A MAN who has done time in a maximum security prison says even a hardened criminal can turn a new leaf.
Zola Moloi yesterday said the notion that "prisoners can't change" was not true.
Moloi, 33, however, said it all depended on the prisoner's state of mind. "It depends on what one would like to do with his life and where one would like to end up, but people can change," he said.
Moloi, who is serving 10 years, is now doing time at Grootvlei Medium B Correctional Centre after being transferred from Mangaung Maximum Security Prison. He was speaking at Mpolokeng Primary School in Botshabelo Section D as part of the Child Protection Week.
He said desperation to get out of prison often resulted in prisoners being freed before being properly rehabilitated and they often go right back in shortly after their release.
"There are programmes in prison which help with anger management so that one can be a good person once he is released," Moloi said. "However, some prisoners do those programmes for the sake of doing them. So when they get out, the smallest of things make them flip and they end up back in prison."
He also weighed in on the gang violence in Botshabelo township, where he comes from.
"Some of them have been to prison, but as soon as they arrive all that gang mentality goes out of the window because there are real gangsters in prison. Others simply do not know what that life is all about," Moloi said.
Reflecting on what landed him in prison, the father of a 12-year-old girl said his attempt at making quick money in a supermarket robbery landed him in prison. "It was armed robbery," Moloi said. He now plans to go into catering when he is released.
"With good behaviour, I could be out in January. I have been doing a number of programmes in prison and I plan to make use of my skills when I'm released." - selebim@sowetan.co.za
Hardened criminals do change - inmate
A MAN who has done time in a maximum security prison says even a hardened criminal can turn a new leaf.
Zola Moloi yesterday said the notion that "prisoners can't change" was not true.
Moloi, 33, however, said it all depended on the prisoner's state of mind. "It depends on what one would like to do with his life and where one would like to end up, but people can change," he said.
Moloi, who is serving 10 years, is now doing time at Grootvlei Medium B Correctional Centre after being transferred from Mangaung Maximum Security Prison. He was speaking at Mpolokeng Primary School in Botshabelo Section D as part of the Child Protection Week.
He said desperation to get out of prison often resulted in prisoners being freed before being properly rehabilitated and they often go right back in shortly after their release.
"There are programmes in prison which help with anger management so that one can be a good person once he is released," Moloi said. "However, some prisoners do those programmes for the sake of doing them. So when they get out, the smallest of things make them flip and they end up back in prison."
He also weighed in on the gang violence in Botshabelo township, where he comes from.
"Some of them have been to prison, but as soon as they arrive all that gang mentality goes out of the window because there are real gangsters in prison. Others simply do not know what that life is all about," Moloi said.
Reflecting on what landed him in prison, the father of a 12-year-old girl said his attempt at making quick money in a supermarket robbery landed him in prison. "It was armed robbery," Moloi said. He now plans to go into catering when he is released.
"With good behaviour, I could be out in January. I have been doing a number of programmes in prison and I plan to make use of my skills when I'm released." - selebim@sowetan.co.za
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