Silence the Violence
Used
with permission of the author:
Author: Steuart Pennington
Co-founder and Partner
steuart@sagoodnews.co.za
SOUTH AFRICA - The Good News project
http://www.sagoodnews.co.za
25 May 2007
This article appeared in two parts in SOUTH AFRICA - The Good
News, 21
May 2007 and 25
May 2007.
Back to ... Workinfo.com Human Resources Magazine Volume 1 Issue
8, 2007
"I'm in for 20 years for double murder," the
librarian at Zonderwater Maximum Prison told me as I walked into a
bright, well-stocked library where offenders in their orange
overalls were diligently studying and working on computers. My
impressions of this maximum facility were at 180° of what I had
expected. There were no sullen, scar-faced, dangerous-looking men
glaring at these “visitors” who had come to visit, there were
no grumpy looking guards reluctantly showing us around as if this
was extra work. And although overcrowding was evident, the place
looked bright and organised.
As part of my journey to understand crime in South Africa and
as part of a programme at the Gordon Institute of Business Science
(GIBS), I had been introduced to an NGO called Khulisa Crime
Prevention Initiative whose byline is "Rehabilitate - Restore
- Reintegrate". They had organised a day at this facility to
show us the work they were doing with prisoners, sorry, offenders
(prisoner in today's South Africa is an outdated term).
This particular facility was built for 846 offenders and is
currently housing 1,800 we were told as we were introduced to the
Chief Correctional Officer. As he was wearing epilates with three
pips, I asked if he was a Captain. "No, we dropped saluting
and referring to each other after using military jargon years
ago," was the reply. We quickly learnt that of the 1,800
inmates approximately 180 were White, Coloured and Asian (that's a
standard question in South Africa isn't it?). All of them were
"maximum", offenders with 10 years plus sentences. The
prison has 188 staff members ranging from psychologists to
educationalists to nurses to sports and welfare officers. Many of
the offenders are involved in "educating" others who
have received bursaries from UNISA and the corporate sector.
I was rather intrigued to meet the psychologist and wondered
what kind of person could possibly spend his or her day dealing
with these murderers, rapists, armed robbers and violent abusers.
I had this image of a burly, thick-set, middle-aged man who rather
looked like a criminal himself. You can imagine my astonishment
when a drop-dead gorgeous young woman entered the Chief’s
office! As we walked round this Correctional Centre with the
psychologist, I was astonished at the relaxed and friendly dynamic
that existed between her and the offenders.
We quickly learnt of the daily routine: up at 05h00; breakfast
between 07h00 and 08h00, education, recreation and sports until
lunch and then back into the cells at 14h00 for the rest of the
day with a “light supper”. The psychologist explained to us
the emphasis that is placed on the different types of education.
Some of these offerings are “anger management” and then both
secondary and tertiary opportunities. Visits are allowed over the
weekend and on public holidays.
As we walked around the centre I was very aware of the inmates
playing soccer, attending church services, taking classes,
studying in the library, working in craft shops and generally
being occupied. As I walked into a cell, designed for 24 inmates
but with 36 (everyone sleeps on bunks with barely enough room to
squeeze between them) and one toilet, one shower and one
television, I wasn't overcome with a sense of inhumane treatment.
I had drawn the comparison to that of my work on the coal and gold
mines in the 80’s where conditions were eerily similar, the
difference being here that the cells were immaculate, every bed
made with blankets, sheets and two pillows (not the case on the
mines), every locker well-kept and plenty of evidence of inmates
doing their ironing. I also visited single cells which are made
available to those prisoners who are seriously studying or who
have in one way or another been victimised.
On the surface, the facility looked organised, well-managed,
hygienic and friendly, a real Correctional Centre. There were,
however, some grumblings from offenders regarding medical
services, the shortage of psychological and social worker
services, as well as overcrowding.
The final part of our visit involved our introduction to the
Khulisa class of volunteers (200 applicants originally applied
with a shortlist of 36 eventually being selected). These offenders
were being prepared to work amongst other inmates on a HIV/AIDS
and drug peer educator programme. The 12-month programme includes
four modules:
My Path – this is a self-help learning programme for
individuals needing to correct their behaviour. The programme
places a learner on a path of exploring who he or she really is
and preparing for re-entry into a positive, productive and
meaningful lifestyle.
Drug awareness – the programme
teaches participants to physically identify illegal drugs and drug
paraphernalia, and to recognise when legal and over the counter
drugs are being abused.
HIV/Aids awareness – this
programme trains peer educators – the most effective advocates
for attitude and behaviour change – to teach HIV/AIDS awareness
and prevention.
Street Law – understanding of human
rights and responsibilities.
Our session ended with a number of the programme attendees
sharing their testimonies.
"I have been here for 17 years, guilty of armed robbery
and murder. I am passionate about this programme. I understand so
much more about myself and what I can do to help others. My
vision, when I am released, is to work with the youth of our
country, black and white, male and female. I would like them to
understand the cycle of violence and to give them hope. ”
"My name is Fred (not real name). I was with the cops for
17 years, both pre- and post-94. It was hard for me to get used to
the new South Africa, I lost it one night and killed some innocent
people. This programme has been great for me; when I am released I
am going on to work with cops who suffered some of the stresses
that I did, and to help them cope better.”
The stories were all similar, maximum sentences for serious
offences. The Khulisa senior co-ordinator Thabo Monyatsi has a
really warm vibe with these offenders. I was amazed at how
articulate and committed they were to “silencing the
violence" through the replication of these peer education
programmes throughout the facility.
According to Monyatsi, it is believed that these peer educators
will be working in the delivery of change programmes with at least
2/3 of the prison population during the course of the next 3
years. The programme roll-out is developed in consultation with
the prison authorities. The impact of the prisoners is monitored
on an ongoing basis.
For me, this experience drove the point home that the challenge
of "Making South Africa Safer" must go beyond simply
improving policing, the court system, and building new prisons. We
must mobilise the public to become more law-abiding and we must
become involved with initiatives that encourage community safety
AND we must work with offenders and ex-offenders to Rehabilitate -
Restore - Reintegrate them into society. I can't think of anything
more powerful than ex-offenders dealing directly with our youth in
a "Making South Africa Safer" campaign. For my part, I
will try to spread the influence of this important contribution.
"Let the hands that once hurt be the hands that
heal.”
“I’m an ex-offender, I did 15 years for armed robberies”
says Sam. “I’m an ex-offender, I did four years for rape”
says Ignatius. “I’m an ex-offender…”
As I went around the room at the Head Office of crime
prevention NGO Khulisa, I learnt from the six ex-offenders I was
interviewing what crimes they had committed, where they did their
time, and what they had determined to do with their lives after
imprisonment.
My journey to understand crime in South Africa has taken a new
turn, commencing with a visit last week to Zonderwater
Correctional Centre ('Prison' is not PC!).
Following the prison visit, I met with a group of ex-offenders,
some of whom are still on parole, some not. Again my reality was
180 degrees from what I had expected. These ex-offenders didn’t
look traumatised by long jail sentences; they spoke so openly
about their crimes, it was almost disarming, and they described so
sincerely, and articulately, their determination to become
involved in “educating” our youth at both primary and
secondary school level as well as their desire to “silence the
violence”.
While in prison they had participated in Khulisa’s Peer Drugs
and HIV/AIDS Education Programme and were now engaged in
Khulisa’s reintegration initiative: the “Make South Africa
Safe” campaign.
This campaign trains ex-offenders as master trainers who, in
turn, research, develop and implement crime prevention programmes
in their respective communities. The services of the ex-offenders
are made available to various NGOs, government departments and
other agencies in the delivery of crime prevention programmes.
This is linked specifically to the philosophy of restorative
justice whereby ex-offenders are provided with an opportunity to
make amends to victims and the community for the damage done
through their criminal acts.
Johannes, another member of the group I was interviewing, had
been selected by Khulisa as a potential community leader. In 2002
he attended the MIB (Making it Better) Programme, which focuses on
developing young adults as community leaders and role models. The
skills he acquired through programme included Ubuntu (humanity);
presentation skills; teambuilding, life skills; drama therapy;
meditation; counselling and indigenous games.
Johannes was working in association with the ex-offenders in
order to support their programme delivery amongst school-going
children, particularly in disadvantaged communities. One of the
particular interventions delivered by the ex-offenders under the
banner of “Make South Africa Safe” campaign is called
“Silence the Violence”. This programme enables participants to
understand the three levels of violence (verbal, physical and
emotional); restorative justice; the dark face and the true face
(a game to get children to deal with their “dark side”);
non-violent communication skills; drama; listening skills; and
personal recovery.
The underlying motto of the programme is “learning the way
forward – leaving the past behind – developing a personal road
map”.
Included in the programme is drug and alcohol awareness, and
helping children understand drugs: the process of addiction,
withdrawal, relapses, triggers and where to find counselling.
Learners are given the wherewithal to evaluate this
“teaching”, to form support groups, and to develop mentor
relationships with the ex-offenders.
Walter Phello, the programme co-ordinator, who was originally
introduced to Khulisa in 2002 when he was serving a maximum
security sentence at Johannesburg Medium C Prison, explains: “We
have 26 ex-offenders and 4 youth leaders on this programme in our
area. They work in pairs and we are currently involved in 9
schools, a school of industry and various community centres. At
present we are working with about 3 500 learners but I am proud to
say this initiative is also happening in other areas of South
Africa”.
“BUT WE COULD BE DOING SO MUCH MORE,” he laments.
“Why aren’t you?” I ask rather naively. “Is it a
shortage of ex-offenders who have the capability to do this
work?”
“No, just funding,” he replies and explains further: “We
have 58 additional parolees who have requested that they
participate in the “Make South Africa Safe” campaign. They are
researching needs in their communities, particularly in schools,
in orphanages and places of safety. BUT there are hundreds of
parolees out there who want to and can help, who are unemployed
and who, through inactivity, will relapse back into crime!
“For obvious reasons they struggle to get work elsewhere.”
Ignatius agrees, “What makes the learners listen is that we
have been there, we’ve done drugs, abused alcohol and committed
serious crimes. I don’t see myself as a teacher, rather a
facilitator. Learners see us as providers of knowledge, advice and
experience… they really want to know. They want us to become
part of the school. Both teachers and parents see us as adding
real value. But … there is such a struggle to find the funding
to support us”.
Sam explains, “While we get paid R100 per day for our work,
we fear reprisals from drug lords, we have no transport for house
visits with parents, we even battle to supply the “dark face”
masks. The demand in our communities far outweighs our ability to
supply.”
I talk to Lesley Ann, the founder of Khulisa (operating for 10
years in SA).
“It’s funding – plain and simple” she says. “We have
received funding from the Finnish Government over the past 6 years
but this funding cycle is now coming to an end. We could be
working in every jail – oops! correctional centre – and with
learners in every province. We could deploy hundreds of parolees
to work in our schools, but it is a real battle to get support in
order to sustain them financially. ”
“What about government?” I ask. “They give us some
funding as do overseas governments and trusts, but the corporate
sector here could do so much more.”
“Why aren’t they?” I ask. “You’re doing such great
preventative work.”
“It’s all about communication” she replies. “We need to
share our successes with fellow South Africans in order to
generate the confidence in the potential of ex-offenders. We
believe that if we can get to learners at the most vulnerable
period (12 years old), we could have a real chance of giving them
a sense of purpose, a sense of the future… and keeping them away
from crime. Through our programmes we demonstrate to children that
there are alternatives.”
I am perplexed.
That night I have dinner with Taddy Blecher, CEO of CIDA City
Campus, now a global model providing disadvantaged children with a
world class tertiary business education. I tell him of my
experience.
“Let us find a way of giving 500 parolees a chance to do this
kind of work with CIDA’s support,” he challenges.
We’re on it… with Khulisa’s help!
For more information on Khulisa, visit the Khulisa
website
Postscript
In my opinion, if we want to really fix crime in this country,
we’ve got to do four things well:
- Build institutional capacity – better policing, better
courts, better correctional centres
- Mobilise the public – encourages ordinary citizens to do
their bit and become more law abiding
- Understand the root causes of crime – work in
dysfunctional communities to stop the cycle of violence and
the cycle of poverty
- Improve our capacity to prevent, restore and rehabilitate
using these who have offended so that they can be reintegrated
positively into society
Steuart Pennington is devoted full time to the SOUTH
AFRICA-The Good News project and he's primarily responsible for
product content development. Steuart owns Good People Management (GPM)
which specialises in enhancing strategy delivery for corporates
and he continues to publish books about management practice. He
holds a BA.Hons from Rhodes, a PDM from Wits University and a
Certificate in Management from Oxford. Stuart believes that we
"don't describe the future we see … we see the future we
describe." He can be contacted at +27 (0)11 463 5713, steuart@sagoodnews.co.za
or http://www.sagoodnews.co.za.
Short Summary:
Ex-offenders are working in our communities and make a
significant contribution to a safer society through training and
educational programmes addressing violence, abuse, and criminal
offenses. As society we can assist by helping them reintegrate
positively in society.
Key words and relevant phrases:
Education, ex-offenders, HIV/Aids awareness, recruitment, rehabilitation
programmes, society, violence.
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8, 2007
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