Creating a future for offenders
LEEUWKOP – Months of hard work recently paid off for 215 male and female offenders who proudly swopped their prison overalls for graduation gowns.
The inmates celebrated their achievement when they graduated with various certificates, diplomas, bachelor degrees and masters degrees at a graduation ceremony at Leeuwkop Correctional Centre.
Sanku Tsunke, head of communications at Leeuwkop Prison said, “Offenders are given support to obtain an education from school level up to a higher education and training level. The offenders corresponded with various institutions such as Unisa and various other technical universities…”
Tsunke explained that the Department of Correctional Services had a mandate of rehabilitating offenders, and one of the ways to achieve this was by ensuring they were empowered and prepared for life after serving their prison sentences.
Among the graduates was 34-year-old Karl Greyvenstein, who graduated with a Master of Science in Information Systems from Unisa.
Tsunke said, “Greyvenstein was sentenced when he was 21 years old and he did not even have a matric when he was imprisoned.” Despite this, Greyvenstein vowed to change his life for the better.
He explained that he had ambitions of assisting start-up companies by setting up new information systems and later creating his own information technology company.
Portia Matjila from Unisa gave a word of encouragement to the graduates and urged them to look to the future. “Today you have demonstrated that you know where you are heading and what you want to achieve. You were never meant to graduate any other day than today, and that is what you need to embrace. Forget about the past and look forward to your futures,” she said.
Details: 011 208 9515.
Do you think the Department of Correctional Services is doing enough to ensure offenders are integrated into society after serving their time in prison? Tweet @Fourways_Review with your comments
