Hero Of The Day: Corrections Officer's Decision To Care For An Inmate's Baby Costs Her A Job

[Sugar Cookie]

 

[BuffettGirl]

Why did Gayle even have to mention that she's Black and the bitty was White? Clearly it didn't matter to either of them. White woman have been adopting and caring for Black babies for generations now. It wasn't complex and nuanced then, why does it have to be now that the roles were reversed? Oh wait, Whitey was just trying to asuage their obvious and inate guilt. I forgot...

 

[Busy Bee]

Good story! She helped because there was a need! We need more people like her. I hope her home opens up and is a big success!

 

[cubby]

Beautiful lady, inside and out, I really hope her Serenity House is a success.

 

[Angiebla]

Shes raising 5 of her 8 grandchildren? Wow. Shes a saint, I would not do that.

 

[Sugar Cookie]

Feb 6, 2024

A Vicksburg woman is continuing her dream of creating a safe haven for women who are released from prison.

What appears to be a modest home renovation project in Warren County is, for Roberta Bell, the foundation of her dream to create transition homes for women just released from prison. She wants to call them Serenity Centers.

Bell’s big plans came after she was fired as a correctional officer at a Louisiana prison for women when she agreed to take care of the baby about to be born to an inmate who had asked her help.

“I said, ‘If the hospital calls me to get that baby, I am going to get that baby.’ He then said, ‘I am going to have to terminate you, then,’” Bell said. “I got fired.”

Bell said she took care of baby Kayson for 2 ½ months. She returned the baby to her mother when she was released from prison. Bell said she hasn’t seen the child since. But Bell decided that being fired for caring for an inmate’s baby was a sign that she should provide help for more women transitioning out of prison.

“Most of those women are good women,” Bell said. “They are good people. They just made mistakes, and we all make mistakes. It just so happens that we didn’t get caught.”

Bell has started renovating the Warren County house to be the first of what she hopes will be many. She has been raising money, and a lot of it has come through a GoFundMe account.


“Lord, it gets tough sometimes,” Bell said.

To say it is a lot to deal with is putting it mildly — forming a board, an organization, getting contract work done.


“I am a single mom. I am by myself. But whatever I have, if I can give it to help somebody, that is what I want to do,” Bell said.

It’s the start of a mission to make a difference and help women who get out of prison find a way to never go back.


“I am hoping, and I am praying that once they get here and they see that there is somebody that cares about them and somebody does want to see them do better, hopefully that will give them motivation to do better,” Bell said.

Prison guard inspired to create safe haven after she was fired for taking care of inmate's baby

A Vicksburg woman is continuing her dream of creating a safe haven for women who are released from prison.

www.wapt.com

I hope the baby is okay.

$122,378 raised of $150,000 goal

Donate to The Serenity Centers, organized by Amesha West

This fundraiser is to help Ms.Roberta Bell succeed in opening THE SERENITY CENTERS for women and chil… Amesha West needs your support for The Serenity Centers

www.gofundme.com

 

[BuffettGirl]

Good for her! She saw a need and is addressing it. She should have never been fired over it though IMHO.

 

[cubby]

Good for her! She saw a need and is addressing it. She should have never been fired over it though IMHO.

be the best thing that ever happened to her, now she gets to do something she loves. Not everybody gets even half of what they want so I wish her all the hope and love she can handle.