Tarra Simmons
Washington State
Bremerton, WA USA
"If someone has to go first to normalize [being a formerly incarcerated legislator] and break open that pathway for others, there’s nobody that would be better positioned to do it than me."
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Tarra's work combines: Government, Law, and Helping People
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Day In The Life
Skills &
Education
Here's the path I took:
GED
Bachelor's Degree
Registered Nurse
Pacific Lutheran University
Doctorate
Law
Seattle University School of Law
Life & Career Milestones
My path in life took a while to figure out
1.
I was a teen mom at 14, living on the streets and escaping violence—I found safety for the first time in a tiny, cockroach-infested apartment.
2.
I earned my nursing degree and built a life, but unresolved trauma pulled me into addiction and in 2011, I went to prison.
3.
In prison, I found recovery through Narcotics Anonymous and began to believe that maybe I wasn’t broken, just unhealed.
4.
Inspired by volunteers and a law student who helped with my divorce, I made the decision to go to law school.
5.
I graduated magna cum laude, co-founded a nonprofit, and started helping others clear their records—but the bar still said I wasn’t fit to be a lawyer.
6.
I fought that decision all the way to the Washington Supreme Court and won, becoming the first formerly incarcerated person elected to the state legislature.
7.
As a lawmaker, I’ve helped fund college-in-prison programs and changed laws so others can access education, vacate records, and rebuild their lives.
Defining Moments
How I responded to discouragement
THE NOISE
Messages from Peers:
You can't become a lawyer because of your past.
How I responded:
I had graduated law school magna cum laude and had a ton of support from great lawyers, judges, and recovery professionals, but the bar still said I wasn't fit to be a lawyer because of my criminal past. I had worked so hard and it felt like my spirit was killed. My network came together and decided to appeal to the Supreme Court. It was a long, hard process but I eventually won my case!
Experiences and challenges that shaped me
had my first child when I was 15 years old. CPS told me they'd take my child away if I didn't complete school, so I worked hard, got my GED at 16, and started going to community college so that I could build a life for us.
My childhood trauma manifested in bad decisions with relationships and substances. I ended up getting clean through Narcotics Anonymous while in prison.
I had a few run-ins with the legal system and the stigma of a criminal record really affected my employment opportunities. I gave up on life and gave into my addiction, and ended up in prison. There I was exposed to recovery and a path forward.