Phyllis Hardy

Phyllis “Grandma” Hardy was the Matriarch and Inreach/Outreach Coordinator of the National Council of Incarcerated Women and Girls, and a member of both the Rocky Mount Local Reentry Council and Decarcerate Now NC. Grandma Hardy served 23 years and 5 months in prison for drug-related offenses and devoted her life to ending the incarceration of women and girls. Since her release from prison, she has been a matriarch to the clemency and reentry movement in North Carolina and nationally.

Grandma Hardy devoted her life to advocating for better resources for reentry, planning fundraisers and employment fairs, training other advocates about the experience of women and girls while incarcerated, and more. She has advocated for changes to laws that allow primary caregivers to be housed in institutions near their families, fought for better resources for returning residents, and taught workshops on the unique experiences of women in prison. All of these will have lasting impact. We mourn the loss of Grandma Hardy, and are grateful for the opportunity to recognize her many accomplishments. Her legacy of service and leadership was an inspiration to all who worked with her.