IWCR has been supporting the Women's prison Ilguciems since for the past five years.

At this facility there are facilities for women who give birth to their babies whilst in prison. The mothers are allowed to stay with the child up to their first birthday.  After that the child goes to the Day Care Center, where pre-school education in a Montessori education environment is provided, and where they will stay up to their fourth birthday.  The mother goes to the full security area and will visit the child twice a day.  This practice seeks to ensure that the psychological and emotional bonds with their children and strongest foundation for recovery and reformation of the mothers are given the greatest possible chance.  The Day Care Center has place for 10 children.

The prison also has a group of young girls, aged 14-18 years, who for lack of more adequate facilities for teenagers are remanded to this prison. Here they enjoy the best efforts of the guards to provide a suitable place to reform and heal. The girls in the Underage Section receive mandatory education until the age of 18.

While the government has provided the basics, more supplies are needed.

During the time the IWCR has been supporting the prison, lots of small and meaningful changes have taken place and we are glad to say that the relationship with the Women’s Prison has grown deeper.  As we learn of their needs and human situation, we also start to understand more about the social conditions in the country that lead or influence the situation of the young girls arriving here.

Always needed for the Mom’s and Toddler’s Care Center:
• Pampers

Donations of the above are welcome!

If you wish to help in another way, you can buy beautiful hand knitted socks and gloves produced by the women.  These are sold by Otra Elpa