03-07-2024 | di COOPI

Jordan. Psychosocial support for female inmates: Sara regains her smile

As part of the project "B-LIEVE: Increasing Livelihood Income and Empowerment for Eliminating Vulnerability in Jordan" funded by the European Union, COOPI- Cooperazione Internazionale, in collaboration with Education for Employment Europe and Education for Employment Jordan, implemented a psychological support program for female detainees at the Juwaidah Corrections and Rehabilitation Center in Juwaidah, Jordan.

The program involved 20 women through 8 psychological support sessions, covering topics such as psychological stress and its management, adaptation, psychological resilience and expression of emotions. Among them is Sara (fictitious name).

Sara, 32, was sentenced to 15 years in prison. Cut off from her family as a result of the sentence, Sara started to become introverted, disinterested, frustrated, and with a strong sense of guilt about what happened. Initial contact with her son, which had negative outcomes, further worsened her depression. However, with the support of COOPI's psychologist and group sessions, Sara found the strength to carry on.

During the sessions, Sara learned how to deal with psychological tension and stress, developing adaptive skills and emotional management. The COOPI psychologist motivated her not to abandon the course. At the conclusion of the program, Sara expressed gratitude saying:

thanks to the sessions, I now have the desire to learn new skills to support myself and my son once I get out of prison. I would like to learn how to work resin and I feel ready to open up emotionally with other inmates." 

Sara added:

During my last phone call with my son, I did not cry.  I realized that he doesn't really know who his mother is, he only knows what his father told him. You know ... only recently it came back to me what my laughter sounded like. After what I went through lately I had in fact forgotten." 

Sara recently completed her training in resin processing and is working with the management of the correctional center. Her products, along with those of her colleagues, will be displayed in a special store for correctional center management in Jordan. A percentage of the proceeds from these products will go to them so that they can support themselves.

The B-LIEVE project focuses on improving the economic empowerment and social inclusion of the most vulnerable groups in Jordan with financial and psychosocial support, improved access to education, training services, and self-employment opportunities. In Jordan since 2017, COOPI has been carrying out protection activities targeting both the local population and Syrian refugees in the country, paying special attention to women, people with disabilities, ex-prisoners, and minors.