Uninhibited Podcast Shownotes

Episode 7: Incarceration with Keevy  

Welcome to Uninhibited, a podcast with the mission to discuss taboo, multicultural, multi-generational, and multi-layered topics that matter to women. 

Our host, Dr. Makunda Abdul Mbacke, is an Ivy-League trained OBGYN, practicing medicine in rural America. She is a mother, career professional, part of Generation X, and so much more.

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0:57 - Today, Dr. Makunda is joined by Keevy Hairston, who is here to share her story about loving someone who is incarcerated, and the process of welcoming that person back into home life and regular society after release. 

2:17 - Keevy tells us about the beginning of her relationship with her husband, Marcus, how they met in 2001 and fell in love soon after. They welcomed a son in 2003 and got married in 2005. She also shares about Marcus’ background and when he first was arrested in 2008 for possession of marijuana and possession of a firearm. 

6:50 - Keevy explains what happened after Marcus was first arrested and moving through the legal process, which all occurred within 2008. He served 3 years in a facility that was 2 hours away from his family.

9:20 - At the time of Marcus’ arrest, their son was only 5 years old, but knew that his daddy was in jail for a while. Keevy explains that her son struggled with behavioral problems as he started kindergarten while also dealing with the absence of his father. She found so much help and comfort in his teachers during that time. 

14:23 - Keevy’s daughter was 13 at the time so she understood more of the situation, and had more distractions with her friends and activities in middle school, so was able to cope better. She expressed sadness over Marcus’ arrest, but also provided comfort to her mother and brother so they could navigate the situation together. 

15:33 - As for Keevy, she felt the impact of losing Marcus as a partner and as her children’s father. Keevy was also dealing with the fact that both of her parents were also incarcerated at the same time that Marcus was. She found stability and comfort through her faith and the church, which helped her regain peace in her life.

17:37 - Keevy talks about the difficult logistics and cost of visiting Marcus while he was incarcerated. Visiting him was great for the family, as they would be able to get a whole day with him, get to hug him, and play games together, but it was always heartbreaking to leave him.

20:20 - Keevy discusses her decision to stay with Marcus while he was incarcerated. Just because he was arrested, didn’t mean that she stopped loving him. She also felt strongly that her children needed the bond with their father. 

21:38 - When Marcus was released, he first went to a halfway house for a few months, with visitation home on the weekends. At this time, their son was 8 and their daughter was 16 years old. Marcus’ full homecoming was a very exciting and happy occasion, although everyone did have a readjustment period to learn how to live together again. 

25:50 - Keevy explains some of the difficulties of coming back together as a family, mainly that Marcus had to readjust again to fit how the family worked. He invested one-on-one time with the kids to learn who they were and how they had changed while he was gone.

27:07 - Thankfully, Keevy and Marcus remained a strong couple, communicating as often as they could. She found more of her independence while Marcus was away, so they had to re-learn how to live together once he came home.

28:35 - Dr. Makunda and Keevy discuss the complications of Marcus being arrested for marijuana possession, when now it has started to be legalized in many states. Keevy notes that she has a cousin who was given a 55 year sentence for possession and intent to sell a relatively small amount of drugs, which is a longer sentence than most murder cases are handed. The argument isn’t for the legalization of all drugs, but for smarter and more equitable sentencing methods.

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