Living in an abusive household as a child, Elster said she was singled-out by both of her parents because her father didn’t believe she was his biological daughter. “It’s absolutely important to inspire others to do the same.” ‘Ill-gotten gains’ “Despite all of the challenges I’ve been through, I know how important it is to push forward,” said Elster. My goal is to incentivize greater participation in reform strategies while creating leaders of the future.”Īs a child and young adult, Elster said she “suffered in silence.” But as both a prisoner and a Berkeley student, she said she has learned to “speak her truth” and has helped other students express themselves in inclusive spaces like workshops and conferences. “I’m now able to invest in those people who are currently incarcerated and interested in doing research to impact criminal justice policy reform. “Berkeley has equipped me with the educational capital I needed,” said Elster. In addition to earning her degree, Elster has become a well-known activist who collaborates with state legislators on policy reform for former and currently incarcerated people.īerkeley, she said, not only gave her an education and a community of formerly incarcerated students, but also prepared her for a lifetime of advocacy and public service. Supported by California legislators, Aminah Elster spoke at the state capitol on August 14, 2019, in favor of ACA 6, a constitutional amendment which will restore the right to vote for Californians on parole. Now, three years after being paroled, Elster, 42, will graduate from UC Berkeley with a B.A. “I was learning new things, and remembering that there was more to the world than those prison walls and the neighborhood that I had been confined to for so long: It was liberating.”Įlster, at the time, was serving 15 years to life as an accessory to murder after an abusive ex-husband forced her to tell the location of her new lover, who was later killed. “School was an escape for me,” said Elster. Her fellow prisoners circled around the nearby running track, but she took refuge in her own little study nook, away from the negativity and chaos of prison life. Sitting on a tarp laid in the middle of a Chowchilla prison yard, she completed assignments, studied French and read about the lives of historical figures, like Malcolm X and Frida Kahlo. (UC Berkeley photo by Irene Yi)Īminah Elster’s college career began within the walls of a California state prison.

Aminah Elster’s journey as a formerly incarcerated student has brought her from Valley State Prison for Women to California’s senate floor advocating for incarcerated people.

Elster online.