In February 2016, the Real Women Real Voices symposium highlighted the issues and concerns that impact incarcerated women. The three-part event featured a video simulcast of currently incarcerated women, joined by formerly incarcerated women and children of incarcerated parents discussing the impact of imprisonment and need for carceral policy reform. The Ladies of Hope Ministries presented the Real Women Real Voices symposium as a precursor to the 2016 Beyond the Bars Conference.