…the same people, which I think is very important when it comes to growing from your mistakes. You have to make different decisions. You can’t just put yourself back in the same situations. I would never even associate with men like the ones I used to associate with. It’s just—it’s stupid. It would actually meet the definition of insanity.”
Instead of falling back in with her old crowd, Brown wants to use her newfound freedom for good. She’s currently forming a nonprofit organization, the Foundation for Justice, Freedom and Mercy, which will aim to shed light on the workings of the criminal justice system as she puts the college education she pursued while in prison to use. She’s even considering law school as an option. “I’m committed to the same fight that got me free,” she says. “I definitely think that there’s a need for reform, not just in prison but in sentencing and the way justice is [handed] out in our country. I’m committed to [fighting] for all the other people who are just like me.”
Her book, “Free Cyntoia: My Search for Redemption in the American Prison System” was released on October 15.
Brown-Long will be on parole until 2029.