Actress and socialite Rosemond Alade Brown, popularly known as Akuapem Poloo, narrates how she lost herself when the reality of going to jail dawned on her at the entrance of Nsawam Prison.
Poloo was given a 90-day jail sentence by an Accra Circuit Court for posting nude photographs of her son, a minor, on social media in 2020.
The act was widely condemned by Ghanaians, who vehemently criticized Poloo and urged the court to deal with her legally for violating the rights and dignity of the child.
In a conversation with MzGee on Just Being Us, Poloo shed light on her emotions after the sentencing. She told MzGee, "When I went to court, the woman, the judge, asked me to go for a pregnancy test, and she said after the test they should detain me. Immediately you get to the big gate, for them to push you to the prison compound, sis, your spirit will leave you," Poloo divulged.
"I took a picture with my son, and I did not know the way, how, and manner I took the picture with him would be a problem because I didn't know about that."
She described how emotional she was after the judge's pronouncement, though it did not change the outcome.
"As for crying, I cried throughout the sentencing, but once the judge reads the sentence, there's no room for change. So if you continue crying, it will be in vain, because eventually, they will take you to jail whether you like it or not. I was unable to eat."
According to her, her first experience at Nsawam Prison involved being quarantined in an isolated room, not in the cells.
"Because of quarantine, I did not experience the prison cells. I was all alone in my room, and I didn’t know that being there all alone was worse. I thought when you go inside the cell, they will maltreat you the way we hear about jail, so I was praying to stay there [alone] for my entire sentence, but quarantine is only for 10 days."