Say no to crime, ex-prisoners tell students

“CRIME will do nothing good for you but education is the key to success in everything.”
This was the main message delivered to more than 30 students by ex-inmates during the PRIDE programme at the Moresby Arts Theatre (MAT) recently.
The Community Justice Liaison Unit (CJLU) gathered ex-prisoners, who were currently working with them, to talk to the students about their experiences, and law and order.
One of the prisoners, Boski Aige, from Goroka, pleaded with the students not to get involved in any form of crime as it would only destroy their future.
“I left school and joined up with the wrong group of people who did wrong activities.
“I messed up my life when I got myself into these activities.
“I thought it was cool at first  like making fast money, driving fancy cars, having plenty of money at any time.
“But I got it all wrong and realised this when I ended up in jail,” he said.
He said that it was the environment he lived in that got him into all these and challenged the students to be careful with the type of people they hung out with.
“You future lies totally in your hands and you have to make the right decisions now.
“I realised that I was wrong so I am currently involved in crime prevention awareness to tell young people about my experience and encourage them to say no to crime,” he said.
Another ex-prisoner, Minnie Kaivepa, from Hula, shocked the students and others who attended as she told them about her dramatic life story and how she had become the type of person she was and ended up in jail.
She did a demonstration and told the students how alcohol, smoking and other illegal activities could shatter a person’s life into pieces, like broken bottles.
“My life wasn’t that easy and everything that happened in my life has made me to be what I was and that got me behind bars.
“I was exposed to so many unlawful things at a very young age.
“My family  didn’t like who I turned out to be.
“Now I’m a changed person and no matter  what name I was tagged with, God helped me out .
“Put God first in your lives and everything will fall into place,” she said.