“When women go into prison, think of the children they leave behind.”

Rhia Canady is a chef, caterer, and mum. She owns One Dinner in Bristol, UK, which sells prepared meals, Sunday roasts, and gift hampers for any occasion. Her business is flourishing, and she has only been out of prison for seven months. 

When women go into prison, think of the children they leave behind.“I came out wanting to prove people wrong, which fuelled my drive to succeed.”Meet Rhia

When Rhia entered prison, her daughter was five years old.

It was her first time committing a crime and being put before a judge. She was also the sole carer of her child following the death of her partner.  However, this did not avert a custodial sentence, leaving Rhia’s child to suffer the trauma of losing a second parent, this time to the prison cell.

Rhia was offered to see her daughter once a month, but due to her mother’s great efforts, she got to see her weekly, keeping their bond strong. Luckily, she had her parents who took care of her child.

When she went to prison, Rhia had to reinvent herself.

“To cope without my daughter, I had to find my identity away from being a mother.”

She busied herself by working out in the gym daily, where she found a community with the gym staff. but prison staff shortages meant time out of cells was often limited.

When Rhia left prison, she thought she would immediately pick up where she left off.  But it took her a while to adapt to life outside of prison.

“I was surprised by the noise; even people talking was too much for me.”

“I was also stuck in the prison pattern, mentally still in prison, showering at the same time as before; this confused my friends and family.”

“I still felt like I was in prison.”

It took time before Rhia could shake off the mental barrier and start to move forward.

Like Frankco, people do not know about Rhia’s past when they see her.

In her community, many people are not aware. 

Now, she is at peace and thriving. Her catering business is doing well.  She feels she is at a different point in life.  

75% of women in prison serve short sentences (under 12 months), disrupting their lives and exacerbating existing struggles like mental health issues.

75% of women in prison in the UK are mothers with children under 18.

Due to financial vulnerability, women entering prison are more likely to have been unemployed and involved in crimes driven by financial needs, such as theft and fraud.  

Rhia was supported by RIFT Social Enterprise through their WISE project (Women into Self Employment), which specifically helps women, many of whom are mothers, move into self-employment after prison.

RIFT Social Enterprise empowers some of society's most marginalised people, supporting them in achieving independence and financial security through self-employment. 

Porticus partners across the globe are supporting women in rebuilding their lives after prison. 

People in prisons and those released must be treated with dignity and not stigma.

People might need millions of chances to start their lives new.

Want to invest in work that centers criminal justice on dignity and rehabilitation:

Here are some of our partners you can donate to:

Spark Inside: Support Us | Spark Inside  

RIFT Social Enterprise: Home | RIFT SE

Untold Creative Training Ltd: Get Involved (untold.org.uk)

Criminal Justice Alliance and their Elevate CJS programme: ELEVATE CJS | Criminal Justice Alliance

Prison Reform Trust: Donate | Prison Reform Trust

Learn more about the Porticus Criminal Justice programme: Priorities | Criminal Justice | Porticus