Education , Changes Mindsets
Freedom Forward: Women & Girls Advocacy Initiative
VUOTS is developing a women-and-girls-centered advocacy initiative that focuses on education, storytelling, and reentry-informed support. This work serves women and girls impacted by the criminal and juvenile justice systems, while also engaging schools, universities, legal professionals, and community organizations.
How this work began
VUOTS’ work in this area was deepened through access to Beyond the Razor Wire Fence, an audio and visual podcast developed through WOMEN’S WAY in collaboration with Love Now Media. Dr. Victoria Best, Founder and CEO of VUOTS, is a featured storyteller and contributor. While WOMEN’S WAY retains ownership of the broader project, VUOTS utilizes the podcast as an educational and engagement tool, recognizing it as the foundation that helped shape this advocacy work.
How VUOTS uses the podcast
VUOTS offers the podcast as a discussion-based learning and community engagement resource for universities, high schools, businesses, legal spaces, law students, and organizations working in or around the criminal & juvenile justice system. It can be used for screenings, facilitated discussions, workshops, and reflection-based programming that helps audiences better understand the lived experiences of women affected by incarceration, reentry, and structural and economic barriers.
What this work looks like now
In 2025, VUOTS hosted its first public screening event connected to Beyond the Razor Wire Fence, creating space for community dialogue and reflection. In 2026, that work continues through programming like Scars, Voices, Becoming, a Women’s History Month event centered on storytelling, honoring women, affirmation-building, and community care. Through this event, VUOTS recognizes women with certificates and monetary donations as a way of affirming their value, visibility, and impact.
Why Support VUOTS
The Scale of System Impact
The Scale of System Impact
Over 1 million women are under the supervision of the U.S. criminal justice.
Women and girls are not a small or invisible population within the justice system—this is a widespread issue that affects families, communities, and future generations.
The Cost of Incarceration
The Scale of System Impact
Most incarcerated women cannot afford bail, which often equals an entire year of their income. For many women, incarceration is driven not just by legal circumstances, but by economic barriers—highlighting the direct link between poverty and justice system involvement.
The Cycle of Reentry
The Cycle of Reentry
63% of women released from prison are rearrested within a few years.
Without access to education, resources, and support, many women are pushed back into the system—demonstrating the urgent need for reentry programs and community-based solutions.
Advocacy into Action
