This oral history interview was conducted with Tanisha Murden by Kristin Adair in Washington, D.C. Tanisha Murden was born in 1989 in Washington, D.C. She talks about being raised in an unstable household in Southeast D.C. Her relationships strained with both of her parents, she ran away, got involved in the streets, and was in and out of group homes, juvenile facilities, psychiatric institutions, and foster care for much of her childhood. She describes at the age of 18, getting arrested for a drug crime in conjunction with an abusive boyfriend. She served two and a half years in prison as an adult, and was released in 2011. While incarcerated, she got involved with programs and also began writing about her experience. Since her release, she has obtained her high school diploma, attended college, working in the D.C. government, and published her first book. She is a founding member of the non-profit organization the WIRE (Women Involved in Reentry Efforts).