InsideOut Issue 14 by Young In Prison South Africa

M AY 2 0 1 4 I s s u e 1 4

nsideo ut

Yip Staff Tarisai Mchuchu Director

A project implemented by Young in Prison South Africa

Natasha Swain Finance & Operations Officer Zamani Ndlovu Programme & Office Manager Clinton Osbourn Post Release Manager

facilitated by Tlhabanelo Diholo

www.younginprison.org.za

Owen Butler Internal Projects Verifier Nkosinathi Buyana Service Learning Coordinator Tlhabanelo Diholo Soccer Coordinator Vuyokazi Magobiyane Post-Release Assistant Joseph Mofokeng Life-Skills Facilitator Tebogo Butie Life-Skills Facilitator Magazine design Conor Ralphs Young in Prison 059 – 080 – NPO Community House 41 Salt River Road Salt River, Cape Town Tel: 021 448 5275 Fax: 021 448 3024 info@younginprison.org.za This project is funded by The European Union

This issue has been sponsored and supported by:

CONTENTS editorial...........................................2 anger...............................................4 alternatives.....................................8 ceramics..........................................20 change is good..............................22 freedom & responsibility..............26 inside writing.................................30

Insideout Magazine issue 14

Editorial by Tlhabanelo Diholo Another Inside Out issue is dropping from the Drakenstein ‘Centre of Excellence’. I place emphasis on excellence because the centre itself strives to achieve this status and we work hard to ensure that the participants in each Inside Out cycle can reach that as well. As you read this issue, you will experience what the young men of ‘excellence’ experienced during their ‘Inside Out’ journey. The focus in this cycle was to empower participants to be emotionally ready to face any challenges they face during their stay and also when they leave the institution. We focussed on emotions and behaviour, stress management and conflict management. In this issue, as the three themes are interrelated to how an individual feels and focus on various tools he can use to manage feelings that influence negative reactions. We focused on using paints, colours and canvasses to express the different feelings and change processes we were going through during the cycle. In my period working with young offenders, stress has always been cited as the major cause for them joining gangs, tattoos and violent treatment of others as they are quick to anger. Therefore during the workshops participants were

given tools to control emotions so that they do not react badly to what they feel inside. As young men talking about bad feelings or expressing positive feelings might be seen as weakness, so they were encouraged to express themselves if not by words then through positive art. Issue 14 as you will experience, shows the cycle of human behaviour and how one can never write off someone. It showcases messages of each individual’s humanity when we take time to help those in need and the potential they can reach. This is particularly shown in the expressions on anger and how the participants use bright colours and make comics out of the different faces of anger. In dealing with complex environments such as prison where you are forced to live with strangers for long periods, it can be hard to focus on yourself and your individual change process. In the ‘change is good’ pages, participants were put in groups and had to create images of their change process as group and this enabled to express themselves on an individual level while relating to their peers. We feel that the results are powerful. Enjoy the read!

Insideout Magazine issue 14

Anger

page 4

During the emotions and behaviour workshops, participants focussed on one particular emotion which is anger. They felt that this was the root cause of the many fights or issues that they have had to deal with in life. In these workshops, we focussed on positive ways to handle our anger and let go of it so that it does not consume all the good within us.

Alternatives to violence and drugs

page 8

A lot of the young offenders in conflict with the law can trace their introduction to any criminal behaviour to their use of illegal drugs. The workshops on substance abuse focussed not on the use of drugs but the different alternatives to the use of these substances. Many participants who have since beat the habit, took the opportunity through the Inside Out platform to send messages to other young people on the dangers and ways to avoid them.

Ceramics

page 20

One of Young in Prison’s mottos is ‘Creativity Liberates’, the ceramics workshops were about liberation. This was an opportunity for each participant to take time out from all the heavy topics and just feel free to be a person and create anything that was in their mind. It was an opportunity to freely connect with their individuality and have fun.

Change is good

page 22

We focussed on group dynamics and how well they can work together and acknowledge each other’s change process. The idea was that each individual can be unique but still contribute to the group and wider society. We focussed on the positive and the how far they had come. This was very powerful because they all had to paint in separate blocks of canvasses but bring it together to make a whole, positive picture that shows their change.

Freedom & Responsibility

page 26

Celebrating 20 years of freedom in South Africa this year, while the collective freedom is very important, in our context the individual freedom is just as important as well. We focussed on how each participant can maintain freedom whilst incarcerated and how they must each take responsibility. Taking responsibility for our individual freedom will ensure that we recognise other people’s rights and respect them as well. 3

Insideout Magazine issue 14

ANGER

Insideout Magazine issue 14

Standing still The thing about prison is that it makes my life stand still.I jut want to day there is no life in prison.So you people dont come to prison because prison is not the place to be. Whether you are a INDODA or not,peole do not care.some of them like to stab each other over small things so young people please don’t do CRIME. JASON HENDRICKS

My emotion change a lot it is like the waves of the sea.I don’t allow my feelings to control me because the change they are something I can’t depend on.I learn many things from them and done many bad things because of them.So all I can say is that emotions are good and bad.just don’t allow them to control you because they change they are not dependant. NATHAN DE VILLIERS

Insideout Magazine issue 14

Poem of a friend If there is something bothering you talk to someone else maybe you cn get help if you want to talk comes to me maybe I can help If you have big problems because I also have big problems that Im facing every day. Maybe we can get the solutions to solve these problems together. If someday you feel like crying come to me but I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t promise you that you wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be exhausted. Maybe we are going to get the solution because in life we get stumbling blocks everyday now in order to survive we must deal with it and not lose hope. Only God knows why we are facing these challenges. BULELANI NGOYI

Insideout Magazine issue 14

ALTERNATIVES

Insideout Magazine issue 14

lov

Insideout Magazine issue 14

DRUGS You know what? when you use drugs,you lose your identity and you’ll think Everthing is sharp but it is not.You just put your parents in the corner and taking Out that proudness that they have for you as their child and you even start to Disrespect people from outside.I don’t want to speak about your parents Because yu disrespected them from the start the time you were starting to Come late home because I believe that each and every home there is rules but You decided to break them.To tell you the truth,there is no life in drugs. Let me share a little bit about me,2005 I started to smoke tik and I was in School at that time in std 5 and my parents supported me in terms of school uniform And everything that I needed but in 2008 I left school because I was very addicted In drugs and doing crime and there in school my teacher always send someone to encourage me to come back but I didn’t listen to her because she was a girl.Also my classmates use to come because I was the one who make them happy all the time because I like to makejokes.But in that year,I got cought but I didn’t spend much time in prison I think it was a week and three days then in 2010 I was arrestedand the hof sentenced me for 8 years in prison I was thinking Im the clever one but not.All I know now is that I ws lost my identity but now I found it back and ill never lose it again. SINETHEMBA GOLINTETE

Insideout Magazine issue 14 I am Mxoleleni Sikhahla ,I was a drug user particular of dagga and alcohol. At the early age of 13 yearsIts whereby I started to smoke cigarettes therefore all that wasn’t enough cause I enede up smoking dagga and drinking alcohol very heavily and unbearable way especially on that age.I started to mugg folks around the community and being disrespectful to anyone even at school I stole for that pupils but worst of all been cheeky towards my teachers . Because I thought drugs was everything to me, therefore it let me to drop out at school and engaged myself on serious crimes due to the fact that I wanted to fulfil my cravings and after I would just be impulsive and lived with regrets of which somewhat makes mostly to be imprisonment just exactly as I am. These are my drug experiences: 1. Lost a loved one due to being a drug user. 2. family started to lose ho[pe and trust in me. 3. Turned to be a monster instead of human being. 4. Drug user never cares its “JUST DO IT”

My advice to those who still doing drugs and those not: Please try to refrain from drug doing cause its very hurting when you faces the consequences however,it might be nice and enjoyable but for me a person who had experience that road theres no drugs better than other ,drug is drug. Though you might relapse but keep trying its worth it and eventually youll be rewarded by restoring your life and be able of being in control of your life forever. If you never do drugs,don’t even take a try because that path has its own heavy obstacles that you could not handle. Better be a person you are and be proud of yourself even if sometimes your friends make you a laughing stock for not using drugs.Remember you are worthy and unique.

Future is for us the youth be proud and be jealous of your life, don’t destroy it!

Insideout Magazine issue 14

MY NAME IS TIK I destroy homes I tear families apart I take your children and thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s just the start Im more costly than diamond more precious Than gold. Im made in a lab but not like you think I can be made under the kitchen sink In your childs clothes and even in the woods If this scares you to death,well it should If you need me remember Im easily found I live all around you in schools and in towns

ALTERNATIVES

Insideout Magazine issue 14

CERAMICS

Insideout Magazine issue 14

GE N A CH OOD G IS

I AM HAPPY I gave up to be taxi-conductor The reason was that I was doing a pendemic drug called tik and ended up in jail. What I am going to do is try and be trusted again so that I can go back to and work there./Therefore for me I need to be honest with myself that I wont steal money again Gondrey Brink

I AM A CRIME FIGHTER The reason why I chose to be crime fighter is because I was a criminal doing drugs and would do anything for drugs or money tom buy drug.I then found myself in prisonand I tod myuaself im giving upi on drugs because it was destroying my life.Iwas working ,I was fighting but then I realised fighting was not the solution because I lost my job.I was very rude the reason I was fighting was because I couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t get enough drugs. Dino

Insideout Magazine issue 14

I AM MY OWN HERO I gave up on three things., The first thing I gave up on is stop using drugs because I always said to myself I will stop using drugs but the next day I found myself using even more than before but then I saw it wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t worth doing the stuff I was doing because im not getting younger Im getting old. My family is the other thing I gave up on.I laways found fault with them but just when I found myself in prison the next day I was surprised to see them in the visiting area,then I found myself out that it was that the drugs that I was using that made me disrespect them. I also gave up on myself.I was involved with gangsterism in the community but then some older people in the area came to me and asked why I was throwing my life away for some gangster and then I realised I should not give up anymore on myself. Quintino

Insideout Magazine issue 14

FREEDOM & RESPONSIBILITY

Insideout Magazine issue 14

[ INSIDE WRITINGS ] Igam lam ndiguBuhle,Im from Gugulethu.Ndineminyaka eyi 25 kulo nyaka. Ndingene iprison ndina 19 iminyaka,because of icrime endiyenzileyo ndeza Iminyaka eli shume,phofu sendi zenayo emihlanu. Ukwenza kwa obubuhlobongela ndandi phantsi kwe mphembeleko zeziyobisi Ezibizwa ukuba yitik-tik,crystal myathi nezinye ke marijwana,pillis and utywala. Since Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m here in prison I have seen that sometimes drugs was just a waste of time And damage of myself because when I was using drugs my health was not good at All. Drugs lead me to do horrible things that I regret now.I dropped out of school, Because of drugs I committed crime and fell in addiction of all those things and my Dreams just disappeared and I ended up not knowing uthi ndingu bani.I started Smoking drugs the day I was stressing about my mom, dad and my family not Having money to support each other because mom and dad passed away long Time ago.I was taking stress away of not having my parents on my side to raise me, But I was mistaken just because after getting high the stress was still there and I Continued smoking until I see myself in danger of addiction .So please young sisters, And brothers donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t start this life of using drugs no matter what your problems are. There are other ways to solve you r problems but nt drugs more especially tik tik please My sisters and brothers lot of people love you no matter what just try to find someone To talk to when you have problem.Thats all I can say.Stay well and know God loves you. Buhle

LEWE IS LEKKER OM TE MAAK REG Ek Sal die kinder vir tale hou die Tik anders se lewe ne vir woes en die families vir nel en tpart gaan met bendes 28 en 26 en die community la skaar met die wat die drug tik gebrak ek Jonathan will net vir julle see dit is nie moote weke ni

Insideout Magazine issue 14

Hello my name is Nathan De Villiers I am 21 years old.I live in Ruyterwacht but I am currently Serving a 3 year sentence at Drakenstein Prison for robbery.Firstly I want to tell you that drugs are not worth it for I was a drug addict bur learned my lesson.In the beginning when I started using drugs,lets say dagga it was nice,laughing,eating,just enjoying it.But after a period the effect was not the same.I started using more and more but it was not the same as in the beginning. So I started smoking tik and this changed my life drastically.I became addicted to it and could not live without it.In the morning I would smoke,afternoon and at night .Thats also when I left school,did not work,needed money to support my habbit.My mother started noticing something different about me and warned me what I was buzy doing was not right and I knew that but I did not listen to her.I started stealing,breaking in houses,robbing and many other bad things took place.Time went on and I found myself in Prison and thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s when I realised that the life I ws living was not right and decided to change it and I did. So I can encourage you who will read this letter to listen to your parents for they know what is good for you.Stay away from drugs before you find yourself dead or in prison.Turn to God not to drugs and learn from me!!!its not worth it!!!I promise!!! Stay away!! NATHAN DE VILLIERS

Insideout Magazine issue 14

Insideout Magazine issue 9