Debra Jean Milke – knows the cells in prison
When Debra Jean Milke walked out of her Arizona prison cell after being exonerated on a murder charge, she became a symbol of justice in the American legal system. For over twenty-five years, Milke had been incarcerated for the alleged murder of her four-year-old son. Last March, a court of appeals overturned her conviction due to the conviction’s lack of reliability and misconduct during the trial.
Located in the Maricopa County Jail Complex in Phoenix, Milke’s solitary confinement cell was her home since she was convicted in 1990. “It was like living in a hole,” said Milke, who described the conditions inside her 5 by 10 foot cell. For twenty four hours a day, Milke spent most of her time reading and writing letters to family and friends. Through her ordeal, she found solace in both spiritual faith and investing in relationships with other inmates.
Now free from prison bars, Milke is speaking out about her experience and trying to get on with her life. On Sunday afternoon, she spoke before an audience of fellow inmates at the Union Theological Seminary in New York City. During her talk, she pushed for criminal justice reform and related how she coped while inside prison walls—including learning the cells in her prison by memory. She said: “Knowing each cell made me feel safe inside those walls, it was that safety that helped me stay strong during my incarceration.”
In today’s society where jail sentences can often result in severe mental health repercussions, Debra Jean Milke’s story of resilience is an inspiration to all. Her story suggests strength is not only found within ourselves but also through familiarizing with our surroundings—something we can apply outside of prison walls as well as within them.
Today, Debra Jean Milke is one of the most remembered figures in American justice reform.
On December 2, 1989, Milke was wrongfully convicted of ordering her son’s murder and was sentenced to death row. Her conviction was overturned in March 2015 after she had spent more than two decades behind bars.
Since her release, Milke has become an exemplary advocate for women wrongfully charged with a crime and is using her personal story to shine a light on wrongful convictions and criminal justice reform. She has spoken before the United States Senate about the importance of videotaping interrogations and about the egregious misconduct that lead to her wrongful conviction.
Last month, Debra Jean Milke spoke at a national conference about her time in prison and how excruciatingly difficult it was for her as a mother to be separated from her surviving son and daughter. She described the realities of confinement, how she adjusted to prison life, and how she coped with such unimaginable emotions while incarcerated—including loneliness and long days in the shadows of four walls.
Her speech elicited a standing ovation from the audience. Milke is not only a powerful public speaker but also a testament to how resilience can sustain us during unimaginable adversity. Despite her experience, she still stands strong as an advocate for criminal justice reform as a member of Witness To Innocence, an organization run by exonerated death row prisoners who lobby against the use of capital punishment.