The Columbus nonprofit We Amplify Voices debuted a song Friday co-written by inmates in an addiction recovery program at the Ohio Reformatory for Women.

鈥淚鈥檓 letting go of everything that could control me, of everyone who couldn鈥檛 show me myself," sings Amber Nicole, lead singer of the Columbus band Mojoflo." You can have it if you want it, phoenix rising from the ashes. I鈥檓 living proof."

The song, titled,  was developed through weeks of sessions with women in the prison's  program.

鈥淭he theme was resiliency and overcoming, which is something they鈥檝e all had to do in their lives,鈥� says Nick D'Andrea of We Amplify Voices. 鈥淎nd we condensed everything that had been said and what the women had wanted to express, which is they are living proof that you can overcome the odds.鈥�

He says the universality of music helps bridge the experiences of the inmates.

鈥淲hen the women had this opportunity to put down their experiences into a song, they leapt at it, they took it so seriously,鈥� D'Andrea says. 鈥淲e debated every single line of this song for hours. It was very intensive.鈥�

The original plan had been to make an entire album, but the pandemic threw a wrench into those plans. First, prisons halted visitation. Then, D鈥橝ndrea says they were told the Tapestry program had been put on hold.

We Amplify Voices hopes to work with the general population at the prison once visitation restrictions are lifted. Until then, 鈥淟iving Proof鈥� stands as a testimony to their experiences.