My name is Wendy and I’m currently incarcerated at Dame Phyllis Frost Centre.
I’ve been here since May 2023 and as a mother with 6 kids and no support on the outside. I’m only able to earn $48 per week from my work, which I have to use a majority of these earnings to support myself in here with items such as soap, shampoo, conditioner, razors etc.
I have to make the hard decision of whether to put my money on my phone account to make calls or the items I really need.
Here, the phone calls to mobiles is roughly around $8, it’s 3 cents per second and I just cannot afford to make a lot of calls let alone to pick which child to ring. I have three older kids who are dependent and three younger children that live with my Dad and Mum. So I pretty much have to pick and choose who I ring because it costs way too much money to ring each of my kids. I do try to save/budget where I can or usually I ring the eldest daughter and she relays any information that needs to be given to them.
This can be frustrating and sad at the same time, why should I have to make a choice? I do understand where I am, but the most important things we look forward to as mothers are updates from our kids and if they are okay out there. It warms my heart when I call my eldest and all I hear in the background are the squeals and echoes of all my children saying they ‘Hey Mummmmm we love and miss you’. Our contact with family and friends is all we have to keep us going and we are already missing out on so much. So to make things a little easier, I know a lot of us mums, daughters, sisters, grandmas and aunties would welcome a reduction in an already expensive world, it would make such a huge difference and less heartbreaking on having to choose who to call…
I hope this letter helps you to understand just how hard things can get even being in jail.
I know I would give anything to be able to ring each of my kids and let them know Mummy loves them more…
Kind regards,
Wendy
