A Second Chance At Life
“The inmates who will attend the expo are those who are within 12 months from their date of discharge and are eligible for employment,” Ms Panapasa added.
Tuesday 27 June 2023 | 12:08
Corrections Service Resident artist- Isoa Codrokadroka showing one of his art pieces. Photo: Ronald Kumar
The Fiji Corrections Service’s employment expo this Friday is sure to be a spectacle to watch.
For any employer looking to find talent, especially, as we’ve seen and reported, in the world of art, carpentry, cooking and baking skills, the expo would be the ideal platform for scouting.
These soon-to-be released inmates have come a long way from their troubled past.
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They will soon serve their time and more importantly, the Fiji Corrections Service was the place that honed their talent.
Had it not been for the Singapore-adopted Yellow Ribbon project, many of these skills that have the potential to contribute to the economy, would have gone unnoticed.
Case in point is Isoa Codrokadroka.
Fiji Sun ran the story of this 39-year-old inmate who found his artistry skills behind bars.
The lad said he never knew his skills existed until he found himself within the walls of a correctional facility.
His skills, with a paintbrush and his inspiration, were drawn from reading books and conversations with inmates.
“I am thankful to have been given a chance to tap into my creative abilities within the confines of prison,” Codokadroka said.
One can only imagine the kind of environment that this lad had to endure at a young age. Time and confinement, perhaps, became a wall of depression.
At the age of 22, on May 8, 2005, Codrokadroka was incarcerated, yet on March 11, 2013, he started his journey to learning art at the Tagimoucia Art Gallery.
And even within the confines of a correctional facility, Codrokadroka knows only too well the stigma that comes with being an inmate.
However, the Yellow Ribbon Project painted a picture worth hoping for.
And it is projects like the Yellow Ribbon that help to reshape a society that falls under the spotlight of moral decay.
And the timely message by the Fiji Corrections Service’s acting Commissioner Salote Panapasa and Fiji’s recidivism rate which is low by global standards can provide some element of hope for these inmates and would-be employers.
“The inmates who will attend the expo are those who are within 12 months from their date of discharge and are eligible for employment,” Ms Panapasa added.
Ms Panapasa said employment meant financial stability for the inmates in the outside world and a better chance to reintegrate back into the society and to be able to successfully contribute back to their families.
She added that unlocking the second prison was in the hands of the society.
Feedback: ranobab@fijisun.com.fj
