After 16 years in prison, one mother is helping families stay connected behind bars

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (WVIR) - More than two decades ago, the Albemarle-Charlottesville Regional Jail marked the beginning of one woman’s journey through Virginia’s prison system.

Now released after serving 16 years in prison, she returned to the jail this week with a different purpose — sharing her story and continuing a mission she says began while she was incarcerated.

“This is where it all started,” Candace Williams said. “When I became a part of the justice system, I came to the jail first. This is one of the places where actually, I felt like I was seen for the first time.”

Williams was 22 years old when she was arrested. At the time, she was already a mother of two and pregnant with her third child. Months later, she gave birth while incarcerated.

“My oldest was three going on four. My middle was ten months,” Williams said. “And then I had my son, who I always share, I got to hold for like four hours.”

Williams served 16 years in prison after being convicted of second-degree murder for her part in a Charlottesville shooting death.

Now out of prison, she says she is trying to move forward while still acknowledging the damage caused by her past.

“I’m constantly trying to navigate so I’m not damaging more than what I already have,” she said.

During her incarceration, Williams says she saw how difficult it was for mothers behind bars to maintain relationships with their children. She says that experience changed the way she viewed motherhood, family connections, and the women around her.

To help address that struggle, Williams started “Mending Hearts” while incarcerated — a program focused on helping mothers maintain connections with their children during incarceration.

“We get a state number when we are issued to Virginia DOC, and it seems to wipe away that title, mother,” Williams said. “And how do we keep that title in the forefront?”

Williams says the program later expanded during her time at Fluvanna Correctional Center for Women and Goochland Correctional Center.

Now, her goal is to take “Mending Hearts” beyond prison walls by officially establishing it as a nonprofit organization focused on supporting incarcerated mothers and families during incarceration and reentry.

“It was mothers and women who saw something in me at that moment I didn’t see in myself,” Williams said.

Williams says even while incarcerated, she never stopped being a mother. Now, she hopes sharing her story and launching “Mending Hearts” helps other women and families feel less alone.

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