They Fired This Prison Guard For Giving Inmate’s Newborn A Temporary Home...But She Has No Regrets.
By Mike-Ross
When Roberta Bell made the decision to become a correctional officer at the Louisiana Transitional Center for Women in Vicksburg, Mississippi, her primary goal was to assist the inmates in improving their lives. So, when a unique opportunity arose to fulfill that goal, she didn't hesitate to seize it, even if it meant putting her job at risk. The story began when Roberta, a 58-year-old officer, learned that one of the inmates was nearing her due date.
The inmate in question was Katie Bourgeois, who was expecting to give birth in just a few months. However, her release from prison was scheduled approximately seven weeks after the expected delivery. Katie, aged 30, had discovered her pregnancy after already serving time for "minor drug-related charges." She was anxious about the prospect of giving birth while still incarcerated, fearing that she might lose custody of her baby once Child Protection Services got involved.
Although Katie would have loved to have temporarily had a family member or friend keep her newborn, there wasn’t anyone in her life who could or would. Plus, this isn’t her first time dealing with similar circumstances.
The first time she gave birth, she gave her child to a friend who promised Katie she’d keep them in her life. Soon enough, however, that promise was broken. She did not want anything like that to happen with this baby.
“I wasn’t sure what to do or where to turn,” Katie said.
Since Roberta is known to have a heart of gold, folks sent Katie her way. At first, the idea of Roberta taking in the child was a joke between staff, but it quickly turned into an idea that the officer was determined to make happen.
“I knew it was the right thing to do,” Roberta said. “When I asked Katie if she’d like me to come and get her baby when it was time, you could see the relief on her face. She said, ‘Miss Bell, I’d love for you to take my baby because I don’t have anyone else to do it.'”
Knowing there was a rule that staff and inmates aren’t allowed to exchange personal info, Roberta reached out to her commanding officers weeks ahead of Katie’s due date, hoping they could make an exception.
“Nobody ever got back with me until it was about two or three days time for her to deliver,” Roberta said.
At that point, she and Katie had already exchanged information, but Roberta didn’t care. She stood by her actions.
“I said, ‘Major Murray, if the hospital calls me to come get this baby, I’m going to get him,'” she recalled. “He said, ‘Well, I’m gonna have to terminate you.'”
Although it hurt to be let go from her job, Roberta was quickly reminded why it was worth it when Kayson was born on May 16.
“So many of [the women in prison] have been used and abused and have had hard lives on the streets,” Roberta said. “I found that if I showed them a little love, it went a long way. I sensed that Katie was a good person who had just made some bad choices in her life.”
After taking care of Kayson for a few weeks, Katie was released from prison on July 4. Now, the two of them are staying in Roberta’s home until Mom is able to get a job — long-term she wants to be a hairstylist.
“How can I thank this woman?” Katie said. “She’s a stranger who showed so much love. If not for this angel, I don’t know what I would have done. I feel like I’ve found a friend forever in Miss Bell.”
Now, without a job herself, Roberta is pursuing a long-time dream of her own.
“My passion was to open a recovery home for the women that are coming out of prison,” she said. “I have not been successful in that yet, but I know that I will be. To get them away from the surroundings that they were in that caused them to get in trouble. That’s my passion.”
In fact, there’s now a GoFundMe page so that Roberta can do just that. So far, over $42,000 of the desired $150,000 has been raised.
“To see his little face and his smile — it was just a joy,” Roberta said. “And now, to watch Katie with him and see all of that love and the promise of a new beginning has made it all worthwhile.”
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