Here’s what Sandoval e-mailed us about this story: “Most young journalists believe they have to spend six months or so to publish a quality narrative piece. But that’s not always the case. While this was not a daily narrative, I also did not have the luxury of weeks to finish it.
“I found the story while scanning the agenda for the school board in Broward County, Fla. I was intrigued about a program where women behind bars were allowed to be school mothers every other Saturday. I have always been intrigued about feelings I can’t and won’t feel. I’m not a mother and I’m not behind bars (always a good thing). So, I wanted to explore the complexity of being a prisoner mom. It took me some time to get access to the prison. But once I was given the green light, I had less than two hours to get all the reporting I needed done. I absorbed as many details as I could, focusing on one particular prisoner, and got the context I needed. The story ran a few days later.”
Read “Learning Their Lessons” by Edgar Sandoval