Dena Hernandez

Home After 13 Years

Dena’s early life was marked by trauma. Her father was incarcerated, her mother frequently absent, and she endured years of physical and emotional abuse from caregivers. Searching for connection and guidance, Dena looked to older peers in her neighborhood—people who ultimately led her down a dangerous path. At just 18, she was sentenced to 28 years in prison for carjacking, with added time for gang enhancements.

While incarcerated, Dena experienced a profound shift, wholeheartedly committing herself to programming, furthering her education, and building an impressive work history behind bars. She completed more than 25 programs focused on gang prevention, anger management, trauma and substance use recovery, as well as victim awareness. She also received multiple professional and technical certifications, earned her GED, an associate’s degree in Business Administration. Her dedication and work ethic earned praise from correctional officers and supervisors, many of whom wrote letters of support for her release.

In April 2024, after 13 years in prison, Dena was resentenced to 10 years at the recommendation of the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office, with support from For The People. Today, Dena works as a Behavioral Health Technician at a detox center, where she supports people struggling with substance abuse on their road to recovery. She is also enrolled in college and currently pursuing a business degree. Dena hopes to use her business degree to help incarcerated youth in juvenile halls, where she once was. She aims to provide them with work opportunities that will help them develop the skills that were essential to her own transformation.

Dena became the first woman released from prison under our new initiative #TogetherHome, which shines a light on the unique challenges incarcerated women face and supports prosecutors in safely bringing them home.