Margie Davis,
Age 42

Born and raised in North Philadelphia, 16th and Cecil B. Moore, 26 years. It was the bomb! I had a lot of good associates. My mom really met me 100 percent of the way. So that was healthy for me. Growing up around there was good, because I had a lot of people backing me. Plus my mom had 11 children and I’m the knee baby. She raised all 11 of them by herself. My mom was married for 32 years. Then my dad passed away 5 years ago. He was the assistant pastor at Memorial Baptist Church.

I went to Gratz High School to the 11th grade. I was pregnant with my 24-year-old son. He’s not around now. I lost my son. While I was locked up, my son got killed. I got sentenced 2 days after my son got killed. He was going in a Chinese joint and somebody shot him, thought he was somebody else. It was a tough time. Still is. It was hard going through it when my son got killed.

After I had my son I went to business and technology school, and I got my diploma in nursing. As soon as I graduated, I had a job. Before I got locked up nursing was my field. I worked at Chapel Manor Nursing Home. I worked at Mercy Douglas. When I left there I got private duty. I got a line in with a friend of mine taking care of patients. I’ve been doing that ever since. I didn’t like the nursing homes, but when I got the private duty, I stuck with that. I like working with the patients. And my patients love me.

I was in for 18 months. Non-payment of welfare fraud. I’ve been trying to find out whether I still owe money, so I can pay so the case can be expunged. That’s the only thing I have over my head. That’s why Judge Manes locked me up, because I was back payment. He made me sit for a year and 6 months. It was ’83 when I got in trouble. I was in trouble just one time. But I never did time like that, the 18 months. The first time I wasn’t making my payments, because I wasn’t working. The second time, the same thing. He just wanted his money. I just couldn’t pay it. I ain’t never been locked up for nothing else. I hurt by back at Mercy Douglas, so I didn’t tell them about the checks that I got, Workmen’s Compensation.

I’ve been out a few days. It feels good to be home, hanging out with the girls. Natia, she’s 23, and Shamira, she’s 16. And my grandbaby India, she’s 4. We all live here.
They planned all this stuff for me to do. Going shopping, going to the market and stuff. We went to Chucky Cheese the other day. I took the kids, my youngest. We had a nice time. We stayed all day, me, my grandbaby, and my 6-year-old son. My boys, Isaac, he’s 3, and Isaiah, he’s 6, don’t live here with me. . He’s with my niece in North Philly. We get him every weekend. I’ve got to find me a place to stay. This is temporary, until I have a house.