No More Silence

The UV4SOR No More Silence Storytelling Project

Let’s stand together and break the silence! No More Silence is a storytelling initiative to collect personal accounts from individuals and families impacted by incarceration, the registry and related laws. 

For too long, people impacted by incarceration, the public registry, and related laws ave been pushed into silence.  

The No More Silence Storytelling Project is a collective effort to reclaim our voices and our humanity.  It invites individuals and families affected by these systems to share their lived experiences – openly, honestly, and on their own terms. 

Too often, the label “sex offender” is used by the justice system, politicians, the media, and society as a blunt instrument.  It flattens complex human lives into a single, permanent identity and fuels fear, shame, isolation, and lifelong punishment – long after a sentence has been served. 

This project challenges that narrative.

Through personal stories, we affirm a deeper truth: people are more than a label.  Families are more than collateral damage.  Growth, accountability, and change are possible, and they are happening every day. 

Why Stories Matter

Stories humanize what policies and headlines erase.  By sharing these experiences, we aim to:

• Shine a light on the impact this label has on individuals, families, friendships, and futures.
• Expose the real impact of the registry and related laws on individuals, families, relationships, housing, employment, and futures.
• Challenge the myth that “time served” means justice is complete, when civil liberties, safety, and family stability remain under constant threat.
• Show the full picture – not only pain and losss, but also resilience, responsibility, accomplishments, hope, and the desire for a better life.  When people speak for themselves, stereotypes lose their power.

Our Goal

These stories are not just personal – they are tools for advocacy and reform.  Together, they create a powerful collective voice that lawmakers, journalists, educators, and community leaders cannot ignore.  Each story adds weight to the truth that current policies cause real harm without improving public safety.  There is power in numbers.  There is power in truth.  And there is power in breaking the silence – together.

How to Submit Your Story :

You may submit your story in any of the following ways:

Online

Complete the form below.  It is a good idea to write your story in a separate word processor or notepad program and then copy and paste it into the website form.  This avoids problems with internet time outs or errors.  Confidentiality note: Your full name and email address will remain confidential.  

By Mail

UV4SOR – 526 W. 14th Street, Suite 287 – Traverse City, MI  49684

By Email

Send your story to:  nomoresilence@UV4SOR.org

 TIPS FOR TELLING YOUR STORY

✍️ Tips for Telling Your Story

Sharing your story is an act of courage.  It helps others understand the real impact of our justice system and strengthens the call for change.  These tips are meant to guide you – not limit you.

1. Keep It Focused

📌 Goal: Make your message memorable.  You don’t need to share everything.  A short, clear story with a strong point often has the greatest impact.

2. Use Meaningful Details (Only What You’re Comfortable Sharing  You might talk about:
   • Incarceration or registration requirements
   • Impact on your family or children
   • Housing, employment, or community barriers
   • Lost opportunities – or hard-won progress

📌 Goal: Help the reader understand what this looks like in real life.

3. Be Honest & Human  Your emotions matter.  Anger, grief, hope, regret, determination – all are valid.

📌 Goal: Let people see the human being behind the label.

4. Know Your Core Message  Ask yourself: What do I want people to understand?  What is most important for lawmakers or the public to hear?

📌 Goal: Leave readers with one or two truths that they won’t forget.

5. Share What’s at Stake  Explain what has been lost, what is still at risk, or what change could mean for you and your family.

📌 Goal: Create urgency and show why reform matters now.

6. End with a Call to Action  Invite readers to take the next step, such as:

• Contacting their legislators
• Learning more about registry reform
• Signing up for UV4SOR updates at www.uv4sor.org
• Joining the UV4SOR Advocacy Facebook Group

📌 Goal: Turn your story into momentum for change.

 Your voice matters.  Your story matters.  And together, we are stronger.

Acknowledgment: By submitting my story, I authorize UV4SOR to use my story within the scope of advocacy, including communication, social media, and the www.uv4sor.org  website. In order to enable UV4SOR to develop their projects in any manner that they deem best, I grant UV4SOR the right to quote or paraphrase my story, and to develop, produce, advertise, and promote the information given.  I release UV4SOR from any and all claims, demands, or causes of action against them.