Testimonies

Evander Hargrove ~

In my time of knowing Ms. Bridge, my life has been transformed. Through her guidance, I have not only learned to better myself but also to inspire my peers to see life beyond the stigmas and stereotypes that once confined us. Justice Haven offers something rare and powerful: the freedom to step outside those boxes and to use our passions, our purpose, YOUR SUPERPOWERS, and even our pasts to help pull others out of darkness. For me, it has become more than a program — it is a family, a place of belonging, a light in an environment designed to keep us isolated. I have hope for a future where I can do something meaningful, even extraordinary. It feels like justice itself — And above all, it feels like home.

Clarence Taylor ~

“The Justice Haven didn’t just support me-its transformed me along with my walk with God
Ella’s wisdom and unconditional love changed the way I think, move, and see. She reached places in me no one else ever had. She understands real struggle—personal and collective—and she meets people with truth, not judgment. Because of her relentless obedience to God, she shows up in ways that change lives from the inside out.”
She came to Missouri, built my innocence case herself, and made more progress than any attorney ever has.
Because of her and The Haven, I’m closer to freedom—as an innocent man—than I’ve ever been.
In a place that is unsafe in every way, The Haven made me feel safe, seen, and human again.
It truly lives up to its name.

And for that, I thank you.

Joshua Williams

Mama Ella been holdin’ me for years. She never forgot me, never left me, never let the system swallow me. She even came down to Missouri to be my delegate, finally got to meet her face to face.
Family isn't just blood, sometimes it’s the one who shows up, the one who sees you when the world says you’re invisible.

She’s kindness, compassion and strength with fire.

I am thankful to stand with and to be part of the RAW Haven, part of a movement.

Howard

My name is Howard I have Been incarcerated for almost 18 years, and in that time I have dealt with multiple law firms and legal counsel. This year I had the pleasure of working with Ms Ella Bridges and her non-profit org and for the 1st time in my incarceration I feel like there are genuinely ppl in my corner who care about my freedom. She furthered my case in two months than anyone has ever done in the 18 years, including my lawyer. She's been highly professional and thorough when dealing with my case, and it's very clear that my freedom and my well Being are top priority. I'm truly grateful for all that she has done for me

Jared ~

I met Ms. Ella through a family member who said she’d stand with me and help me fight for my rights. In a place where we get treated like we don’t matter, somebody on the outside who actually cares—and proves it through action, hits different. It keeps you human.

Ella does that every time I reach out. She makes sure my people can get in to see me. She pushes me to stay on my lawyer when lagging. She helps me with certain legal matters. She listens when I'm low, reminds me I’m way more than this place, sends pictures that spark something in me again. When I’m drifting, she brings me back to myself, talking self-care, future plans, who I really am and see can become when these gates finally open.

She really cares. She even listens to my music.

Antonio Williams ~

I got Ella’s number—the Justice Haven’s number—through Joshua Williams three years back.

Since then, she’s been solid. The Haven showed up in ways my own family didn’t know how to. When I was hungry, she sent food. When I was cold, she sent beanies. When I ran out of toilet paper, she made sure I had some. They broke my tablet, she got me a new one. But it’s more than that.

It’s the way she listens. The way she reminds me I ain’t invisible. When I needed to talk, to be heard, to just feel like somebody out there gave a damn, she was there. Always.

I’ve been down 19 years. Everybody I ever knew drifted off. But she stayed. Consistent. Real. No cap.

I’m getting released next year. And when I do, I want to stand on the other side of that gate with The Haven, to give back, to build with them, to be what she’s been for me: proof that love and loyalty still exist.

Lakeshia ~

We got the Justice Haven’s name and number from another up in Potosi. Word was, they’d show us the way, how to fight for my brother, how to make the system hear us.

They told us who to call, who to write, how to write it, how many times to ring that phone before somebody picked up- and to not give up.

And it worked. My brother got help. Got his showers back, got cleaned up, medical help, got a visit for the first time in a year. That’s real. The Justice Haven shows up, they care for real.

Austin

I got introduced to the Justice Haven from my brother on the inside. They had been helping him a lot, and I needed some support from the outside because my family doesn't show up or know how to . So sometimes I need calls to get into medical for my medical issues that are always put off by staff, Ms. Bridge will make it happen. She helped me get in touch with my fiance when I had no way to, she'll just listen when she is able, she gives me stamps and helps me really just feel human again. Knowing that she's there makes me feel more hopeful. And I really appreciate what she's done for my little bro. The Justice Haven really does care.

Josh Wilson

The RAW Haven makes me feel loved, safe and worthy. Ella has become like my second mama.
I have no more family. A new family I have made.

Sister ~

I got Miss Ella’s name from someone on the inside, someone who watched my brother being broken by the system. He was left in his own feces, his own urine. No baths. No proper food. No visits. Cut off from us like he didn’t matter.

We were informed by a friend of his about what was going on and told to call Miss Ella. She’ll show you how to speak to the prison. She’ll show you how to fight. And she did.

She walked us through the steps. We pushed. We demanded better, didn't give up, and it worked. My brother got cleaned up. He started receiving real care. Dignity came back into his life. And in that fight, our bond grew stronger again.

My brother has been inside a long time. I did the best I could, but distance and pain made us lose touch for a while. I praise God, and praise God for the friend and Miss Ella, for blessing my brother, and our family.

Thank you Miss Ella for everything.

Eric ~

Miss Bridge walked into my life as my delegate, a stranger who chose to see the truth. I had already served 85% of a self-defense sentence. She didn’t know me, but she learned my case, uncovered the reality, and stood in it with me. She gathered my trauma history, my family’s voices, my community’s support, and carried my story into that room with the board. She sat beside me, steady, unshaken, giving me something I hadn’t felt in years: real hope. Her heart and follow-through, I won't forget it.
Thank you, Miss Bridge.

Ronald ~

I met Ms. Bridge in March of 2024. I came to her through the word of another, a friend, a fellow inmate, because by then I was in pain, and no one in power seemed to care. My knee had been shattered inside that facility. I was denied medical care, denied a cane, denied surgery, denied even the simple mercy of a bottom bunk. It reached a point where walking became an act of survival.
And then she stepped in.
Within days, I had a cane. I was moved closer to the cafeteria so I could eat. I was placed on a bottom bunk. I was given pain medication. Surgery was scheduled. In a place built to make you feel forgotten, she made it clear I was not.
From that day forward, Ms. Ella Bridge became an anchor. My advocate. My steady voice in a system that so often refuses to listen. She encouraged me to speak, to write, to tell the truth of my childhood, the truth of the streets, the truth of incarceration, not as confession, but as reclamation. And I wrote. I wrote two books. She introduced me to Lady C, another guiding light, another reminder that grace can appear in unexpected places. She kept my family close when I could not.
And now I stand as part of RAW Justice Haven, a voice for those inside, and for the youth who deserve another path.
Forever. WGT!
Ron.