Category: My Stories

Kim had stabbed his housemate multiple times. Like many who end up in prison or gangs, he’d used violence as a valid problem-solving tool—perhaps the only tool he felt was available to him. When a problem arose, many inmates would punch, threaten, bully or stab to resolve it. But if they couldn’t use violence against…

We had tried, but we couldn’t gather enough interest. If we could, in just three months, I’d be a qualified personal trainer! Of the 60 men in the unit, despite the prevalent workout ethic among about half of us, only four had applied for the first-ever trial of a Weltech Fitness Instructor’s course in a…

Valuables hold a unique significance in prison, often serving as the only tangible connection to one’s family. A few weeks into my time at Rimutaka, I stumbled upon a heavy gold wedding ring perched on a high shelf in the Unit 6 gym. Without hesitation, I handed it in, expecting anyone in my shoes to…