Dear Allies and Friends:

Good morning. We wanted to share with you that we are still waiting on the court transcripts for Tiffany's January 4th hearing. Tiffany says she is using this time that feels like limbo to work on her education and read LOTS of books (like See No Stranger by Valerie Kaur).

We are reaching out to you today to ask for your support in signing and sharing our new petition to help free Lejla Ferizovic, a 22 year old young sex trafficking survivor who has been incarcerated in South Fulton Prison for 2 1/2 years while waiting for her trial.  

Lejla is currently in crisis facing a 70 day lockdown after another inmate assaulted her.  She is only fed once a day and left in her cell 23 hours a day. She rarely goes outside and lives in fear of retaliation of her trafficker's family.  Lejla has been admitted into a women's treatment program where she could receive help for her trauma and abuse while we work with her attorney to prepare the best defense possible. We are currently awaiting a hearing that would allow her to do this. No victim of sex trafficking should be incarcerated for crimes that are a direct result of their own trafficking.

Lejla is a poet, so we'll leave you with one of her poems and we hope that you'll sign and share Lejla's petition today. Let's show Lejla we believe in her!

Below is Lejla's poem. Her words say it all:

I AM INCARCERATED
I AM LOCKED BEHIND STEEL DOORS
23 HOURS A DAY
I AM CONSIDERED A MENACE TO SOCIETY BECAUSE OF MY CHARGE
I AM CONSIDERED
A THREAT AND A NUISANCE TO THE PUBLIC EYE
I GET SHOOK DOWN AND THROWN AROUND IN HERE LIKE I'M A USELESS TOY
I GET SHACKLED EVERY TIME I LEAVE MY DORM
THEY MAKE MY HANDCUFFS TO TIGHT
THEY DOUBLE LOCK THEM
BECAUSE THEY THINK I MIGHT A RUN FOR IT
WHERE WOULD I GO?
I CAN FEEL THE SHACKLES
ON MY WRIST WHEN I SLEEP
I AM FEED ONCE A DAY AT 3 AM
JUST BECAUSE MY BODY IS INCARCERATED,
DOESN'T MEAN MY MIND HAS TO BE
I AM JUST A GIRL
TRYING TO FIND SOME PEACE
IN THIS SEA OF CHAOS AND DESTRUCTION

In gratitude,

The Karana Rising team