My childhood was a blur of drug‑addicted parents, domestic‑violence cases, and countless prison and jail visits. My parents believed in God, yet shame kept them from church, so while I believed, I had no real relationship with Him. At 16 I became pregnant; at 17 I married. Less than a year later I was divorced and already caught in another toxic relationship. Over the next 10 years I had
three more children, and their lives began to mirror my own: a father addicted to drugs, relentless fighting, and far too many jail visits.
Jamie and her children
In 2018 their dad left, and I gave up on everything. I started using drugs, lost my home, and my children moved in with their grandma. Eventually I was arrested for meth possession and sent to jail, and that is where my relationship with God truly began. Alone in my cell, I opened a Bible and replayed every moment I had thought life was unbearable, realizing God had never let go of my hand—even when I pushed Him away. After 35 days I was released, but I slipped back into drug use and soon found myself behind bars again—this time with a nine‑month sentence.
I knew I had to change. Instead of wasting time in my cell, I enrolled in every program the jail offered. There I met Miss Patricia, Miss Sally, Pastor Sarah, Deputy Carlson, and Lieutenant Cummins—five women who transformed my life. Through their classes I discovered healthy ways to cope, uncovered parts of myself I’d never understood, and finally learned how to confront and heal my trauma. They treated every inmate as a human being, not a statistic, and genuinely cared about our futures. For the first time, I believed a “normal” life was possible. They showed me I
can have everything I want—and more.
Shortly after my release, I found my own place and began attending Rectify Church regularly—now a full year. Everything I once believed impossible is now reality. I’m working full‑time as an assistant manager in a job I love, and I’ve welcomed another child while remaining fully involved in all my children’s lives. I earned my driving permit and am on track for my license, and for the first time in a decade, I own a reliable car. Above all, my relationship with God is deeper than I ever imagined. I’ve changed, too: calmer, wiser, kinder, and more understanding. I’ve grown as
a woman, mother, and friend.
I’m still sober. I know none of this would have been possible had I not had the opportunities presented to me while I was in jail. If these women had not cared about me, I would not have had the motivation to care about myself.
Chaplain Sarah Montgomery was able to baptize Jamie and three of her sons on August 11th, 2024. That day was a powerful testament to Jamie’s commitment to her faith and the new life she has embraced. It was a moment of profound grace, marking a beautiful new beginning for her and her family.