What a lot of people don't realise is those that are in prison are some of the MOST vulnerable in society. They are illiterate and poor. Some walk out of court not even understanding what sentence they were given, and how many years they are going into prison for. Some have never seen a lawyer. One inmate told me "the difference between us being in here and others walking outside is a good lawyer, but we didn't have the money to afford any".
Going in to prison often involves a lot of bad luck and bad choices. All of a sudden people's worlds crash. They lose all hope. Some are wrongfully accused. Some haven't even been charged, and are being held on remand for as long as 5 years!
This is where African Prisons Project steps in.
They aim to restore hope and dignity to prisoners.
Today, I first-handedly witnessed this by listening to the story of an inmate sentenced to 21 years in jail.