ML Smith is a criminal punishment system-impacted advocate, abolitionist, and activist whose carceral experience during the COVID-19 pandemic made her intimately aware of the dire reality faced by our imprisoned populations, as well as the egregious actions and apathy of institution staff and administrators. Existing in the intersection of directly-impacted, disabled, and a Black woman whose socioeconomic status was rooted in generational poverty and the chattel enslavement of her ancestors, ML's ideological framework is grounded in fighting for the liberation of Black people and other marginalized demographics. ML’s advocacy extends to all facets of mass incarceration, including wrongful convictions, higher education for system-impacted people, humane and adequate healthcare, legislative reforms, and decarceration. ML serves as the Director of the Missouri Justice Coalition and is the Co-Director of Missourians to Abolish the Death Penalty.