Conspiracy Charges Are Putting Women Away for 10 Years (Andrea James)

Andrea James, Founder & Executive Director of The National Council for Incarcerated and Formerly Incarcerated Women and Girls and host of the FreeHer Podcast, breaks down how conspiracy charges, mandatory minimums, and the drug war have devastated women, families, and entire communities. This conversation connects lived experience to policy: why prisons dehumanize, what abolition actually means, and what “accountability without cages” can look like.Links mentioned/referenced in the episode:The National Council for Incarcerated and Formerly Incarcerated Women and GirlsFreeHer Campaign (National Council)The New Jim Crow (Michelle Alexander) (book referenced in discussion)FCI Dublin closure context (referred to in episode) ⏰ Timestamps:00:00 Intro01:56 Who Andrea James is 06:57 “Upper bunkie” + what prison looked like11:04 Sentenced while breastfeeding + the court’s callousness14:20 Conspiracy charges + mandatory minimums (why women get 10 years)18:52 “Fight for dignity” inside women’s prisons22:10 The New Jim Crow + the roots of mass incarceration25:24 Abolition ≠ no accountability27:32 Decriminalizing drugs as public health29:22 “Closest to the problem, closest to the solutions.”32:42 Language shift: “incarcerated mother” vs “inmate.”36:14 Where “FreeHer” came from + movement originFollow the FreeHer Movement on InstagramLearn more about the movement 🔗 Learn more