KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Some memories of Christina Duncan's past come alive in photographs stored in her Knoxville home garage—but not all. Some memories of her former life were too painful to hold onto.
"When I saw myself in some of those pictures, I threw them all away," she said.
Over a decade ago, Duncan was in an abusive relationship and addicted to drugs. "The relationship that led me to prison was methamphetamine," she explained. "I just didn't think that life could be any different. I didn't have any hope. I hoped that I would just die because I hated life."
Arrested at the age of 25, Duncan spent over three years in a West Virginia prison on federal drug conspiracy charges.
She said finding her faith behind bars saved her life. "I gave my life to the Lord and it was like, three years in prison of just getting to know Him, how to live in Christ, Him showing me that life could be different."
Duncan completed residential drug and alcohol programs in prison. After getting released, she moved to Knoxville where she joined Hand Up For Women, a local nonprofit that helps people who've struggled with addiction and abuse. "Essentially, it is a lifelong community of women," Duncan explained.
That lifelong community has helped her make life-changing progress. With a felony on her record, Duncan lost many of her rights, including the right to vote. After a lengthy application process, she earned back her voting rights and cast a ballot for the first time in 2020.
"I just feel like it's a duty," Duncan said. "I think it's easy to think, 'What is my one vote mean?' But I think ultimately at the end of the day, the Lord uses all the things—one vote, millions of votes, whatever it is. I think it's not even the fact of the vote, it's just the faith behind what you're doing."
As Duncan makes peace with her past, she hopes others will embrace what some may take for granted. "I just want to live in community with my family, our church and our friends. I love being a part of Hand Up For Women and other peoples' stories. That's the good life for me."
Today, Duncan continues fighting to get all of her rights restored. Four years ago, she applied for a presidential pardon. Although she's unsure if it will be granted, she remains hopeful.