Statements from Inmates
I am called Jamie Holley, an American citizen. Armande has been such a blessing in my life. Unfortunately, I have not had the best experiences with people in my past, and it drove me to be completely distrustful of everyone. Armande's love for people, fitness, and above all else God drew me to her.
Armande wakes up early in the morning while the rest of us are still asleep. She cleans the entire pod and brings everyone their trays when it is breakfast time. When we are done eating, she takes the trays so we do not even have to leave our beds. We all go back to sleep and then wake up for lunch. She gets our trays for lunch as well. Once lunch is completed, most of us go back to sleep. But Armande stays up and, believe it or not, plans a workout for us.
Once we wake up, we have a full workout session already planned and are ready to work out. Over time, I have been able to share my story with her and hear hers as well. Since meeting her, I have realized that there are people out there who truly love God and actually treat others the way Jesus taught us to.
I knew there was a God before I met Armande, but I have developed a much closer and more personal relationship with Him after meeting her. If anyone deserves to be allowed to stay and be protected in the U.S., it is Armande. I have been in and out of jail, and this is the first time jail has not felt like torture. Armande has been such a blessing to all of us here. She deserves her freedom.
My name is Julia Rose. The first time I met Armande, I remember thinking to myself, “How can someone be so physically fit?” She has the brightest smile I have ever seen. For someone going through everything she is going through, the light and joy on her face made me question why she was being kept in jail.
Even while being in jail, she taught me how to look at life on the bright side, no matter the difficulty. Jail is supposed to be a hard time for those of us who deserve it. But not only did we have a personal trainer, we also had someone who reflected the light and love of God in her.
With the help of Armande, I was able to give my life to Jesus Christ. I started reading my Bible and even began going to Bible study, even though I was initially skeptical about Jesus. She helped bring out the fear I had inside and reassured me that everything would be okay.
This time is different for me because I have realized that I have made many mistakes in my life. But this woman, even while going through her own struggles, was still able to put a smile on her face and bring joy to others.
Armande is truly a ray of sunshine to anyone who encounters her, and she does not deserve to be locked up. She deserves to be reunited with her loved ones and to continue bringing this light to people who have lost hope.
My name is Brina Boone. Before I met Armande, I had been in jail for nine months. I had completely lost hope and felt that my mistakes had gotten the best of me. I didn’t see any hope for myself, and all I wanted to do was stop believing.
But then this girl came along, always smiling and always happy. I remember asking myself, “Does she know she is in jail?” The environment she was in didn’t change the smile on her face. I saw someone full of joy and happiness no matter the circumstances.
I haven’t been to a gym in a very long time because I have been locked up, and I had never had a personal trainer in my life. But there she was, a God-sent personal trainer. I learned how to do burpees, jumping jacks, and push-ups. To top it all off, she even prepared full “Hollywood-style” workouts for us.
From that moment, I realized that we all have something that brings us happiness, and for Armande, that is fitness. I began to develop more and more hope again. She told me that life was worth living and that my mistakes do not define who I am.
I made a resolution that when I get out of here, I will do things right this time.
Every evening before we go to bed, we have Bible study, and Armande has taught each and every one of us how to pray. Most of us had never said a prayer out loud or had never prayed before. But she encouraged us and explained that there is no perfect prayer.
For the first time, I was able to pray out loud among a group of women.
She is such an amazing person. The light in her took away the darkness that I was feeling before I met her. She gave me hope and helped me realize that I will one day be reunited with my family and that I am loved by Almighty God.
My time here has not been the same since she arrived. As much as I would like her to stay here with us, I truly believe she belongs out there in the world and deserves to be free.
This is no place for Armande.
Please set her free.