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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
World
Kimberley Brown . Photographs by Johanna Alarcón

‘It’s like a slow death’: a jailed mother and her daughter on why prison is a sentence for them both

Valentina Prison Ecuador Quito Marijuana
Valentina pictured aged seven in her bedroom
Valentina, aged seven, poses with her toys in her bedroom Photograph: Johis Alarcón

Six months ago, 16-year-old Valentina was watching TV with her cousin and younger brother at her home in Quito, Ecuador’s capital, when she received a call from her mother, Ivonne. She had been arrested again, and was in prison. She wouldn’t be coming home for a while.

The pair had been living together since Ivonne’s last prison sentence ended in 2023, and the thought of being separated again was devastating.

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