Camden NJ Dream Woman & Girls Freedom Project 

Koinonia Family Life, Inc.

1000 Atlantic Avenue

Suite 103

Camden, NJ 09104

Clothesline Project Principal leaders:

Reverend Keith Davis

Marsha Smith 

Jacqueline Candia

Contact Person: 

Jacqueline Candia 

Email: jacquelinecandia@yahoo.com

This time last year, I introduced the project to Reverend Keith Davis and Marsha Smith.  In 2019 our Clothes Line Project (CLP) took on a life of its own, thanks to the excitement and zeal of Marsha Smith, Director of Genesis Second Chance Treatment Program, at Camden County Correctional Facility, Camden New Jersey.  Marsha fought tooth and nail to facilitate the project at the jail, and that is where our project was birthed. Marsha received an extreme amount of support from Warden Karen Taylor, who is a huge advocate for evidenced-based mental health practices in corrections and female upward mobility.  Marsha recruited the help of Social Work  interns in the jails, whom have continued to work with Marsha as the CLP transitioned from jail into the community.  

The Clothesline Project was implemented in February 2019 at the Camden County Department of Corrections in the Second Chance Treatment Program. The project engaged both males and females in the development of their tee shirts as part of the treatment program at the facility for substance abuse.  The development of the tee shirts utilized three facilitators.  One facilitator worked with 3 females in the community in the Genesis outpatient treatment setting and the other two facilitators worked with both the male and female participants within the Second Chance Treatment Program in the Camden County Correctional Facility.

Since its new life in Camden County Correctional Facility, our CLP transitioned into the communities of Camden County with a social schedule difficult to keep up with and hard to match. There have been many displays and presentations of our CLP in Camden County including but not limited to the below: 

    •    South Jersey Young Black Democrats – May 2019 – Camden, NJ

    •    Lighthouse of Deliverance Church (2 displays) – June and July – Lindenwold, NJ

    •    (An additional display and presentation are planned for Lighthouse at their request.

    •    Genesis Counseling Centers – Camden, NJ August 2019

    •    Catholic Charities – Annual Prison Ministry – Vineland, NJ – September 2019

    •    St. John’s Baptist Church – Prison Ministry – Camden, NJ – April 2020

    •    Camden Dream Center- Camden, NJ- October 2019 

We conducted our Tea for  the female ex-offenders on October 5, 2019 the month of Awareness of Violence Against Women.  We already have half of 2020 calendar booked for displays and increased community programs.  As you can see, we have worked extremely hard this year calling attention to breaking the silence of violence. 

Jacqueline Candia, PhD