The last general body meeting of the semester for OUWHA on December 8. The group discusses reproductive health in their college years. Photo by Amy Acevedo.

Just in time for the holiday season, OU Women’s Health Advocacy has some good news to share. Through bouts of uncertainty, the student-run organization can announce continued success regarding its “Pads for Prisons” program, which had its inaugural run last year. 

            Upon speaking with Kylie Hutchinson in November, the President of OUWHA said she was unsure if the Christmas baskets would be approved to be delivered directly to inmates. Recent communication with both Dr. Eddie Warrior and Mabel Bassett Correctional Centers has given OUWHA the green light to fundraise and begin ordering products.

            Hutchinson said that pushback from the facilities did not cause the delay, but rather a lack of communication. The group’s contacts at the prison were unresponsive at first and only gave OUWHA a few days’ notice to promote the fundraiser. Mabel Bassett even rejected the aid at first, claiming they did not need any donations.

            The fundraiser was completely online and occurred on and around OU’s Thanksgiving break. From Nov. 15 to 30, the group raised $1,104, which was then doubled by a donor who matched the grand total. Between both facilities, OUWHA was able to purchase panty liners, shampoo, toothpaste, and other basic sanitary items at the request of the prisoners.

            Aarya Ghonasgi, senior and OUWHA’s Vice President of Advocacy, is happy to help the incarcerated menstruators but feels saddened by their treatment.

            “I honestly wish that we didn’t have to provide hygiene products as Christmas presents,” said Ghonasgi. “The fact that things like toilet paper, pads, toothpaste is a gift is really upsetting, and it kind of shows how dehumanizing prisons can be at times.”

An infographic explaining period poverty in Oklahoma and the United States, as well as period poverty amongst incarcerated menstruators. Infographic created by Amy Acevedo.

            Despite these feelings, OUWHA and their main contact at Poetic Justice in Oklahoma, Ellen Stackable, are determined to make a change throughout the sooner state.

            Assembling these baskets and getting them to prisoners is no easy feat. For Eddie Warrior, Ghonasgi had shipped the ordered products directly to Stackable, who then took them to the facility. Ghonasgi and Stackable had to ensure the products contained no alcohol so they could be brought into the prisons.

            These baskets are then put together in the facilities by chapel workers, who are incarcerated themselves. All prisoners receive baskets and resources are divided up equally, so they all receive the same number of products.

            At the time of these interviews, the number of products needed and the basket transportation process for Mabel Bassett Correctional Center were unknown. Stackable said she needed to have continual conversations with her contacts at Mabel Bassett to get information. After last year’s fundraiser, the prisoners didn’t receive their baskets until May 2022.

            Stackable’s main contacts at both prisons are the chaplains. They provide her with a list of products requested by the inmates, which she then relays back to OUWHA when it comes time to order. This year Stackable needed to get special permission to include panty liners in their baskets.

            Stackable, a founder and Executive Director at Poetic Justice, has greatly enjoyed her time working with OUWHA.

            “They have been amazing. They are persistent and they don’t give up,” said Stackable. “They have been so persistent and so wonderful, which is what it takes to get something done in a system that is so broken.”

            Both Hutchinson and Ghonasgi have been reciprocal in their praise of Stackable and the Poetic Justice organization. Ghonasgi and Stackable have discussed the experiences of those who are imprisoned and the cycles of abuse that perpetuate imprisonment. She also believes that Poetic Justice is doing great work in providing an artistic outlet for inmates.

Interviews with Aarya Ghonasgi and Kylie Hutchinson from OUWHA. Video edited by Amy Acevedo.

            Hutchinson is also excited to see the support their organization and the issues they speak on have gained outside of the OU community.

            “It’s fundraisers in times like these that really give me hope for the state of Oklahoma because we have strangers donating to us, matching us,” said Hutchinson. “There’s a lot more supporters in this state than I think I realized because the loudest people are often the most negative.”