The Savings Fund is a benefit offered by companies to their employees, which consists of financial contributions made by both the company and the employees. The creation of savings funds is a labour right and should not be denied to people in prison.
As part of the government's social reintegration strategy, a savings fund was created within prisons. Prisoners may or may not work within prison with formal companies, and when they work, they are given the option of having 10% of their earnings withdrawn so that upon release they can recover what they have accumulated.
But one of the biggest challenges women face when they leave prison is the bureaucratic processes they have to deal with. Often, the offices are remote, they do not have the financial means or the knowledge necessary to acquire the services they were given in prison.
At La Cana, we support women leaving prison in the process of recovering their prison savings. To date, we have helped more than 6 women recover the income that was withheld from them during their time in prison in order to get off to a better start.
We work to support women who work in La Cana when they leave prison, and provide them with the tools to achieve their reintegration process.