JUSTICE TRENDS JUSTICE TRENDS Nr. 1 | June 2017 | Page 179

HUMAN RIGHTS / DERECHOS HUMANOS
of human rights and against the death penalty.
Right now, I am working with the African Prisons Project and
working in prisons in Uganda and in Kenya helping to set up legal
aid clinics, whereby poor prisoners can have access to Justice. We
help train the inmates in basic legal knowledge, so that they can
help others as well... Our vision at African Prisons Project is that
prisons in Africa should become places of positive transformation,
which is the first thing in human rights and rehabilitation. So we
believe that deprivation of freedom does not mean deprivation of
humanity. We intend to bring dignity and hope to the men, women,
and children living and working in prisons across Africa.
African Prisons Project: they’ve been like a parent to me because
they’ve been there with me throughout prison and, when I came
out of prison, they helped me in my reintegration and they have
given me a job as well, so I’m employed as their ambassador.
JT: How do you see the big picture of the Criminal Justice in
Uganda, in particular, and in Africa, in general?
SK: Africa, as a whole continent, almost possesses the same
alignment in its jurisdictions pertaining, as any matters of criminal
justice. The criminal justice systems in Africa work like this: those
who cannot pay for justice aren’t able to find it. It is so complex,
so bureaucratic, and not of easy access. So the poor people who
are imprisoned really don’t have access to justice, so that’s why
I chose this struggle, to obtain justice. African Prisons Projects is
working around the clock to see that the people who are in prison
have the possibility to defend themselves from the intimidating
environments of the Courts. They [African countries] are almost
all the same... We just have to work hard and continue to work
hard and harder to make them a better place. We have to make a
difference, we shall not get tired.
JT: What challenges have you faced to reintegrate society,
being an ex–convict?
SK: My family welcomed me back home, though my parents
died when I was in prison and they were the ones taking care of
my daughter, because I left my daughter when she was just one
year old. It was a challenge for me to try to build a home with my
daughter after so many years when I didn’t have means, without a
job. I had to find a home for her. It was very challenging and very
difficult for me. But luckily some friends came in to support me,
because that was before I even finished my education and also
before I was employed with African Prisons Project.
Another challenge was technology. That beat my understanding!
I needed to learn how to use a screen touch phone – for so many
years I didn’t know how to use a phone! So, I had to learn how
to use a phone, how to use a computer. And I realized that people
are much more attached to their gadgets than to people. It was
quite a challenge. I faced rejection from some people who felt
that I wasn’t worth the attention because I’m an ex–prisoner. And,
you know, it feels so bad when you’re rejected... because you are
totally transformed and rehabilitated, and you’re ready to live in
está bien, porque en cualquier momento cualquiera puede llegar
y tratar de convencer a la nación de que la reinstituya.
Recientemente fui invitada a un panel de alto nivel sobre la pena
de muerte en Ginebra, Suiza: estuve hablando ante el Consejo de
Derechos Humanos de las Naciones Unidas, que fue en febrero
pasado. He asistido a muchas conferencias diferentes: estuve en
Gambia para hablar en la conferencia de derechos humanos y
siempre estoy involucrada en actividades de derech