Over the past 3 months, the Wagner's Youth Facility has been engaging in a rehabilitating exercise for the inmates.
Now, the current public position on prison is that accused and convicted persons just go there, and they wait their time out until they are released. When they come out, there is no positive change in personality and behavior that occurs.
Well, the Wagner's Youth Facility was determined not concur, and the facility's population participated in this exercise.
With the help of the Government Press Office, we got a chance to look at the final day of the rehab exercise.
Here's what the participants and coordinators had to say:
Participant
"During these past three months, the program has had a great impact on my life. It has helped me to conquer and overcome one of my greatest problems in life, which was anger. At first, it was a challenge to adapt, but with practice, I eventually came to realization that I am in charge of my own feelings. I own my feelings and it is okay to feel angry. I also learned that anger is part of being human; however I have learned how to express my anger in helpful ways. Although I have learned these skills there were times I wanted to restore to familiar aggressive ways to expressing my feelings. I had to step back and reflect: the more I felt to take care of my anger the more powerful I became. I know that I need to control what I do with my anger."
Instructor
"Being in this program I could give you a lot of feedback because first off, when we got here, a lot of these guys were really aggressive, not having a lot of attention in them, and they didn't like one another. The program went along and with their participation with
their confidence knowing that good could come from participating out of this. Not just getting a new sneakers but getting themselves together like some of you guys saw from some of the children coming up and explain through poetry or through songs or skits or whatever. But it was an experience that I know they've enjoyed. I've enjoyed teaching you guys, you have been very receptive even though sometimes it's been hard, we knocked heads sometimes - some of you had to go in the hole and, just due to the fact that we are trying to bring better out of you guys."
Instructor
"It is important for all of us to remember that we do make mistakes in life, it's part of being human and so you guys are no different from any of us and any of the other children who are out there. We've made mistakes. It just happens that your mistakes landed you here but doesn't mean that you don't have an opportunity to do good things for yourselves."
The coordinators have promised to return in the next few months to continue with another rehab exercise.
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