By Anna Norris
In the midst of our internship, we shifted our focus from Supreme Court duties to engage directly in the pursuit of justice for those in need. During the final week of June, a collaborative team comprising of Ugandan and American attorneys, Ugandan and American interns, and support staff, conducted outreach at Luzira Upper Prison and Kampala Remand Prison. Luzira Upper is a maximum-security facility designated for individuals convicted of felony offenses, whereas Kampala Remand serves those awaiting trial for misdemeanor charges.
Throughout this week, my perspective on humanity was profoundly transformed. I witnessed a collective effort among remandees, prisoners, legal representatives, guards, and the state, all working towards a common objective: to extend access to justice for as many individuals as possible.
The presence of translators was indispensable during our time in the prisons, as many detainees did not speak English. One of my favorite translators was known as “The General,” as he assisted in ensuring approximately 150 remandees were cared for. In engaging with him, I discovered that he was among the pioneers of plea bargaining in Uganda. Despite his incarceration, he did not wait for his life to start with some future opportunity when he left the prison, but instead actively sought to live fully every day.
He exemplified the principle of when one door closes looking for the door God has opened. While imprisoned, he not only pursued education but excelled, graduating at the top of his class. He stated that he is thankful to God for his success, as God has been faithful to him. He believes that his story is the embodiment of 1 Samual 2:8.
With his remaining time in prison, he is dedicated to assisting remandees through the plea-bargaining process and preparing them for reintegration into society by teaching English and Swahili. Post-release, he aspires to establish a non-governmental organization aimed at furthering the education of prisoners and remandees to prepare them for the world when released.
While I chose to highlight this individual’s story, it is not unique to him. They demonstrated that true freedom comes not from awaiting external liberation but from seizing and creating opportunities within one’s current circumstances. While we worked to bring justice to these remandees, they showed us what it means to be fully and freely living.
This post was written by a student at Regent University School of Law. The views expressed in this post do not necessarily reflect those of Regent University, Regent Law School, or the Center for Global Justice.