Two years ago, I was contacted by a morning news station in the UK who wanted to fly me to London and appear live on their morning show. What an opportunity! I’ve never been to London and I was excited to be invited.
But I can’t go to London.
Currently, I am working with a production studio based in Toronto, Canada to produce a feature film about the prison escape. I am really excited about this opportunity because the world thinks they know my story, but they don’t.
They only know the sensational story the media created. That was made even worse when Lifetime released a movie in July of 2022 called Jail Break Lovers. Even the title was cheap!
Can you imagine sitting in front of the television with your family watching your own life play out on the screen without ever being consulted about what would be presented to the world?
The movie had most of the facts but none of the story. It was almost as cheesy and cheap as its title.
So my excitement about this true movie project where I am involved with every piece of the script and the storyline, can’t be measured. I trust the producers and the writers. They’ve taken years to know me and learn the real story of this event. They are approaching this project with grace and purpose. They even have an awesome actress lined up to play me. I can’t share her name until the contracts are signed, but I’m excited to know I will spend time with her as she gets to know me and becomes me. You’ll know her name though when I’m able to share it!
Because of the writer’s strike, my project was put on hold for more than a year. In order to make use of that time, my producers decided to start a second project which will be turned into a six-episode docu-series about how I rebuilt my life and the things I’m doing today.
This project makes me heart sing! The real story, for me, has always been what came after. Sharing that with the world will help me achieve my purpose which is to reach as many women as I can and inspire them to know that they can also turn something terrible in their life into something purposeful and good. Redemption is always, always, always possible no matter how terrible the act.
My feature film, tentatively titled Unleashed, will be filmed in Canada. They have a real prison lined up to shoot all the prison scenes in. I’m looking forward to being on location and watching the filming live! I’ll even get a bit part somewhere in the filming.
Except, I can’t go to Canada.
I could go to Estonia. Or Latvia. Malta or Slovenia.
Sixteen countries deny admission to any felons. Twenty-two countries deny felons if they’re discovered to be felons. I’m not quite sure why this distinction – it seems like a denial to me either way. In May of 2025, a new protocol called ETIAS will be implemented for the European Union making all countries there closed to felons.
Canada does have an exception though, they’ll let me come if I pay them $3,500. The only way that will happen if I do a crowdfunding campaign.
This restriction emphasizes what we call ‘the Second Sentence’. Our debts are NEVER paid to society even though they lied to us and gave us a prison sentence to satisfy that debt.
Felons are never free. No matter what they do with their lives after prison. Character and works are never taken into account. Our debt is never paid.
By the way, as a felon Donald Trump is no longer allowed access to 38 countries either.
Wonder how that will play out in real life…