This piece is being published in coordination with Sister District, an organization working to build progressive power in state legislatures. Critical and life-altering policies, including abortion access, trans rights, voting rights, fair wages, and conditions for working people and families are increasingly coming from often overlooked state legislatures rather than Washington, DC. Our “Historic Firsts” series uplifts inspiring, historic firsts among recently elected state lawmakers, with a focus on women, people of color, young folks, LGBTQIA+ folks, and folks from nontraditional backgrounds.
When Tarra Simmons was in prison, she thought about the day she would get out, and hoped she would be able to find a good enough job to provide for her children. What she couldn’t have imagined is what actually happened: that she would become a lawyer and then go on to be the first formerly incarcerated state legislator in the history of Washington State. “I didn’t even know any lawyers,” she remembers. “When someone told me I should go to law school, I laughed at them.”
Representative Simmons, who had a tumultuous upbringing, gave birth to her first child at the age of 15, and was sentenced to 30 months in prison on felony charges for possession of controlled substances and retail theft, talked to Teen Vogue about what her accomplishments mean for formerly incarcerated people and how she hopes to change the culture of her state.
Teen Vogue: What does it mean to you to be the first formerly incarcerated elected official in Washington?
Tarra Simmons: The reason why I did it was to break the concrete ceiling for other formerly incarcerated people to run. It’s been very difficult and a lot of emotional labor to educate everyone about the issues. But also I think about history and how, at one time, there were no women in elected office, there were no people of color, there were no LGBTQ folks. And so, it’s [about] making history.
What do you hope your accomplishments say to other people who have been or are incarcerated?
I hope that the work I’m doing by being a good professional legislator is changing the narrative about who we are as people and that our past doesn’t define us. I hope that it inspires people that are currently incarcerated that, when they come home, they can still do whatever it is that they have a dream to do, and they can still make a huge difference and that their situation is temporary.
What are your priorities as a lawmaker? Have they been informed by your life experiences?
My priorities are to help everyone have a first chance at life, so that way, they don’t need a second chance later on. Almost everybody that’s been incarcerated…they didn’t have a first chance. They were born into generational poverty, generational violence. And in prison is where we house our most vulnerable populations, people with extreme trauma histories. And then we traumatize them more through the conditions of prison. And then we kick them out with no job training, no education, and no resources, and expect them not to come back. While I focus a lot on fixing the criminal justice system, my priority and why I’m here…is to fiercely advocate for investment and prevention of incarceration by helping people have the resources they need up front.
What are your hopes for Washington State’s future?
I hope that we’re in the process of transforming our prison system to be more like Norway’s model, which is human-dignity-centered. They have a very low recidivism rate in Norway because they actually build connections and relationships with the incarcerated people and help them to actually find healing from the trauma that made them commit crime and brought them there.
What would you say to young people who are disheartened by the state of electoral politics?
I would say that, if you don’t have a seat at the table, you’re on the menu. So, if you want to make a difference, you have no choice but to get engaged, get to know who your elected leaders are. And if you want to see a different future, then either consider running for yourself or supporting your peers to run, because the only way we’re going to change the system is if we have more young leaders who are visionaries to step up.
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