Supporting 350 Female Detainees in Sierra Leone

Mental health is a complex challenge for correctional centres. Some incarcerated women have come into conflict with the law as a direct result of a mental health problem. Some women develop mental health problems whilst in detention. Circumstances are challenging, for example overcrowding of cells, enforced solitude, lack of privacy, inadequate health and hygiene facilities, and limited contact with one’s loved ones. All of this can result in poor or deteriorating mental health. 

AdvocAid works on partnership with the Sierra Leone Correctional Service to protect the rights of incarcerated women in girls. This includes ensuring they have access to appropriate healthcare, both medical and psychological; they are treated with humanity and dignity; they’re protected from violence; and children in detention with their mothers are provided for. However, there are limited mental health services within Sierra Leone – this presents a challenge for the correctional service seeking to meet the needs of those in detention.

AdvocAid social workers provide one to one support and group psycho-social empowerment sessions, designed to support women with the emotional tools they may need whilst incarcerated. Despite this, we are aware of several women with acute mental health needs that require the support of a professional mental health specialist. With permission from the correctional service’s Medical Superintendent, AdvocAid now arranges for a mental health counsellor to visit the Freetown Female Correctional Service on a weekly basis to have one-to-one counselling sessions for women with the greatest need. AdvocAid has been able to provide this as a result of the generous donations made by our Global Giving donors.

It is with your help that several female detainees are now receiving much-needed mental healthcare. Through your generous donations, we hope to continue this for the months to come. In time, we would like to provide such support at all female correctional centres in Sierra Leone. 

On behalf of the women and girls we work with, we thank you for your generosity. To get the latest news from AdvocAid please follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, and sign up to our newsletter via our website.

In Sierra Leone, women in correctional centres, either on pre-trial detention or carrying out a sentence, are permitted to be detained with their children under two years old. This policy allows mothers to provide care for infants and continue breast-feeding. However, these children are often not provided for. Women in correctional centres are often unable to access basic necessities such as medicines, toiletries and nutritious food. These welfare needs are particularly acute for pregnant women and mothers caring for children within the correction centres.

In October one of our social workers was conducting a routine weekly visit to the Freetown Female Correctional Centre, when mothers made an urgent plea for welfare assistance. At the time, nine babies were detained in the correctional centres. Many of the mothers said their children were unable to sleep at night due to hunger. AdvocAid was able to provide emergency welfare packages for these mothers containing milk powder, sugar and garri (cassava flour, often used to make porridge). Earlier that same month, AdvocAid was also able to provide emergency welfare packages for several babies in Bo and Kenema correctional centres.

The physical effects of poor nutrition and health standards are perhaps the most visible signs of the impact of imprisonment for both mothers and children, but there are also heavy emotional and psychological. As a means of providing emotional support, AdvocAid’s social workers conduct psycho-social sessions with women in detention. These often include prayer, exchanging personal stories, providing positive feedback to other detainees, making plans for life after prison and playing games. One participant said she had learnt ‘acceptance, forgiveness and how to cope with my situation’ during the session. Another woman said the session ‘was really helpful to us. Most of us have so many thoughts running through our minds, which sometimes makes us have sleepless nights. This affects our mental wellbeing, but now I am learning how to cope.’

It is with your help that AdvocAid is able to respond to the emergency welfare requests from mothers and their babies in detention. Without your support, we often are unable to meet these requests for food and basic necessities. On behalf of the women and girls we work with, we thank you for your generosity.

For all new recurring donors signing up this December to support AdvocAid, Global Giving will provide match-funding from month four onwards. For example, if you sign up as a recurring donor during December to donate £10 a month, Global Giving will match this donation from April onwards and AdvocAid will receive £20 a month.

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