Melissa Etheridge's ‘I’m Not Broken’ docuseries mission to empower women behind bars

Melissa Etheridge, the Grammy-winning artist, recently revisited her hometown of Leavenworth, Kansas, for a special performance at the local women’s prison. 

Now, she is preparing to share this experience with the world through the upcoming two-part Paramount+ docuseries, ‘Melissa Etheridge: I’m Not Broken.’

The trailer for the docuseries, released on Monday, June 10, offers a sneak peek into Etheridge's inspiring performance for the women at the Topeka Correctional Facility.

“The best I can do is to be a light that holds these people up and says, ‘You matter,’” the star says in the trailer.

I’m Not Broken delves into the narratives of five women currently incarcerated at the facility, all of whom corresponded with Etheridge through written letters prior to her visit.

In the trailer, it is mentioned that out of the 172,000 incarcerated women in the United States, approximately half are in recovery from substance abuse—a cause that deeply resonates with the singer.

Etheridge's son, Beckett, aged 21, tragically passed away from an opioid overdose in May 2020. Since then, she has openly shared her experience of grief. In 2023, she wrote the book "Talking to My Angels," which extensively delved into Beckett's battle with addiction and her journey through grief.