community among its program participants. “The Last Mile has built an infrastructure that allows their Alumni to thrive as a community out in the world,” Gabrielle said. “It’s something I envy because that fellowship ensures they have what I never got—someone looking out for them. We have a lot to learn from each other.”

This collaboration transcends providing financial support, as it will focus on providing scholarships to justice impacted women to complete their education while providing them with the skills and support systems they need to succeed upon release. As Gabrielle noted, “Nobody is an island…the potential collaboration could help foster that sense of community, especially for the women.”

Why This Work Matters: Supporting Justice-Impacted Women

Women are the fastest-growing population in prisons, and the resources available to them upon release are often inadequate. As Gabrielle pointed out, “Women are two times as likely as formerly incarcerated men to be homeless once they return to society.” By providing scholarships and other forms of support, the partnership between these two organizations is helping to break the cycle of incarceration and poverty that disproportionately affects women. “I wanted these women to have what I had—the chance to be something more,” Gabrielle said.

Support The Thurman Perry Foundation

The impact of Gabrielle Perry’s work is undeniable, but there is always more to be done. You can support the mission of The Thurman Perry Foundation by visiting their website and following them on social media. Every donation helps provide justice-impacted women with the resources they need to rebuild their lives. 

Together, The Thurman Perry Foundation and The Last Mile are creating a brighter future for women who have been impacted by incarceration. This partnership is a testament to the power of collaboration, community, and compassion. As Gabrielle said, “People want to help address a problem. They just need to know what it is.” 

Now that you know, you can be part of the solution.