A WOMAN, whose world dramatically changed two years ago when she was arrested on drugs-related charges while on her way to school, is now trying to complete the educational journey which was stalled when she went to jail. But, she has already endured the horrors of spending four months in remand prison, waiting for her trial to be concluded, while she also spent months in jail. She was a 19-year-old schoolgirl when she was arrested and convicted for being in possession of drugs.
But, she has refused to let that dark period shape the remainder of her life. She is even furthering her education at a local university, a testament to her resilience and a commitment she made to herself to complete what stopped when she was arrested on her way to school that fateful day. Yesterday, she shared her journey of recovery and reintegration at a gathering organised by the Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Service (ZPCS) in Harare.
She urged current and former inmates to embrace their past because this was important for their successful reintegration into society. “I regret the choices I made that led me to prison at such a young age,” she said. “I spent four months in remand prison before my sentencing.
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“It was heart-breaking to learn about my academic results while being incarcerated.” Docus revealed that many female ex-convicts often hide their past, fearing the stigma associated with incarceration. “Some try to maintain their appearance, concealing their prison life, even after release. “They claim to have been living abroad rather than facing the truth.”
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