Ok, she already lived in a prison. She had bars on her windows and she had bars on her doors.She was the prisoner living in fear in a free society. Was she was paranoid? Who are we to judge? We never walked in her shoes.
My point? You simply can't do much more to protect yourself when you are poor. She did as best she could.
I have window bars, an alarm, a dog and a gun. I'm not paranoid. Neither are my neighbors. We are just prepared. It's not a prison. It's security.