Tarra Simmons and other formerly incarcerated women are “pushing systemic change in elected office”

“[Tarra] Simmons [Leading with Conviction™ 2018] is among a handful of formerly incarcerated women elected to public office. All are open about their past convictions and incarceration, and have used those experiences to challenge longstanding ‘tough-on-crime’ policies as well as bolster social resources that best prevent social violence, harm, and poverty.

“In 2026, she co-sponsored a bill requiring employers to notify workers about immigration-related audits or inspections. The bill passed both houses and is now awaiting the governor’s signature or veto.

“In 2024, the Washington State Board of Nursing established a stipend program for nurses and nurse practitioners to defray costs of its approved substance use disorder program. Simmons’s 2026 bill expands the program to nursing assistants; it too has passed both houses and is on the governor’s desk.

Another thing we have to face as formerly incarcerated women who are serving [in public office] is a lot of character assassinations.

“Some of her other efforts, however, have been less successful. Drawing on her own experiences of making 42 cents an hour during her own incarceration, she attempted to raise prison wages to reflect the state’s minimum wage. The bill failed to pass. But Simmons doesn’t view it as a total loss. ‘My job is to shine a light on these injustices,’ she said. That includes ‘educating my colleagues, getting them to care.’

“In 2021, Simmons co-sponsored a bill allowing survivors of abuse and trafficking to petition for resentencing similar to New York’s 2019 Domestic Violence Survivors Justice Act. That, too, failed to pass.

“Her most controversial bills address the lack of parole in Washington, which abolished the practice in 1984. More than 30 years later, the state now has an aging prison population — in 2025, nearly 23 percent were over age 50. Nearly half of all people in state prisons are serving sentences longer than 10 years, including life with the possibility of parole.

“Those with lengthy sentences have two avenues for earlier release. They can petition the governor to commute, or reduce, their sentences. Current Gov. Bob Ferguson has not granted any commutations. …

“‘Letting prisoners out is always something that comes up in reelections,’ she points out. Prosecutors’ associations and victims’ rights advocates have opposed her bills, claiming that those who are harmed are re-victimized if resentencing is allowed.

“‘That is one narrative of victims,’ she said. ‘There’s a lot of other victims who believe in restorative justice and would actually like to hear why the person did what they did.’

“She also noted that people change, especially over decades. ‘They go through their own coming to grips with why they did what they did. Some victims would like the opportunity for closure and to hear somebody take accountability for the harm that they caused their family and know that they have addressed the root causes and are not going to commit more crime.’

“Her efforts, particularly around resentencing, have sparked backlash. In March 2025, between 20 to 25 people protested outside her home, carrying signs with her mugshot. She now faces ethics complaints about the use of surplus campaign funds and intimidating a possible election opponent.

“‘That’s another thing we have to face as formerly incarcerated women who are serving [in public office] is a lot of character assassinations,’ she said. Both the complaint and ensuing publicity, she noted, ‘talks about my criminal record. [It] talks about Assembly Member Jovan Jackson’s [whose organization she donated surplus funds to] criminal record.’

“2026 is an election year in Washington State and Simmons must contend with reelection. ‘There’s no guarantee that I’m coming back,’ she said.”

Read the full story at Truthout.org.