AdvocAid: Stigma and incarceration often come hand in hand. Many of the women we have worked with over the years have faced difficulties reintegrating into society upon their release from detention, shamed or rejected by their families and communities.  The voices of these women are also often marginalised, their stories untold. Many of women who come into conflict with the law are survivors of gender-based violence and, in some cases, this experience of violence bears relation to the offence they are charged with.

During the 2018 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Based Violence, AdvocAid recorded and produced a series of short films entitled Voices from Inside, featuring the voices and stories of some of the women detained in the Freetown Female Correctional Centre. We had the unique opportunity to record both audio and video, bringing to life in their own words the stories of women who are often unseen and unheard. These are their stories.

AdvocAid would like to thank the Sierra Leone Correctional Service for their cooperation and to the officers at the Freetown Female Correctional Centre for their support during the interview process. A special thank you to Shantelle Spencer for volunteering her time and talent to capture this material on audio and film.

Watch and read the stories in the women’s own words via AdvocAid’s Site: Voices from Inside