A woman’s clean start after wrongful imprisonment

For 10 years Teresa Njoroge enjoyed working within the financial sector, and she climbed the career ladder to the level of bank manager. Then one day, everything changed. She discovered that she had accidentally approved a fraudulent transaction.

Teresa opens up about her arduous journey from wrongful imprisonment to establishing Clean Start Africa, a social enterprise dedicated to empowering women, girls, and children affected by the criminal justice system.

“In January 2009, my life changed dramatically. I was arrested for a fraudulent transaction I unknowingly participated in. I endured false prosecution for two and a half years, leading to a conviction and a one-year sentence at Lang'ata Women’s Maximum Prison.”

Upon my arrest, I faced four charges: Three counts for theft, and one for conspiracy to defraud the bank. The theft charges were dropped, but I was convicted of conspiracy to defraud the bank.

While in prison, I filed an appeal which took about two and a half years to resolve. Ultimately, my conviction was overturned, and I was released. I pursued a case in the civil court where I received compensation for wrongful incarceration. All charges were dropped and my sentence was quashed. I was fully vindicated.

Despite this, my criminal record persists, as evidenced by my prison number 145/11. I was lucky that after presenting the court’s decision to the Department of Criminal Investigation, they removed my fingerprints from the system, allowing me to obtain a clean Certificate of Good Conduct. This is a challenge many former inmates face even after serving their time or being exonerated. It was a major factor that inspired me to establish Clean Start Africa.

I was imprisoned with my three-month-old daughter, my firstborn. This was without a doubt one of the most harrowing experiences of my life. It still is. It's the worst experience anyone, whether a mother or not, can ever go through.

The infrastructure in our prisons is not properly equipped to accommodate women, yet mothers often go into prison accompanied by their children. The children end up living in the same quarters that their mothers are locked up in.

This exposes the children to so many things that are not appropriate. The child consumes the language used within this premises. The mothers change clothes before them, shower right in front of them and frequently quarrel in their presence.

As a new mother, I faced significant challenges. One, I was breastfeeding, but there was no special dietary provision for me. This was a major setback in terms of the baby’s nutrition.

Additionally, I lacked basic health facilities. I had no private space to bathe my daughter and had to use communal basins, thereby risking exposure to communicable diseases like tuberculosis. The environment was far from ideal for my child.
Like other children of incarcerated mothers, my daughter lacked access to educational materials, toys, and early learning opportunities. The first three years were tough. 

While in prison, I met hundreds of women whose stories were as disturbing as mine. A majority of them lacked legal representation, and could not get fair hearings in court. Most of them had been the sole breadwinners of their families, so their incarceration meant their children faced abandonment, leading to a cascade of social problems including school dropouts, neglect, and abuse. Seeing their struggles strengthened my determination to make a difference.

Upon my release, I channeled my experience into creating Clean Start Africa. Our mission is twofold: To directly support women, girls, and children impacted by the criminal justice system and to prevent the cycle of incarceration.

Our core program, UFUNUO, is a 12-week rehabilitation initiative aimed at preparing incarcerated women for reintegration into society. A crucial part of our mission is advocating for systemic change, including the removal of outdated petty offenses from the penal code and promoting non-custodial sentencing alternatives for women who pose no real threat to society. This helps protect families from the trauma of separation and supports fairer treatment for incarcerated individuals.

We have also been conducting rigorous research to support our advocacy, including drafting reports on the impact of incarceration on women, and an ongoing study of women’s prisons in Kenya. Our annual Beyond the Bars Africa conference incorporates key criminal justice stakeholders, and in 2023, a significant partnership led to the release of 47 women from Lang'ata prison.

One important lesson I’ve learned is that when someone is incarcerated, their family is, in a sense, also imprisoned—though not physically. This is because the imprisoned woman’s family must manage the emotional and logistical burdens of supporting and visiting the incarcerated family member.

Before I got arrested, I was developing projects together with my parents and supporting my siblings with their education. However, after my sentencing, they had to quickly figure out how to manage without my support.

It was even harder for my parents, as they dealt with the stigma and shame of having an incarcerated daughter. This shows that the impact of incarceration extends beyond the individual, requiring everyone to readjust their lives to accommodate the affected family member.

As a family, we’ve had to face these issues head-on. Our conversations often revolve around the lingering impacts of incarceration and how it has altered our lives.

Still, we are judged unfairly especially by extended family members.

Perhaps out of fear or lack of understanding, most of my colleagues and friends distanced themselves from me immediately after I was arrested, although some have so far reached out and supported me in one way or another.

But the support from my immediate family has been unwavering. They remain a key component of my personal recovery, and the establishment of Clean Start Africa.

My father helped set up our first office to get things off the ground. Like any startup, it demanded a lot of time and effort, and as a result, my family has become an integral part of this journey. They have embraced our mission and have become an extended community that understands and supports our work.

Our vision is to see women, girls, and children who have been impacted by the criminal justice system not only reintegrate successfully into society, but also emerge as leaders and advocates in their communities.

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