Prisoners "running" outside Prison

I have had a similar experience........

When I was at Goodwood Prison I joined and also helped to train the newly formed Prison Choir. An amazing experience.

We were invited to take part in the Provincial Prison Choir Competition in Mossel Bay. Most of the Prisons used their normal transport trucks and the prisoners in their orange prison uniforms. Our Head of Prison, Mr. Fourie, felt this was a special occasion and allowed us to travel in two small buses and in choir uniform.

When we rode up through the pass and the Huguenot Tunnel I sat there and cried watching the beauty around me pass by. And the sense of freedom. We met with the other prison transport vehicles in Worcester and travelled the rest of the way in convoy, using the prison near Swellendam as a toilet stop..

We slept over at the Mossel Bay Prison, but the actual competition was held in the Civic Centre in the town. The Goodwood Choir came 3rd in the competition.

On the return trip we had a mechanical problem with one of our buses so we did not go back with the convoy. We left later. When we reached Swellendam we did not use the Prison as a toilet stop, we used the garage. We parked a little away from the main parking. Mr. Fourie pulled up in his car and he chatted to us and congratulated us on our achievement. Again, so great to be able to stand around for awhile feeling so free.

When I was released from prison I continued helping to train the choir. It was great to be able to come from my freedom, walk through the prison gates and along the corridors and back to the choir room in captivity, and then leave again afterwards.

The choir started singing at Churches on a monthly basis. The first visit was to a DR Church nearby. They sang in two services with a break in between for refreshments in the hall with the congregation. One of the new choir members came up to me and told me he was terrified!!!! He told me he had been inside the walls of Goodwood for 7 years and this was the first time he had left the prison. Now all of a sudden he was having coffee and koeksusters with all the old oumas and tannies around him. The change in environment was MASSIVE. The next trip he was more relaxed.

The Goodwood Prison Choir were later asked to take part in a DRC Choir Festival as a guest choir.

But, when Mr. Fourie was transferred to Kokstad the new Head of Prison decided that visiting Churches was a security risk he was not prepared to take and the visits were stopped.

I really appreciated the work that Mr. Joey Springveldt did with the Prison Choir, and also Mr. Fourie as Head of Prison. This is what I call real REHABILITATION.