Serving prison time as a family
In Bolivia, 'the worst family may be better than the best institution.'
from the April 11, 2007 edition
 In Bolivian prison, families share cells |
Page 3 of 3
The prisoners themselves have a lot to learn, too. The prison psychology department has hung up a sign advertising an upcoming seminar: "How to be a good father." Right next to it is another sign urging inmates not to swear. After all, there are children around.
Santos, a first-time father, says it's hard to be a single parent. His girlfriend visits once, sometimes twice, a day, but he says he knows he bears the responsibility of prime caregiver for their daughter. "I have learned you just have to give them love," he says. He says their example shows those inmates who are single how to become caregivers, and that everyone is motivated to be on their best behavior.
But no matter how aptly they fulfill their fatherly responsibilities, children face other uncontrollable obstacles. Kids color, paste, and play games in the nursery program on a recent day. They could be in their neighborhood kindergarten for all they know, says teacher Doris Cruzfuentes. But that all changes once they move on to elementary school and beyond. "They are often stigmatized when they go out to school," she says, "and come home to the prison."
Tellez says he understands the needs that some parents have, but that it shouldn't compromise the overall safety of the children or the efficacy of the prison system. "You can't put the particular situation or need of one parent in front of the general problems of the prison," he says.
But don't tell that to Marina Quisipi. For her, the immediate need of a home is what is most pressing. Ms. Quisipi, who sits in her cell with a 2-week-old slung across her back, has lived with her husband and five children in San Pedro for 18 months. The back wall of the jail cell is plastered in magazine photos of teddy bears – a remnant from a previous inmate with children. "My husband decided we should live here," she says simply. It can be cramped and dirty. She keeps an eye on her children all day.
But it's the best alternative. "What else are we supposed to do?"
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