Release Plan
When I get out of Federal prison, God Willing, I will face detention at an Immigration facility, for despite the fact I entered the US legally on a valid Visa and never overstayed, I am considered to have violated the immigration laws and will be deported to The Netherlands for having been convicted as a felon.
Typically, in the US Justice system, non-US citizens do not have the same rights as their US counterparts despite the Constitution.
They are for example NOT CAMP-eligible, even though the recidivism scores are at Minimum levels or in my and my husband’s case, below zero….
To put things into perspective, to be able to go to CAMP, one has to have a score of 15 level points. I have -4, so immensely lower than the required minimum. But I am not a US citizen, and even though I am not aggressive, violent, and have an impeccable record, I am being held in a prison which has much harsher conditions and is equipped and run for people who need more monitoring and security.
In my case, this has presented itself that I remain in custody at an FCI, whereas our co-defendant/business partner who is US citizen, does his time at a prison camp, where the living and rehabilitation conditions are much, much better.
I pray that all will go well with these proceedings and I will be able to close my loved ones in my arms again and mourn the death of my Mom, with them.
When someone that close passes while incarcerated, all is so surreal and unfathomable. You have nobody of your own to hold on to, to grieve together, bring up shared memories and pay proper respect to the one who passed. And when you lose someone who has always been your role model, your compass, your everything, how do you do that alone in a prison setting? I reached out to Religious Services, they gave me a 15 minute monitored phone call, I reached out to Psychology and they had a good talk with me, I reached out to Unit Team and they allowed me to have extra phone minutes, for we had to make funeral and other arrangements. This was phenomenal!
My family and the funeral home arranged for me to watch the funeral online/live, however this was not allowed. I could get a DVD recording and would be able to watch this in a DVD room. I have not had the courage to do this.
As an only daughter, I had several “serious” conversations with my mother, long before she passed and I would perform the last rites for the deceased. The Islamic rites consist of washing the deceased, perfuming the body, shroud in 5 pieces of unbleached, unsown white cotton, symbolizing going back to the bare basics of one’s existence on earth, as well as purity and simplicity. The children and close relatives usually adorn the deceased with Jasmin garlands around the neck. When the funeral prayer has been performed, the deceased is laid to rest.
This is a very important aspect of Islamic life, we care for our elders, our sick, widows, children and do whatever possible to make their lives comfortable.
Housing/Medical
Upon release and deportation to my home country, the first thing I will have to do, is get my Medical insurance on track and have a full medical check-up.
At first, I will stay with my mother-in-law, according to the dates so far, my husband will be released 1 year before me, as he was never released on pre-trial bond. I was released for a year on a stipulated pre-trial bond with GPS ankle monitor for a year. During that year, I worked day and night with counsel to prepare for trial.
We lost at trial on February 6th, 2020 and I was remanded into custody at FDC Miami. Due to COVID, I was not sentenced until May 19th, 2022 (!). After having been sentenced to 220 months, I was transferred to FCI Aliceville on July 25th, 2022.
From the time I arrived at FCI Aliceville, I did not get regular medical checkups for Diabetes, OB-GYN, blood pressure, cholesterol, Back Hernia, broken knee (broken meniscus), sores on my foot, stomach issues. The only consistent check-up I would get, was for my eyes, I have a dot due to diabetes and cataract. My sight has diminished significantly, but within the BOP, cataract is only treated when eyesight has deteriorated to the maximum.
I have never consumed ultra processed foods, foods high in sodium, trans fats and so on in these quantities in my life, so I will most definitely have to see a nutritionist and endocrinologist to assist in getting my health in balance. Due to gastric issues, I need a special diet, something I have not been able to maintain to the full extent.
On the mental spectrum, I have trauma, insomnia, anxiety and will require psychological counseling to put this crushing experience behind me. The jangling of keys will never have a happy association for me again, it will always mean being locked down. The excessive shouting, maltreatment without any reason has left deep scars on my soul. Not being able to perform my religion as it should have instilled much trauma.
Job
At the same time, I would like to be a ‘Life Coach’ to others, a job that I have been doing for the past years. As co-founder and Secretary of the Peer Success Team. I would like to establish an organisation in the US and The Netherlands, focused on helping incarcerated people and especially females in the US back on their feet and with a special branch reaching out to Europeans who find themselves in US prisons.
For this, I would like to stay in touch with Michael Santos, who has become a great role model and beacon of hope to me.
Before I got indicted, arrested and incarcerated, I had absolutely no idea that there even existed an entire world behind bars. Never in a million years had I fathomed that I would be among this incarcerated population, together with my husband. Yes, we have crossed the boundaries of morality by not being truthful to our Vendors about all destinations we would sell their products to, namely we diverted US goods back into the US and obviously made profit, as any business would.
While I am establishing this organisation, I will need to secure a job to pay the bills, in The Netherlands, there are many online jobs available and I hope to be able to find a job in these areas:
– On line teaching: I have a BA degree in English/French and during incarceration I had been a GED Tutor, teaching all GED subjects. I may even find an online job, aimed at US/international students. Organisations such as ‘Tutor.com’ and ‘Teachable’ offer opportunities
– Voice-overs, audiobooks: As I am fluent in English, Dutch, French, German, Urdu and a little Spanish, I would like to record audio books, commercials etc..
– Consultancy: I have 30+ years of International Business experience and my forte has always been Sales and Marketing. I would love to do consultancy work in these areas
– Data Entry – organisations such as ‘Fiverr’ offer opportunities for data entry
– Publish book(s) through ‘Bandcamp’, ‘Shutterstock’, ‘Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing’
– Create online content such as Blogs, Influencer material on ‘YouTube’, to generate income
– Charity work, visit the sick at hospitals, hospices, elderly homes, prisons, orphanages
– Keynote speaking online or on location
Community Connections
I would like to be actively involved again in Islamic and other organisations, reaching out and helping those in need. I have always been at the help of organising charity and other events, job fairs, fund raisings
Social Support
I have strong family ties, both in my own and my husband’s family and have maintained steady and supportive contact all through my incarceration through email, phone, letters and video visits.
The Embassy of The Netherlands has been very involved in our case and diplomatic staff have visited us on a very regular basis.
Sherida Nabi
