SALISBURY, Md. — “As a mother, I was shattered. Not just because he was incarcerated, but because of the length of the sentence,” said Jamesina Greene, founder of A Mother’s Cry.
Greene started the nonprofit after her oldest son was convicted of assault with a deadly weapon in 2006.
“I was even asked when my son was incarcerated, did I not feel like a failure as a mother?” Greene recalls.
Her son, Byron Greene, was sentenced to 50 years in prison. He was 25 years old at the time.
"A Mother's cry is not just about our tears, but it is about our voice,” said Greene.
What began as a support group for other parents, has grown to mental health workshops, financial support for families, and advocacy work in the community.
“We want the system to see our sons and daughters as promises and not threats. We want them to stop automatically assuming the worst about every Black and brown male they see,” said Greene.
Her work includes ongoing conversations with the Department of Corrections, where she shares the concerns and stories of other mothers.
“I began to share these stories and I started crying,” she said. “One of the staff members at the DOC told me, ‘Don’t ever apologize for your feelings. We’re so used to seeing these individuals as numbers, we see them as cases, but we stopped seeing them as human beings. Every now and then we need to be reminded of that.’”
Greene also collaborates with other advocacy organizations, including Project Redemption, founded by Aleah Williamson.
"It's just giving people a full understanding of the human factor involved in it. It's not just about just drafting policy there are real people behind this,” said Williamson.
Williamson focuses on the human impact of incarceration and advocates for parole reform and stronger reentry programs.
“Reentry needs to start at the moment that they’re incarcerated,” said Williamson. “That means education, trade, what are they actually learning besides violence? Because when they are released they need to be able to add value back into the community,” said Williamson.
She emphasizes that the ripple effects of incarceration reach far beyond the prison walls.
“If you don’t have anyone close to you in prison, you may not understand. But when a father is removed from a two-income household, it creates a huge burden on the mother raising children without resources. That pain and trauma — it resonates more with families than lawmakers,” said Williamson.
This year, Maryland lawmakers passed the Second Look Act, allowing individuals convicted of certain crimes between the ages of 18 and 25 to apply for a sentence reduction after serving 20 years. Greene’s son has served 19.
“There’s a lot of stigma that goes along with mothers raising sons, but we know that we can do it. I’m not going to be here forever. None of us are. But long after I’m gone, A Mother’s Cry is still going to be alive. It’s still going to be working, serving, and helping families,” said Greene.
