Life in Fiji's Prisons

I come in 96 single life sentence no level since 2011 himself Luca no mm I bang with - Congo - Congo no moniqua room ketosis set my Nicola lose her sanity gonna room Bongo niqua in a room but you see Lee Lee Bo na sinky longer room when I came in 7 years ago this place was a mess and it was a mess until you know a year ago it was still a mess things have changed inmates have testified that the skills training programs offered in the prisons are helping them develop positive thinking it has got many of them in Spain boutonnière in this program with inmates the main question is where do they go from here what do they go from so what intention of the department is to MC oneself something like that certificates so that they'll be inaudible opportunity some jobs earn money for their families when we work or cynical kind of work to Bindu nursing a laburnum building the villa American Indonesian and a walker to go indominus singer and there in vaca near nwando Indonesian or some ability selecting casa milà gentleman we were taken a new turn on 24 some me miss retina top to Unadilla who negro [Music] I did not know anything about the serving when I was outside but I've learned a lot of things in prison this is my fifth year in prison and this serving I did not know outside and you know 72 lady for moi Oh sang about it when I go to the two-layer whatever color whenever I am in a cabin a Muhammad Ali who an assorted I stood on that open Watson Brown wanted him but I will now [Music] [Music] the women's prison has its own rehabilitation program here the inmates learn a wide range of skills even the simplest of tasks most of them are able to to do things that they don't do at home simple washing of groups scrubbing doing handicrafts and now since we are having a lot of rehabilitation programs and there are so many changes that prism doesn't remain as a prison it's something like a correction Center and we have been given a lot of opportunities that we can do something we can survive by our own selves even if the committee doesn't accept us the programs and the activities I would say the rehabilitation programs helps a lot it helps the inmates to decide well and to decide what to do in the when they come out from this place but no of course they need to be a reciprocal arrangement from the prisoners in terms of bettering their you adjusting to to what's needed or them making sure that their lifestyles improved at the pre-release center within the number of prison compound inmates have their own vegetable and food currents which they sell and the money deposited to their private accounts most of our programs are funded some of the later planting planting vegetables and root crops so when it was matured we do sell them the money we get we'll put it on the account on the drunker so to prepare them when they go to spiritual development is also a part of the Reform and rehabilitation program introduced in the prison's church groups like the Prison Fellowship Fiji visit and give spiritual counseling to inmates on a daily basis primary work is to deal with the behavior of the prisoners we go for the heart we believe that's where the problem is and if we can change the heart then we change the behavior I'm born in prison if anybody said which term you gonna born I gonna tell I born in prison prison is my house because this place I have found the Lord man because he saved me from the death and come and give me a life with my inheritance Tony democracy so we we are thieves but there is another thing that we in prisons there are things that prisoners just was it transforms our lives [Music] I've been working with prisoners since 1985 and the thing has kept me going is that it's very positive that there's joy in seeing people's lives change the prison mccurdy is an initiative of the Fiji prisons department to draw public attention to the activities going on in the prisons and the efforts to improving the lives and prepare prisoners when they return to civil society it was also an opportunity for the public to see the work of prisoners and meet face to face with them if we cannot change that attitude the public attitude towards offenders all the programs that we are required to do under rehabilitation program I think it's a waste of time it's a waste of time because at the end of a day when they have completed a sentence who do we hand over to I mean the prisons is it to the family to the church to the Benoir or an organization you know I've come across prisons who really want to change their life but the problem is that when they go out there they they just lose it because of the lack of the support system out there the number of people going into prison every year keeps increasing and the jails are overcrowded the courts have reluctantly sent people in because of the unavailability of manpower to assist with non prison sentences like community work the Magistrates Court has come up with a solution to this and established what it calls the problem-solving court this Court is design to its sentencing court and only which means only those people that those offenders that have pleaded guilty they will appear in this court it's not a new court but it's only a sentencing court and it's an approach or new initiative from the system to to address the problem of an offender identify what is the problem why is it that he offends why did he commit that crime and then the court would try to address that problem so by addressing the problem you know setting into prison is not the answer despite the public's negative attitude towards prisoners those who've been through the system know that this is the place where they come to meet their real self the successful reintegration into the community is a greater security for our society basically what I've seen in my 16 years of working at a justice system is that offenders who come before me have issues whether it be family dysfunctional my parents have left them their relatives don't want them back or their wives have left them the children have disowned them and they look around for solutions in the wrong places you [Music] when morning comes and fade away they see the Dan you were prison gave myself back oh my my identity my self-respect I now know exactly where I was going no way I'm going now I'm and I did not know where I was going to fall [Music] [Applause] when we wish I want you to know me well reverse into online that you mama [Music] [Applause] [Music] always I think at the end of the day these are all human beings you know somewhere along the line they if before if they fell along the way you're perhaps weak misused abused or perhaps basically did something influenced by the situation and company's result ended up in prison they're still human beings useful people that we hope we hope after they serve the time prison they could be used back in the familiy t4 society [Music] [Applause] it is evident that the rehabilitation programs and activities happening behind the prison walls are having a positive impact on the image of prison and on the lives of prisoners this men and women have realized that coming to jail isn't the end of the world for them what is needed however is more public support and understanding [Music] thousand thing I bought way see today why [Music] you made okay you like today [Applause]

Channel: PrisonFellowshipFiji

Views: 17,260

Keywords: Yellow Ribbon, Fiji, Prisons, Prison, Fellowship

Id: S7YrXRyRK4Q

Length: 14min 57sec (897 seconds)

Published: Wed Dec 12 2018