I was a prisoner”, what do you think about me?
By Little Wish
“Never return” is the phrase written on the jail gate. In fact many prisoners, who have been released, always return again. Why? Is it because of prisoners themselves or because of us?
“I had sworn that I would not go back in jail again,” Nan, who did not want to give her full name, 20 years old woman prisoner who has been arrested twice, said with tears. “But I had to, they didn’t give me a chance. I have to sell it again; drugs. I had no choice. I didn’t have any money. I could not get the legal job. No one hired me. No one wanted to work with me.”
Many employers do not want to hire the ex-prisoners, believing that they may cause a problem.“It depends on what they have committed but personally I don’t want to hire the ex-prisoners,” said Mr Thanong Khanthong, The Nation editor, “I want to avoid the problems as much as I can.”
Most of people are scared and feel unsafe when working with the people who have committed crimes.“I think we should give them a chance but it is still scary for me if I have to work with the ex-prisoner,”said Boonmee Suknum, 40 years old house keeper, “it would be hard…”
While, many ex-prisoners ask the society to give them another chance.
“You have no idea what we have been through. I know I’ve done wrong. And I’ve paid by getting imprisoned. Life in jail is the worst thing,” said with tears, Nan, the prisoner, “But when I went out it was worse, when people disgusted me and gave me that look even I tried to become a new person.”
Life behind the jail wall, how is it? Have you ever wondered how the criminals live? A hundred of prisoners have to stay, sleep and eat in the same one room like sardines. The old torn maps are their beds. For those who do not have relatives sending food or money, they have to work to get money. Some may iron the clothes for the warders, cooking or doing some thing you cannot accept. Some have to go inside the nose level tanks that are full of faeces, dig them and clean up. Some have to work as prostitutes in order to get money to buy toothpaste.
They suffer both physically and psychologically, in their minds.
“I always dream of the life outside the jail,” Dao, who did not want to reveal the full name, a woman prisoner said. “How my daughter and my family are. I always think if I were out now, what would I be doing. I am just counting for the day I will be released every day, every hour.”
While some wish they could turn back time.
“My parents, they cannot accept it and never ever visited me,” a 19 years old woman prisoner who want to be unnamed, a half Thai-Chinese with a beautiful face, was sentenced for 3 years imprisonment on drug criminal, said. “I miss them so much. I know I’ve done wrong. I wish I could turn back time.”
Giving the second chance for the prisoners is the issue that many nonprofit organizations are working on.
“We want people to give them a chance because no one wants to do bad things and everyone has done wrong,” said Mrs Somsong Boonaroonraksa, a former vice-president of the Catholic Commission for Women in Thailand. “We should change our attitudes toward them.”
Thai Catholic Commission for Women is another organization which has been working hard on this issue. They always organise workshops to ‘lift them up’ and cultivate inner morals for prisoners.
“We came for cheer them up,” said Dr Lamduan Chinmanophan, the committee of Thai Catholic Commission for Women. “The reason for doing this is to change them to become good people once they are released. To prevent them from hurting us again, we should help them to become good people and the most important thing is giving them a chance to start again.”
Not only the nonprofit organizations that have their concerns on this issue, the warders and jail officers also take this as a serious issue.
“While in prisons, we teach them how to work; cook, bake, make bags and so on. Because we want them to get the job and do not want them to come back,” said Mr Phonchai Waithayavijit, the chief officer of Samuthsakorn provincial jail. “We are doing our best to prevent them going back to their same track and hurt others. It’s up to you now that you will give them a chance to make up themselves, allowing them to do good deeds.”
By Little Wish
“Never return” is the phrase written on the jail gate. In fact many prisoners, who have been released, always return again. Why? Is it because of prisoners themselves or because of us?
“I had sworn that I would not go back in jail again,” Nan, who did not want to give her full name, 20 years old woman prisoner who has been arrested twice, said with tears. “But I had to, they didn’t give me a chance. I have to sell it again; drugs. I had no choice. I didn’t have any money. I could not get the legal job. No one hired me. No one wanted to work with me.”
Many employers do not want to hire the ex-prisoners, believing that they may cause a problem.“It depends on what they have committed but personally I don’t want to hire the ex-prisoners,” said Mr Thanong Khanthong, The Nation editor, “I want to avoid the problems as much as I can.”
Most of people are scared and feel unsafe when working with the people who have committed crimes.“I think we should give them a chance but it is still scary for me if I have to work with the ex-prisoner,”said Boonmee Suknum, 40 years old house keeper, “it would be hard…”
While, many ex-prisoners ask the society to give them another chance.
“You have no idea what we have been through. I know I’ve done wrong. And I’ve paid by getting imprisoned. Life in jail is the worst thing,” said with tears, Nan, the prisoner, “But when I went out it was worse, when people disgusted me and gave me that look even I tried to become a new person.”
Life behind the jail wall, how is it? Have you ever wondered how the criminals live? A hundred of prisoners have to stay, sleep and eat in the same one room like sardines. The old torn maps are their beds. For those who do not have relatives sending food or money, they have to work to get money. Some may iron the clothes for the warders, cooking or doing some thing you cannot accept. Some have to go inside the nose level tanks that are full of faeces, dig them and clean up. Some have to work as prostitutes in order to get money to buy toothpaste.
They suffer both physically and psychologically, in their minds.
“I always dream of the life outside the jail,” Dao, who did not want to reveal the full name, a woman prisoner said. “How my daughter and my family are. I always think if I were out now, what would I be doing. I am just counting for the day I will be released every day, every hour.”
While some wish they could turn back time.
“My parents, they cannot accept it and never ever visited me,” a 19 years old woman prisoner who want to be unnamed, a half Thai-Chinese with a beautiful face, was sentenced for 3 years imprisonment on drug criminal, said. “I miss them so much. I know I’ve done wrong. I wish I could turn back time.”
Giving the second chance for the prisoners is the issue that many nonprofit organizations are working on.
“We want people to give them a chance because no one wants to do bad things and everyone has done wrong,” said Mrs Somsong Boonaroonraksa, a former vice-president of the Catholic Commission for Women in Thailand. “We should change our attitudes toward them.”
Thai Catholic Commission for Women is another organization which has been working hard on this issue. They always organise workshops to ‘lift them up’ and cultivate inner morals for prisoners.
“We came for cheer them up,” said Dr Lamduan Chinmanophan, the committee of Thai Catholic Commission for Women. “The reason for doing this is to change them to become good people once they are released. To prevent them from hurting us again, we should help them to become good people and the most important thing is giving them a chance to start again.”
Not only the nonprofit organizations that have their concerns on this issue, the warders and jail officers also take this as a serious issue.
“While in prisons, we teach them how to work; cook, bake, make bags and so on. Because we want them to get the job and do not want them to come back,” said Mr Phonchai Waithayavijit, the chief officer of Samuthsakorn provincial jail. “We are doing our best to prevent them going back to their same track and hurt others. It’s up to you now that you will give them a chance to make up themselves, allowing them to do good deeds.”
No comments:
Post a Comment