Prison journalism: From maximum to redemption: A journey of change and reflection

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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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