Unlikely Prisoners

Twelve year-old Cristiana watches as the men and women line up for their daily food allotment. She won‘t join the queue because there is no food reserved for her. She and her brother will simply share their mother‘s portion.

This is only one of the daily challenges Cristiana faces while living with her father, mother and younger brother in a small Bolivian prison. No special accommodations are made for children in this prison, so Cristiana plays in the dust of the courtyard and shares a bunk or sleeps on the floor of this old, overcrowded prison. The prison includes a men‘s and women‘s section, so Cristiana is routinely exposed to the male inmates she passes each day. Cristiana shares a cell with her mother and brother, while her father is housed in the men‘s unit of the same prison. Both her parents were arrested on drug charges last year, although neither has received a trial nor been formally convicted. Cristiana also keeps a pet bird with her in the prison. She and her little bird, both so unsuited for such confined surroundings, are sadly not an unusual site in prison.

There are hundreds of children living in prisons all over Bolivia, and indeed, all over the world, not for crimes they have committed, but simply because their parents are imprisoned and they have no where else to go. In prison, they are exposed to violence, drug-trafficking and other criminal activities. They must endure the harsh
conditions of the prison and are at risk of abuse by other prisoners. Prison Fellowship Bolivia is working to free Cristiana and the other children from the cruel confines of prison by setting-up a Children‘s Refuge in a nearby neighbourhood. A house has already been donated by a local church, but PF now seeks the funds for the home‘s daily expenses. The home will be a haven for children who might otherwise be forced to live in prison or on the streets. In the meantime, Cristiana and the other children in the prison are grateful for the help PF is currently providing. PF volunteers routinely plan activities and programmes for the children and their parents. On special occasions they take the children on outings, giving them precious opportunities to visit a park or go camping. PF volunteers also provide Bible studies inside the prison.

The sad truth that Cristiana, her brother, and all the children in this prison are paying for their parents‘ crimes is just one injustice among many in the world, but thanks to PF Bolivia, their plight is being heard.