On the podium: Reintegrate released prisoners into society
Following a recent online article about kindness, there is another area I wish to point out that I have been thinking about for a long time.
I am concerned about men and women filling our streets every day who have the chance for a fresh start for a better life.
As a security guard, I see and have asked about eight, if not more than that, their reason of being on the street. It shocked me to know that they had been released from prison and do not have money to go home.
“Where is home?” I asked, and I discovered that these people are from all over the country. I realised then that this is an area that our correctional services should take a closer look at.
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I have realised that it is not enough to open a prison gate and expect a prisoner from Cape Town, who had been jailed for 15 long years, to go home without considering how.
There is one common reason: Loss of family’s contact details and a lack of transport fare.
If, after release, they can be transported back home, I believe the skills training they received while behind bars can be put to good use in their own communities, rather than them becoming citizens of the streets.
As I see it day-to-day, having to live on the city streets does not do them any good, nor the city. The number is escalating daily and it does not sit well with me.
These men and women usually become drug addicts. The reason is that they do not want to face the streets, but their situation allows only that. This means drug-dealing will not cease to exist in our towns.
Let us see if we can offer a helping hand on this one.
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