Prison journalism: From maximum to redemption: A journey of change and reflectionWesley Leong was incarcerated at the age of 15 in 1996 at Pollsmoor Prison. He is currently part of Restore's research and reintegration project.
by Wesley Leong
18-09-2023 12:42
in Prison Journalism
Wesley Leong was incarcerated at the age of 15 in 1996 at Pollsmoor Prison. He is currently part of Restore's research and reintegration project.
Image by unsplash
In this new article, I would like to share the repercussions I had to endure before I left the medium-security facility and all the difficulties I still go through after leaving prison.
--
Life Behind Bars: Maximum Security When I left the maximum-security facility to meet him, the facility felt very strange to me. The bus that took us from the prison had to stop about three times. Upon my arrival in the medium-security facility, I was issued an orange uniform to wear. I was used to wearing a red uniform, and the difference struck me immediately. The sunlight, the blue sky, the white clouds, the green grass, and the trees around me all felt very strange. You can imagine how hard it was for me to look into the sky; the sun was too bright, but I was grateful nonetheless. I took a step closer to getting home after my intermission and basically went to the cells.
ALSO READ: Prison Journalism: How Sticks escaped from prison to go to his mother's funeral
Transitioning to Medium-Security The setup in medium-security was completely different from maximum security. It was a different environment with different inmates and different protocols. The cells were a lot smaller, and there were windows. The lights went off at night, which was a blessing. My experience with violence in medium security was much less severe than in maximum security. I was wrong to assume that. The violence in maximum security was more drastic.
--
During my time in maximum security, I was constantly in single cells. I had a reputation for stabbing and fighting, and I almost got charged again for attempted murder while inside prison. My daily routine consisted of waking up in the morning and going to my usual spot to collect my knife for protection before the guards even opened the gates for breakfast. Then, I would proceed to the early morning greeting for the new arrivals, called sico. I would be on standby for my sergeant, and he would ask if everything was alright and if there were any issues out of the norm. After that, I would get breakfast and see what was on our agenda for the day. If there were any numbers involved, I had to defend my position as a member of the gang.
ALSO READ: Prison journalism: How a pen helped me escape prison
A Violent Turn of Events One morning, as usual, things took a turn for the worse. All of a sudden, a fight broke out, involving members of different gangs, and before I knew it, it was chaos. People were getting stabbed, including inmates, correctional officers, and cooks. It was madness. I recall stabbing two people that day, and by evening, I was laying in my bed, thinking about what had transpired throughout the day. I couldn't bring myself to sleep, knowing that I had caused pain and death to one inmate.
--
By the morning, I was summoned to the head of the prison's office. He wanted to discuss yesterday's events and whether I was involved in any of the stabbings. One inmate had died, and another was seriously injured. He also mentioned my history and my prior record, implying that he believed I was involved. I told him the truth, that I had no involvement in any of the stabbings. He made it clear that there would be an internal investigation, and the truth would come to light.
During the internal investigation, they questioned witnesses and anyone with information. A reward was offered, and one inmate decided to tell the police that I was involved in the stabbing of the two people. I was questioned repeatedly by the police, who claimed they had evidence of my involvement. I asked to see the evidence, but nothing came of it.
My brother took it upon himself to deal with the inmate who had informed the police of my involvement. When I look back on it now, where I am in life, I realize I would not have agreed to the consequences and the repercussions that the inmates had to endure. The one who got stabbed, thank God he's out today. I speak with him frequently on Facebook. As for the one who passed away, I tried to make retribution and console with the family after I was released from prison.
ALSO READ: Prison Journalism: From Despair to Redemption: My journey through prison and parole
Reflection and Redemption Sometimes in life, we are put in positions where we have to do things we don't want to do, things that make us uncomfortable, things that cause pain, hurt, and sometimes death. I live my life outside now, and I try my hardest to stay away from any form of violence. I respect life itself. Thank you for reading my article.
Should you wish to assist in the rehabilitation of former inmates and help put money into the pockets of those who have struggled to earn a living during and after incarceration, click HERE
DISCLAIMER: Submission published as received
RESTORE is an NGO based in Cape Town, South Africa, providing inmates at Pollsmoor Prison with restorative justice opportunities.
If you have any questions you would like to ask our prison journalists, WhatsApp us on 060 011 0211.
Do you have contact with a prison inmate who would like to write for The South African website? If so, send an email to info@thesouthafrican.com or a WhatsApp to 060 011 0211.
You can also follow @TheSAnews on Twitter and The South African on Facebook to get the latest prison journalism articles.
Are you a KAIZER CHIEFS fan? Click here
Most recent headlines
11/12/2025
Dalet, a leading provider of cloud-native, end-to-end media workflow solutions, ...
28/11/2025
Nadia Fall attends the 2025 Sundance Film Festival premiere of Brides at the Egyptian Theatre on January 24, 2025, in Park City, Utah. (Photo by Donyale West/...
28/11/2025
It's easy to ignore those little red update available badges. But when it ...
28/11/2025
WASHINGTON Federal Communications Commission has released a tentative agenda for the December Open Commission Meeting scheduled for Thursday, December 18, 2025 ...
28/11/2025
The Professional Fighters League is looking to super-serve fans of mixed martial...
28/11/2025
Fubo has released in beta on select Roku devices a new feature that lets users display up to four simultaneous streams at once....
28/11/2025
The WNBA playoffs and Week 4 of the NFL regular season highlight the list of live sports events airing on television this weekend....
28/11/2025
The 32nd class of honorees to the B+C Hall of Fame took to the stage at New York's Ziegfeld Ballroom on September 26 for a gala induction event. Click below...
28/11/2025
We hold in our hands the very last Next Text for Next TV, the weekly back-and-fo...
28/11/2025
DirecTV said it made a deal with EchoStar to buy EchoStar's video businesses, including satellite-TV provider Dish TV and virtual MVPD Sling TV, for $1 plus...
28/11/2025
The Broadcasting+Cable Hall of Fame, the premier industry event paying tribute to the influencers, innovators and shining lights of broadcast, cable and streami...
28/11/2025
Friday 28 November 2025
Sky Sports x Slawn drop limited-edition football jersey...
28/11/2025
Rohde & Schwarz shows resilience in a challenging environment, revenue exceeds t...
28/11/2025
Unwrapped: The Toy Show Appeal - airing this Sunday on RT One and RT Player- s...
27/11/2025
LONDON Vizrt has added several AI-driven advanced features offering improved speed, intelligence and accuracy in the newest version of its media asset managemen...
27/11/2025
Prime Video has launched AI-powered video season recaps in a beta version for select English-language Prime Original series in the U.S., a move Amazon is callin...
27/11/2025
Back to All News
Netflix's Raat Akeli Hai: The Bansal Murders Marks a Grand...
27/11/2025
27 Nov 2025
GSMA brings M360 Eurasia 2026 to Samarkand in partnership with VEON...
27/11/2025
Tahar Rahim and Izuka Hoyle star in the gripping six-part Sky Original from Acad...
27/11/2025
Thursday 27 November 2025
Sky Arts Reveals the Nation's Greatest Basslines - and Queen Reign Supreme
The UK's most iconic basslines have been revealed...
27/11/2025
Back to All News
Stranger Things 5': Prepare for One Last Adventure With O...
27/11/2025
The media industry has a paradox at its core. It's an industry built on light, color and imagination, yet behind the scenes, it's powered by one of the ...
27/11/2025
Rating reflects rating progress across areas including policies, diversity & inclusion, health & safety and Net Zero leadership
Winchester, UK, 27 November 202...
27/11/2025
What are the industry standards for Retail Media? Kathryn explains that certification is based on the IAB Europe Retail Media Measurement Standards and the IAB ...
27/11/2025
World champion boxer and Irish sporting icon Katie Taylor will be in studio this...
27/11/2025
Roblox, one of the world's most popular online gaming platforms for primary ...
27/11/2025
Black Friday is leveling up. Get ready to score one of the biggest deals of the season - 50% off the first three months of a new GeForce NOW Ultimate membership...
26/11/2025
SVG Sit-Down: Prime Video EP Mike Muriano Previews Massive Black Friday Slate Fe...
26/11/2025
A cinematic snow sculpture at the 1995 Sundance Film Festival. Photo by Randall Michelson...
26/11/2025
Book podcasts are booming. On Spotify, you'll find everything from celebrity book clubs to deep dives with bestselling authors. And in markets where audiobo...
26/11/2025
Mumbai, November 24, 2025: In a first-of-its-kind initiative, JioStar, in collab...
26/11/2025
LONDON Factual content producer ITN Productions has launched a new low-latency IP gallery for news bulletins....
26/11/2025
MIAMI TelevisaUnivision said it struck a new multiyear distribution agreement with YouTube TV that includes distribution of TelevisaUnivision's U.S. network...
26/11/2025
OpenDrives, Inc., a leader in software-defined data storage and data services, today announced the launch of the Atlas Corporate Creative Solution. This new Atl...
26/11/2025
Disguise, the industry-leading company powering the world's biggest live performances, is partnering with pioneering LED wall manufacturer DVS to give atten...
26/11/2025
HighField AI, the pioneer in agentic and multimodal automation for broadcast and media production, today announced the expansion of its global channel partner n...
26/11/2025
As high-stakes Premier League fixtures approach and additional premium content launches, with MONO positioning themselves to dominate Thailand's sports stre...
26/11/2025
Hosting a wide variety of events from high-intensity NHL games to complex live music concerts and major entertainment productions, Montreal's 21,000 capacit...
26/11/2025
Vizrt, the leader in live production technology revolutionizing viewer engagement and experience, releases AI-driven advances focusing on speed, intelligence, a...
26/11/2025
ITN Productions, an award-winning factual content producer, today launched a new low-latency IP gallery for news bulletins. Responsible for delivering a leading...
26/11/2025
Ikegami reports ongoing advances throughout 2025 in developing and delivering coordinated television production solutions that maximize quality, versatility and...
26/11/2025
Following the Nov. 21 blackout of NBCUniversal channels on Fubo, the two sides have traded barbs about their inability to reach a new carriage deal....
26/11/2025
LONDON As TV sports rights become increasingly important for both broadcasters and streamers, Ampere Analysis predicts global investment in the genre will surpa...
26/11/2025
LOS ANGELES Vubiquity said it has achieved the Amazon Web Services (AWS) Media & Entertainment Competency as part of the AWS Partner Network (APN). This designa...
26/11/2025
WASHINGTON The Federal Communications Commission's Enforcement Bureau said it has entered into a consent decree with Comcast calling for the cable company t...
26/11/2025
Berklee Named to the Hollywood Reporters Top Music Schools List The publication highlights the college's screen scoring program, industry partnerships, and ...
26/11/2025
Back to All News
Animated Series Love Through a Prism' Casts New Light on ...
26/11/2025
Back to All News
NALIP Unveils Fifth Cohort of Director Incubator
Social Impact
26 November 2025
United States
Link copied to clipboard
The National Assoc...
26/11/2025
YouView Achieves Greenly Gold Certification for SustainabilityNov 26, 2025
YouView is proud to announce a Gold Certification award from Greenly for our perform...
Prison journalism: From maximum to redemption: A journey of change and reflectionWesley Leong was incarcerated at the age of 15 in 1996 at Pollsmoor Prison. He is currently part of Restore's research and reintegration project.
