Photograph and video courtesy of West Virginia University Reed College of Media Fall 2019 and Spring 2020 Multimedia Storytelling students

Becoming an Advocate

After spending years in and out of West Virginia prisons and jails, Lisa Hartline had invaluable experience with the criminal justice system. She wasn’t able to get the resources she needed to recover from addiction while incarcerated, but she did find help through the Union Mission in Clarksburg, after she was released.

When she recovered, she wanted to help others get help and start over. Hartline went to law school and graduated with a law degree from West Virginia University in 2017.

“People need good advocates. Because of my own experiences I get really passionate when it comes to helping somebody else, especially people who are indigent,” Hartline said.