By Simitie Lavaly | Project Leader
In November 2017, Marie* was convicted of ‘wounding with intent’ and sent to the Freetown Female Correctional Centre. Marie had been separated from her 18-month-old daughter, Adamsay*, since she was arrested following an argument with her neighbour in eastern Freetown. Marie would not see her daughter again for five months.
Typically, a child older than 6 months will not be admitted to a Correctional Centre when their primary caregiver is detained. When Marie was arrested, Adamsay was with Marie’s boyfriend. However, he was not able to provide the care Adamsay needed. Lacking any other family members who could look after Adamsay, AdvocAid worked to find alternative care for Adamsay while Marie served her sentence.
With a referral from the Ministry of Social Welfare, Gender and Children’s Affairs, AdvocAid helped Marie’s boyfriend to take Adamsay to the Ravera Children’s Rehabilitation Centre (RCRC) outside Freetown. During Adamsay’s stay at RCRC, AdvocAid conducted regular visits to the orphanage to provide her with nappies, clothing, and toys, and to discuss her wellbeing with the Centre’s director. AdvocAid were delighted to be able to report to Marie that Adamsay was happy and receiving good care.
In April, Marie completed her sentence and was released from the Freetown Female Correctional Centre. Upon her release, AdvocAid accompanied Marie to RCRC to see Adamsay. Marie had been separated from her daughter for five months and was overjoyed to see her again. AdvocAid and RCRC helped Marie complete the paperwork needed to transfer custody of Adamsay back to her at the Family Support Unity of the nearest Police Station.
Although Marie has only served a few months in detention, she faced many challenges in reintegrating to society. Time in prison not only meant missing time with her daughter, but also lost income and economic hardship upon release. Many ex-detainees also struggle with the stigma attached to being a prisoner. AdvocAid provides post-prison support for ex-detainees to help smooth the process of reintegration. We provide transport refunds so that women can get home after their release, start-up grants to give women the resources and time to restart a business, and we work to re-establish connections with relatives so that ex-convicts are welcomed back by their families.
Thanks to you, our donors, AdvocAid was able to help Marie rebuild her live after prison and ensure the safety of her daughter. Please share this report with your contacts so that we can continue to support women and their children like Marie and Adamsay.
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*Names have been changed to protect the individuals’ identities
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