A ground-breaking research investigates the “gruelling reality of female imprisonment” in Sierra Leone in which the study sheds light on police misconduct among other challenges these women face. According to the “Woman Wahala” press release from AdvocAid and Cyrus R. Vance Centre for International Justice some imprisoned women told researcher they were subjected to corrupt and unfair police practices and confessed to crimes without understanding the charges brought against them and their implications. “Several of these women said that when they were arrested the police told them they would be able to go home if they signed a confession, only to sign and be charged to court. Others claimed they were presented with a written statement even though they were illiterate and were forced to thumbprint a confession they could not understand. Many were also unable to tell the crime they had been charged with or why they had not been granted bail.”
The report also includes perspectives of formerly incarcerated women, correctional centre officers, stakeholders working directly or incidentally with women in detention, and family members of women who were or had been to prison at the time. Other critical contributions of the study include highlights into detained women’s mental health and the lack of appropriate support from authorities. The report states that almost half of the women interviewed reported having suffered from depression and 40% from anxiety before entering prison. “These women had been failed by a system that imprisons them rather than providing treatment.”
“The study further shows that mental health hardly ever plays a role in a judge’s decision. This is due to the fact that there are only two psychiatrists who could conduct a mental health assessment for a criminal trial; the judiciary also told researchers that they have not received adequate training on this issue. Incarceration has a highly negative impact on women’s mental health.”
Another data says 54% of women reported a mental health condition starting or deteriorating while detained and several formerly incarcerated women said that even after their release they had had suicidal thoughts. “We used to have ropes where inmates used to hang their dresses but an order was given by the manager that all ropes should be banned because we had an inmate who used such rope to strangle herself,” according to a correctional centre officer.
“Even after release, women continue to face severe challenges. Some women reported their partners abandoned their children and remarried when they went to prison. In some cases, the families and partners also sold the women’s property, leaving many of them without anything or anyone to go back to when they are released.” Marie-Claude Jean-Baptiste, Programmes Director at the Vance Centre for International Justice, said: “This report has important implications for women in detention not only in Sierra Leone but all over the globe. Research has shown that women’s pathways to prison and the consequences for themselves, families and communities are eerily similar globally. The international and regional legal standards protecting the rights of women in detention are clear. We call on the Sierra Leone government and other international partners, including the donor community, to work together to uphold the rights of women in detention.”
“The majority of women behind bars should not be detained. The over-incarceration of women, most who come into contact with the law because of poverty or abuse, is causing long-lasting damage to women and children. Sierra Leone should urgently invest in gender responsive alternatives to incarceration which are less costly to the country and society,” said Lydia Kembabazi, AdvocAid’s Legal Manager.
By Zainab Iymaide Joaque