Support Roberta, Prison Guard Who Lost Job Protecting Boy

My Story

My name is Roberta Bell, and I never imagined that doing the right thing would cost me the career I had built over eight years. But if I had to choose again, I’d make the same decision in a heartbeat.

While working as a correctional officer at the Louisiana Transition Center for Women, I learned about Katie, a young woman incarcerated for a nonviolent offense who had just discovered she was pregnant. She had no one to help and feared her baby would end up in foster care. I didn’t know her, but I knew I had to step in.

When her son, Kayson, was born, I went to the hospital and brought him home. I cared for him, loved him, and protected him as if he were my own. Those first months with him changed my life forever. But my decision came at a cost. Correctional officers are not allowed to give their personal contact information to inmates, and despite my intentions, I was fired from the job I had loved and served at faithfully.

After Katie was released, she briefly reunited with Kayson but sadly, her struggles with addiction led her back to prison. Kayson was placed into foster care, and I had no idea where he was. It devastated me.

Then, a miracle. His foster parents, Skylar and Christian Moore, learned about my connection to Kayson. They reached out to me and brought me back into his life. I was even invited to the courthouse the day they officially adopted him. Holding him again brought tears to my eyes - my prayers had been answered. He was safe, loved, and in good hands.

How your support will have an impact:

Today, I live in Mississippi and work long hours at a processing plant sorting cans to stay afloat. But my deeper calling continues. I’m the founder of Serenity Centers, a nonprofit that helps formerly incarcerated individuals re-enter society with dignity. We offer mental health resources, addiction recovery groups, and a supportive community because I believe everyone deserves a second chance.

The funds raised will be used to expand our community support programs at Serenity Centers and help cover my own basic needs as I continue this work. I gave up everything to protect one child from the system. Now, I’m working to help others find stability and hope as they rebuild their lives. If you believe in love, second chances, and doing what’s right even when it’s hard, I ask you to stand with me.

Please consider donating or sharing this fundraiser. Every dollar and every share moves us one step closer to creating lasting change - for Kayson, for our communities, and for the many people still waiting for someone to believe in them.

From my heart to yours, thank you.

To learn more about my story, you can find me on CBS News and David Begnaud’s YouTube: