Prison Journalism: A day spent asking the public about ex-offenders

Prison Journalism: A day spent asking the public about ex-offendersWesley 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

01-02-2024 16:30

in Prison Journalism

A Day Spent Asking Public About Ex-Offenders

Image via pexels

So, being part of an NGO (Restore), I started to research what the public had to say about ex-offenders. I spent the day around my community enquiring, and this is what some of them had to say.

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Ex-offenders in public When I asked the public about their perspective on having ex-offenders, they mostly said that there is no place for this as they destroy the good by breaking into houses, cars, robbing innocent people, etc. The community was fed up with it. Others had some positive things to say that were concerned about what needs to be done to rehabilitate and reintegrate them back into the community.

Suggestions brought up The many views and ideas to reintegrate ex-offenders back into society, the public mentioned that the community deals with government needs to provide a system and workshops to allow ex-offenders a form of rehabilitation so it can provide ex-offenders with a stable source of income. So, they do not end up re-offending.

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Not an easy task Some members of the public had other ideas like longer jail sentences to eradicate the number of ex-offenders being released. They need to be harsher on offenders, allowing them into prison to reconsider their life of crime. Some members of the public suggested bringing back the death penalty. The public came across as very cross and fed up with our government and the measures that were not taken into consideration by the public.

The ones who do not care There were quite a few public members that I interviewed who simply did not care about ex-offenders. That left me not only surprised but saddened by the fact that people like that actually exist. How does one ever continue to live in a world so selfish and not bothered about the situation around you? These were people that came across as well-spoken and very critical, but yet they were so cold-hearted in their ways, not to mention churchgoers also.

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Above all, the outcome After speaking to a lot of public members, I realised that the problem concerning ex-offenders and what needs to be done to better the situation is not going to be an easy task. Especially if the community has views like this and no interest at all in the future of one community, leaving me to come up with a new plan and approach.

The youth is our only hope As an adult in the community, you always have your own mindset and view about things. So, it is extremely hard to be swayed and strive to make a change or even consider it.

So, we will have our work cut out for ourselves. Leaving the youth as our only real option to assist in making a change. We need to focus more on them, by moulding a mindset to prevent them from situations that will put them in positions like becoming ex-offenders. The only way is to inform them, educate them, and slowly the numbers will drop, and a change will be seen being applied.

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Sadly, what about the older generation? If there is no means for reintegration, community members that assist government that provides, they will end up wasted and powerless, so I don't know how to approach it going forward.

My only hope is that one day we can accomplish the good in assisting ex-offenders back into a world of good where the community accepts them and does not look at their faults but rather at the change and support that needs to be provided for the change.

Until then, I myself will be there, putting my stone in and assisting where I can to implement the vision that I share with so many like myself.

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DISCLAIMER: Submission published as received

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

RESTORE is an NGO based in Cape Town, South Africa, providing inmates at Pollsmoor Prison with restorative justice opportunities.

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