Juvenile Prison Experience
By D Nyambu
In early March, 2013, I volunteered to speak to a group of Juveniles who were in remand prison. I wanted to not only see their sleeping quarters but also to try and understand how they felt being in prison thus get to empathize with the teachers who take them through life skills lessons. I was also hoping to understand the situation that the Juveniles found themselves in. The prison we were to visit was for young juvenile boys between the ages 13 to 17 years. These are young children who had committed offences such as attempted murder, robbery with violence, attempted rape to name but a few.
A day before going to visit with the prisoners, my friend Janette began narrating to me of how the male prisoners stare at women visitors and that I should be very careful with what I wore when going to the prison quarters. ‘Don’t wear any low necked blouses and tight outfits’ she advised. I put up a brave face, little did she know, I was melting in the inside, almost changing my mind about making the visit. What if I got attacked, what would I tell people I was doing in the prison cells?
The following day I chose my outfits very carefully. I made sure almost every part of my body was covered; I even contemplated wearing a scarf. Would they be attracted to my hair? I wondered. I was very apprehensive as we approached their learning center. But because I was well prepared with my teaching materials and lesson plans, I gained confidence and brushed aside all scary thoughts.
The lesson went well devoid of any funny incidences. I learnt a lot from the young boys and got the main impression that they regretted ever having put themselves in such a situation that deserved being imprisoned. I encouraged them to change their thinking as positive thoughts breed positive actions. This statement was so true even for me and my previous doubts!!
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