Central Karoo Mayor Gayton McKenzie working with inmates. Photo: Gayton McKenzie/ Facebook.
Inmates earning second chances by giving back
Programme by the Central Karoo District Mayor Gayton McKenzie to work with inmates was given a thumbs up by Correctional Services department
Central Karoo Mayor Gayton McKenzie working with inmates. Photo: Gayton McKenzie/ Facebook.
Inmates in the Central Karoo region of the Western Cape are dedicating their time to earn second chances in society.
INMATES APOLOGISE WITH GOOD DEEDS
Central Karoo District Mayor Gayton McKenzie was given a thumbs up by the Department of Correctional Services to work with inmates in earning their lives back.
“I am overjoyed and very grateful to the Department of Correctional Services for agreeing to our proposal to have inmates pay some of their debt back to society by having them help to fix dilapidated infrastructure,” he said.
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“Inmates will use their skills learned in prison to do actual work that will benefit communities, they will do this work as a step in paying back their enormous debt to society. We also hope and believe that this will get them job-ready upon being released.”
McKenzie
PROGRAMME IN LINE WITH 16 DAYS OF ACTIVISM
He added: “This is such a bold and much-needed step in the right direction. We will for the 16 days campaign against GBV fix a house of a lady who has been a victim of abuse and was carefully selected by social workers, her house is in an unliveable state and we will have it fixed totally with the inmates.”
“My greatest honour I told the DCS is to pay for all the repairs that the inmates will undertake.”
McKenzie
The Mayor motivated the inmates not to look far to draw inspiration.
“I am a recipient of second chances, I have committed crimes and paid for them by going to jail. Upon my release I was given a second chance. I am today giving many a second chance because of those people that looked beyond my past and into the possibility of what I might achieve if they give me a chance”.
ALSO READ: Ex-con Gayton McKenzie offers to help Flabba’s killer: ‘God forgave you’
MCKENZIE WISHES FOR THE PROGRAM TO BE ADOPTED NATIONWIDE
He hoped for this program to be implemented at a national level.
‘I hope this program will be rolled out everywhere in South Africa, it will help the communities to see value in second chances and also inspire the inmates to be job ready upon release,” McKenzie concluded.
