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Mother's Day Behind Bars
Mother's Day is a sacred holiday
that is celebrated each year in
Costa Rica and it is not
different at the El Buen Pastor
women's prison.
However, for these mothers, it
doesn't matter if Mother's Day
is on the 15th or the following
Monday, because for them, every
day is Mother's Day.
At present there are 25 women in
the prison caring for their
babies, in a special unit called
the Casa Cuna that houses up to
32 women prisoners and their
minor children under the age of
3.
These women, along with their
infant children, carry out their
prison term in the special unit
and with the daily conflict of
whether to keep their infant
children close by or allow them
to be cared for a relative or
friend in the free world.
Pregnant women who find
themselves behind bars are moved
to the Casa Cuna section at 7
months pregnancy.
Many of the mothers in the
prison are young, some serving
sentences up to 20 years, the
majority serving time for drug
related offences. These women
dread the day their child turns
3, as they will then have to let
go.
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