My visit

[carinas]

i know this forum is not for prison talk but i wanted to share about my visit and felt this the best forum to do so.

im back home today after going to Sydney and then on to Windsor to visit my daughter at Dillwynia. it wasn't as cold out there as i thought it would be but then i only spent the day there.

my daughter didn't know i was coming over to visit her, we kept it a surprise and the look on her face was priceless. our visit went well, lots of tears, hugs and holding each other, i spent 4 hours there with her, i hated having to leave her when it was time to go, her standing there looking so small and crying, is something i shall never forget.

the prison itself is nothing like i imagined as its fairly new, is painted in nice colours, has no razor wire and the guards were nice (which surprised me a lot) they (the guards) are fond of my daughter and came up and chatted to us during our visit, when my daughter was crying they checked that all was ok and made a note to inform her senior officer of her distress, they showed real care and i'm thankful of that, it has been my main concern that the *screws* were horrible to her but from what i saw that is not the case, so i can breath easy.

my daughter has changed in some aspects, in the short time she has been incarcerated she has hardened, she swears more, she isn't as naive as she used to be (which is a blessing) all of this has had its effects on her, ones which i feel will take a terribly long time to overcome but in saying that, she is stronger and with strength comes the ability to fight adversity.

she/we have a long road to travel as we still don't have her sentencing date and the DPP are being real pricks about this but we soldier on as best we can and wait till we know how long her time away from those who love her will be.

thanks for giving me the space to post this, i very much appreciate having somewhere to come and talk, it helps me a lot.

[T_T]

carinas
i am so happy for you and your daughter that all went well
i was actually thinking about you this weekend wondering how your visit would go
i am so glad you shared your experience
she must have got such a surprise to see you there

T_T

[carinas]

Thank you T_T, not only for your reply but for thinking of me..

[MadeInOz]

Hey Carinas, thanks for sharing your story with us.

In prison is it easy to lapse into habits like swearing, because it is around you everywhere. You both sound like you're strong women. I found that it was really important to keep connected with the 'real' world (for want of a better term) A prisoner is something you are for a short time.

Take care,

MIO/Dave

[Larra]

I'm glad your visit had some positives. It would be so much more pleasant not to see razor wire. It is always makes me uncomfortable. And for the place to be new and with a fresher and brighter appearance and that the guards have a more compassionate attitude. That your daughter is growing stronger is a positive too. It must have been hard for you to leave, seeing your daughter upset. I always find it hard as I drive away. It is all very difficult to cope with, but helpful to have a few positives to focus on, at least. I hope the court process moves as quickly as possible.

[number8]

Thankyou for sharing your story, tis good to hear that not all places are all bad. Your daughter sounds like she is learning some life lessons and while we would prefer things were different, at least there will be some positive outcomes.
I hope the Court stuff is settled soon and that it is as best as it can be.
Meanwhile, please keep up updated with progress.
You and your daughter are in my prayers tonight
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