My name is Daniel and I was in jail in the Czech Republic. I was on my way back to the UK in 2009 when I was arrested at the airport in Prague and held for importing drugs that I knew nothing about. Initially a British officer informed me that the charges had been dropped and I was allowed to return home, but the Czech authorities had other ideas. After a long and difficult legal battle, I was extradited to the Czech Republic and sentenced to five years in prison.

I suffer from mental health problems and need to take tablets every day, which I had to pay for as there is no help from the Czech prison authorities. Prisoners Abroad helped me with payments for these tablets. I did not cope well with being in jail in a foreign country. There was not much to do; no gym, education or work for foreign nationals like me. It was hard to cope with things like the language barrier, and I was held under a very strict regime. I felt a constant sense of isolation – physically, mentally, and being so far from my family was very hard. I felt so alone. I tried to adapt to my conditions but they kept on changing, and I felt they got worse over time while I was there.

Prisoners Abroad helped my family keep in contact with me by forwarding letters to them, and sent me newspapers and books too. Without them my time would have been a lot worse than it was. I am forever grateful for the help they gave me.

If you choose to support Prisoners Abroad you are helping over 1,000 British citizens like me who are in prison abroad. Prisoners Abroad help all of us without judgement, regardless of our crime; some of us have been victims of injustice. They provided me with support that I could not get from anywhere else. Emotionally and practically, they were there for me and my family.

So I beg you: help them to help us. All the small things helped me survive this—what I can only describe as a nightmare turned real. If Prisoners Abroad had stopped helping me it would have been like losing a family member. They are a part of my life now, and I will be forever grateful for everything they did for me. Please continue to help people like me – it makes a real difference.

Thank you for taking the time to read my story. You can read my mother's story here. 

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Being offered a lifeline can change everything. 

Prisoners Abroad translates human rights law into practical life-saving actions by providing prisoners access to vitamins and essential food, emergency medical care, freepost envelopes to keep in touch with home and books and magazines to help sustain mental health. 

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