ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK

The Netflix show (based on the book by the same name) about a young woman’s 365-day drug-related prison sentence was the critics’ darling last year. While the show garners some laughs, it also captures the general icky-ness that is institutionalization. Neighborhood resident Holly Hunter (no relation to the actor) knows the inside of a women’s prison. She already was into drugs when she got kicked out of The Hockaday School for swearing at a staff member, she told the Advocate in 2011. At 16 she hooked up with an older boy and started selling. “I was trapped in the money game,” she says. “I could make $1,000 for 20 minutes of work.” Despite the constant rush of adrenaline, steady flow of money and feeling of power, she knew deep down that things were all wrong. “I thought I had it good, but I was living in fear. Constant fear.” Then one day she woke up feeling miserable and prayed for help. Be careful what you wish for, she warns. “Less than 72 hours later, I was sitting in jail.” She couldn’t shake the addiction, and she ultimately revisited prison multiple times. “Let’s just say — all told — about a third of my life was spent in prison.” It was during that last stint that she sobered up. She could have taken drugs while behind bars. Her cellmates regularly did, she says, but instead she asked for rehabilitation. “I began requesting substance-abuse counseling immediately when I got to prison [in the 1990s]. It took two years for me to get into classes and treatment.” After release, she embarked on an education in chemical-dependency treatment that included becoming certified as a licensed chemical-dependency counselor. Now she works with Dallas attorneys and courts and runs A Court Class, which specializes in drug counseling and education, especially for those in legal trouble because of drug abuse.

J Diane Colter, DDS

Dr. Colter specializes in comprehensive dental care for infants, children, teens and children with special needs.

“ We recognize every child is unique and we strive to make sure his or her dental visit feels like it’s tailored just for them.”

Dr. Colter and her staff want children and their parents to feel comfortable about their visit to the dentist in the warm, caring and inviting office of All About Kids Dentistry.

—Christina Hughes Babb