The hard way back

UNESCO Courier, June, 1998 by Amadou Cisse Dia

At the end of the day, a prisoner's release depends on the law, in the fullest sense of the term. The system must not only be concerned with punishment; it should also keep track of each inmate's moral development by means of interviews. The prison service must be interested in their fate. In the facility where I was held, administrators and warders kept an eye on every move we made, good or bad, and wrote up reports on our behaviour. I believe those reports play a decisive role.

During my eight years of confinement, I saw several judges visit the prison to make direct contact with certain inmates. That enabled them to understand the prisoners' true personalities. I am sure that this in-depth knowledge is crucial in the decision to release them.

Getting back into society is a tough proposition for any ex-convict. But people must realize that in some cases crime is a curable disease. An inmate who really wants to change, who has thought deeply during his years inside and who has come to enjoy work knows what he wants to become and what he wants to do. He has a clear picture of his past and present. He knows why his life has been filled with pain and suffering and he thinks back nostalgically to when he was a child.

He would like to have a second chance.

He finally manages to understand society, something he had never done before because he had never stopped and taken a close look at human behaviour. He discovers the self-respect and inner peace that come with honest work. He wants to cling to happiness with all his might. That is why it is vital for an ex-convict to find a way to make a living.

The road to rehabilitation is fraught with pitfalls that only the bravest souls can avoid. The main problem is the relationship with society; an ex-convict needs plenty of understanding.

Speaking for myself, I am successfully working my way back into society. I am starting to make my mark as a painter. I managed on my own to obtain a commission to paint a large fresco in a bank. Some of my works are in local collections and I am earning an honest living.

I had already dabbled in painting before I went into prison, but it was while I was inside that I began to take it seriously. By steadily and painstakingly devoting myself to painting all those years, I acquired a passion for work.

ABDEL AMADOU CISSE DIA, a Senegalese artist, is an ex-convict.