First Lady urges women prisoners to learn from experience

Deplorable NA Prison conditions

First Lady Sandra Granger visited the New Amsterdam Prison on Sunday after media reports surfaced detailing the deplorable living conditions the women prisoners endured.

According to reports which were published in another section of the media, the Prison was said to be overcrowded forcing inmates to share beds, and there was no running water at the facility.
At the time of the First Lady’s visit, it was not clear whether the pipes were working, but it was noticed that there were buckets and tubs of water covered with sheets of plastic a short distance from the toilet and bathroom.
The allegedly poor quality of the meals the inmates receive was highlighted, but the First Lady was not taken to the kitchen.
Speaking to the women prisoners after the tour of the facility, the First Lady urged them to see the experience of incarceration as an opportunity to become better and stronger individuals.
“When we learn from our experiences and we start to look at ourselves, we can become stronger and we can see where we need to go… It is an experience that you have gone through and I hope that it is something that will help to make you stronger as you go back out into society,” she told the women.
She also called on prison officials and Non-Governmental Organisations that work to rehabilitate inmates to ensure that a wider range of skills training is offered to the women, such as carpentry and masonry, so that upon completion of their sentences, they will be able to earn a living.
The First Lady also promised that she would try to assist in areas that they require help, because while they may be incarcerated, their lives have value and they are still capable of making positive contributions to society.
“You still are individuals… you might be [here] right now, but some of you will be leaving shortly and you should be able to go back to your communities with your heads held high,” the First Lady said.