Cambodian Kids Behind Bars (Final) Lina's Story

Lina is a Cambodian woman doing a 16-year prison stretch for a crime she claims she did not commit. She has a young daughter, Maly, who spent time in jail with her.

She shares her small cell with as many as 25 prisoners and their children at a time.

Sometimes she never leaves her cell for days, even weeks, at a time.

Food and water supplies are scant and often make the prisoners sick.

Clothing and hygiene products are not supplied to any prisoners or their children by the state. 

There was never enough food  for Lina's daughter, Maly.

Prison guards would often hit Lina's young child and the youngster often witnessed jailer violence against other prisoners.

Sometimes other prisoners would get angry with Lina's daughter and the prison guards often stole food and gifts given to prisoners by their families.

Lina concludes:

"Sometimes, like in my case, it is necessary for mothers to bring their children to live with them in

prison. I think that the government and donors needs to give more money to prisoners for food,

clothing, medical care and education. 

However, I think that where children are concerned, the

government and donors need to build a safe place for children to live inside the prison, to build a school

so that children can learn, and to give our children more food, so that some one else’s child will not cry

with hunger every night."

~http://www.licadho-cambodia.org/reports/files/116LICADHOReportPrisonMotherChild07.pdf