The prison classroom was where she could finally be herself. Now it’s gone

I volunteered at a Maine detention center for 10 years. Then the Trump administration cut its programs - because we made space for women like Ashley

Every Monday for over a decade, I left my home on Peaks Island, Maine, boarded a ferry to town then drove inland to the Maine correctional center to lead a creative writing class for incarcerated women.

After a 30-minute drive, I park my car, walk to the facility, leave my cellphone and keys with the front desk guard, walk through a metal detector and several sets of sliding doors until I reach the women's unit. My classroom is a tiny space, bare bones, with plastic chairs, cinderblock walls and fluorescent lights.