@rebeljustice
This is Anastasia.
She stands at the funeral of Ava, her friend and fellow woman with lived experience of the justice system. They were in HMP Styall in Cheshire together. Behind bars, they immediately got on, forming a sister-like bond: they always stood in solidarity against the harassment doled out by officers and acted as mental health support for each other that was so absent at HMP Styall.
Anastasia knew better than anyone else how much Ava struggled. Whilst she was at HMP Styall, she would let guards know of Ava’s state. But after Anastasia was released, she knew that Ava would be carrying her struggles silently and independently.
A few weeks ago, she received the news that Ava had taken her own life in prison, like too many other women. Anastasia had so been looking forward to navigating re-integration and getting back up on her feet together with Ava. But this was not to happen. Instead, she now mourns over another unnecessary and preventable death.