A Second Chance Starts With Support

Sometimes, second chances are born from the love friendship offers. Our Ambassador, Twyana Davis, met Tomika Daniel, who was featured in the documentary Apart, while the pair were incarcerated together in Ohio. Both women were separated from their families by the prison system, and Twyana and Tomika built a friendship rooted in hope, inspiration and the kind of nurturing that’s at the core of all familial relationships. While they were inside, Twyana wrote plays that starred Tomika. During practice, they’d sit with other women for hours, letting each other speak to release their burdens and heal without judgment. They shared their dreams for futures beyond the prison walls — Twyana as a playwright and Tomika opening a restaurant.But, one day Tomika was transferred out of the prison Twyana was housed in, and the pair lost touch. They thought of each other, but had no clue when or how they might get in touch again. Until a Zoom call in February brought them together again. Represent Justice hosted a screening and panel discussion of Apart for our Ambassadors, and it was the first time the two women had seen each other in years. The reunion prompted Twyana and Tomika to reflect on the valuable friendship they’d built and the support they had provided one another during one of their most challenging times. The love they offered one another helped prepare them for their lives after incarceration. So, they wrote each other letters and offered to share their words and friendship with you all. Watch Twyana and Tomika read the letters they received from each other below.