After losing her job, Phyllis Taylor went behind bars—and became The Prison Lady

Phyllis Taylor has spent years teaching in prisons across Southern Ontario, and recalls her stories in a new book, The Prison Lady.

Subscribe to (opens a new window)

Phyllis Taylor credits Oprah Winfrey with sending her to prison—in a manner of speaking. After 30 years working at a law firm in Toronto, Taylor, then in her early 60s, was let go. But she wasn’t ready to retire. Her friends brought her to hear Oprah speak in Toronto in 2012; the show featured six female inmates. Taylor was inspired—and she hasn’t looked back.

Since then, she’s taught life skills to hundreds of Canadian prisoners, including drug dealers, prostitutes, rapists and pedophiles. Despite the risks, Taylor discovered a way to make a difference, combining her training as a teacher and motivational speaker with her ability to shower students with kindness.

Now she’s sharing her experiences in a new book called The Prison Lady, which recounts not just her years helping inmates, but also her life’s journey: as a twice-divorced survivor of child abuse who grew up Jewish in postwar Toronto. Taylor gives a glimpse into her life and writing process on today’s show.

What we talked about:

Credits

The CJN Daily is written and hosted by Ellin Bessner (@ebessner on Twitter). Zachary Kauffman is the producer. Michael Fraiman is the executive producer. Our theme music is by Dov Beck-Levine. Our title sponsor is Metropia. We’re a member of The CJN Podcast Network. To learn how to support the show by subscribing to this podcast, please watch this video.