“I do what I do today because my life is the universal story of so many women—and my hope, survival and a happy ending can be theirs, too”

— Donna Hylton


 
Donna’s Story

From Imprisonment to Empowerment

Donna Hylton is a women's rights activist and criminal justice reform advocate. Today, Donna Hylton is a groundbreaking advocate for criminal justice reform--she was a featured speaker at the 2017 Women's March on Washington, and she works hand-in-hand with other influential voices to ensure prison safety and to end mass incarceration in the US.

Donna speaks publicly about the issues facing incarcerated women and girls and the significant impact the significant increase in the female prison population is having on families, children and our communities.  

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Advocacy

Through various social initiatives including her own organization,  A Little Piece of Light, Donna passionately advocates for women who have been victims of abuse & the criminal justice system. 

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Speaking

Since 2013, Donna has spoken to thousands across the United States regarding the end of  mass incarceration, recidivism, and prison gender inequality. She frequently speaks at colleges, conferences,  seminars, events and as subject matter expert for the media.

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Consulting

Consulting services are available in criminal justice, juvenile justice, health and social issues. Donna is committed to working with clients to improve and increase knowledge and maximize efficiency. Her goal is to help address their biggest challenges while being sensitive to the issues.

Women’s March Speech
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Women’s March Speech

“Today we marched to humanize women. Every woman and girl in our country. Let’s walk in our greatness because we are beautiful, we are amazing. We are not silent anymore.”

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YahooLife! x Activist Donna Hylton
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YahooLife! x Activist Donna Hylton

“I thought I was alone in my abuse,” says Hylton, now a 54-year-old activist, speaker and author, about the start of her long journey to freedom. “I realized as soon as I went into prison, like, oh my God, I’m not alone.”

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NBC NEWS
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NBC NEWS

The vast majority of female inmates come from “marginalized communities where the health care was subpar at best, and it’s even worse whatever their fragilities are, and you layer on mental illness and autoimmune diseases among women,” Donna Hylton, a prison reform activist and author, who served 27 years in an upstate New York prison, told NBC News.

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We The People at the Democratic Convention | | Joe Biden For President 2020
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We The People at the Democratic Convention | | Joe Biden For President 2020

We The People at the Democratic Convention | | Joe Biden For President 2020

Former Vice President Joe Biden is running for president to restore the soul of the nation. He believes it's time to remember who we are. We're Americans: tough and resilient. We choose hope over fear. Science over fiction. Truth over lies. And unity over division. We are the United States of America. And together, there is not a single thing we can't do. Join Team Joe today: http://www.joebiden.com/join

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ESSENCE Magazine: Who will be the First Woman VP?
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ESSENCE Magazine: Who will be the First Woman VP?

“A Black woman in the White House is a breakthrough that I hope to see in my lifetime. What is most important for this election is that Joe Biden and his running mate, whatever the race and gender, be committed to leading with empathy for our collective humanity and to holding the office in the interests of all citizens, including our most vulnerable.”

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HUFFPOST
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HUFFPOST

“Women are afraid that they’re going to die in prison,” said Donna Hylton, a prison reform activist who served over 20 years at Bedford Hills Correctional Facility, New York’s maximum-security prison for women. “They’re afraid like everybody else.”

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DISSENT Magazine
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DISSENT Magazine

“They’ve stopped giving the women information. They never went around and talked to them. No one treated them with any kind of humanity,” said Donna Hylton, an activist in constant contact with women inside and author of A Little Piece of Light, a memoir about her twenty-seven years in Bedford Hills

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