The Prison Experience: A world apart

The Prison Experience: A world apartLincoln Raker was incarcerated at Pollsmoor Correctional Centre from 2013 until 2016 and participated in the restorative justice programme while serving his time

by Lincoln Raker

23-10-2023 09:51

in Prison Journalism

Lincoln Raker was incarcerated at Pollsmoor Correctional Centre from 2013 until 2016 and participated in the restorative justice programme while serving his time. Image via unsplash

If I could take you back to the time in prison, can you imagine living in a way that you never thought of before? It's a sense of not understanding what's going on around you and what you're going to do to make it better for yourself. I think that it's all in the mind because you believe that what is going on around you is just the way it should be. But let me tell you, don't think that what you're going through is not supposed to happen.

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Time in prison made me a different person, and spending time in prison, I forgot how much it really meant to be free. I couldn't do what I wanted; I had to wait for instructions from everyone around me, and I wasn't good at following instructions. If I wanted to go to the toilet, I had to tell someone. If I wanted to smoke, I had to tell someone. It made me think of ways to do things my way and not take orders from someone else.

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Influence of Prison Dynamics If you belonged to a gang, you might think you had value in prison, but you were just being used, and it was hard to see. Everything you did, from the way you talked to someone, the way you walked, and even the way you dressed and thought, was dictated by your surroundings. The reason I'm saying this is that the longer you stay with someone, the more likely you are to become like them.

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Reflection and Resilience The treatment that I received in prison is something that I will never forget. It's a part of me, but I can now reflect on what happened and strive to do better. The mind is very powerful, and when it's set on something, it's hard to focus on anything else.

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Sometimes, I would wake up in the morning, thinking I was at home, but the moment I opened my eyes, it would remind me that everything was falling apart. I say this because I was thinking of a bigger picture, but I was constantly let down by what I saw around me.

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Yearning for Freedom Being behind closed doors was really tough. Every day, I couldn't wait for the doors to open, and it made me yearn to escape from prison. However, I knew that escaping would only make things worse than they already were. When the doors were open, I would run around just to feel like I was free again.

ALSO READ: Prison journalism: Free Mind

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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