MCC from the Capitol

• Prison Nursery Offers Moms Healing, Hope, and Redemption

  Missouri is now one of just 10 states in the country with a correctional nursery program.  Before the program’s launch, incarcerated mothers were typically separated from their newborns within 24 to 48 hours after delivery. Infants were usually placed with relatives or sometimes were placed into the foster care system.  This program offers a different path—one grounded in dignity, healing, and the belief in second chances. MCC talks with Kim Perkins, nursery program manager at  the Women’s Eastern Reception, Diagnostic and Correctional Center (WERDCC) in Vandalia. Kim discusses the challenges and successes of the program.

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• Catholic Mobilizing Network’s Fight against the Death Penalty

  The Missouri Catholic Conference’s Legislative Counsel, Curt Wichmer, recently met with Emmjolee Mendoza-Waters, Director of the Catholic Mobilizing Network’s (CMN) Death Penalty Abolition Program, on the MCC from the Capitol Podcast. Topics of discussion included an outline of CMN’s mission and various efforts to curb the prevalence of capital punishment in the United States, as well as how Missouri stands apart from virtually every other state in the country in its use of judicial override at death penalty sentencing trials.

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• Immigration Through a Catholic Lens

  Recently, Dr. Guillermo Villa-Trueba, Hispanic Outreach Manager at the MCC, spoke with Dr. Javier Orozco, Executive Director of Human Dignity and Intercultural Affairs for the Archdiocese of St. Louis, and Sister Tracey Horan, Associate Director of Education and Advocacy at the Kino Border Initiative, about the different ways in which Catholics can serve our immigrant brothers and sisters.They shared their experiences at the Southern Border, in pastoral ministry at the archdiocesan level, and in the political arena through lobbying, to provide a broad picture of how the Church advocates for immigrants and refugees in our country.

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• Judy Henderson, Wrongfully Convicted

  Judy Henderson is a prominent advocate for criminal justicereform and women’s rights. She was wrongfully convictedof murder in 1983 and spent over thirty years in theMissouri prison system before her release in 2017.While incarcerated, Judy became a dedicated activistand outspoken critic of abuses within the prison system.She led campaigns for legislation to recognize batteredwoman syndrome as a legal defense, and she spearheadedprograms to help mothers in prison maintain connectionswith their children. Her courageous work earned Judybroad respect among policymakers, attorneys, and fellowinmates.Since her release, Judy has continued her justice reformadvocacy beyond prison walls. She frequently speaks onpanels, gives media interviews, and meets with legislatorsto provide insights only possible from her firsthandexperience. Judy also volunteers with groups that supportformer inmates’ successful reentry to society.Her book "When the Light Finds Us: From a Life Sentence to a Life Transformed," can be purchased on Amazon, and Barnes & Noble.

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• Legislative Roundtable - End of Session 2025

  The Missouri Catholic Conference reviews the 2025 Missouri legislative session. Discussion includes the passage of HJR 73, the demise of the immigration bounty hunter bill, and the passage of safe baby boxes.

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