Prison Journalism Programme: ‘The South African’ mentors former inmates

The South African has taken another step in its Prison Journalism Programme collaboration with Restore. Last Saturday, 1 July 2023, the publication and Restore – a non-governmental organisation (NGO) based in Cape Town – held a virtual writing training session for a group of formerly incarcerated men and women.

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PRISON JOURNALISM PROGRAMME: WHAT THE TRAINING ENTAILED

The training session was aimed at teaching the aspiring writers about writing structure, particularly in The South African’s style, along with aiding them on the finer points, such as how to craft engaging headlines and sub-headings, and how to write strong copy that grabs and holds readers’ attention.

The training was administered virtually by Neo Thale, one of publication’s journalists, while Restore’s co-founder Lisa Marqua-Harries gathered the former inmates at Gangstar Cafe – a coffee shop in the Mother City that employs former inmates, offering them a chance at redemption.

The training ran for nearly 90 minutes and was very interactive, with the aspiring writers posing questions about to improve their individual piece of writing.

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“I am so excited to see these young men grow and be empowered. I have walked a journey with some since 2007,” said Marqua-Harries.

HOW THE PRISON JOURNALISM PROGRAMME WORKS

Restore helps current and former inmates of Pollsmoor Prison through a myriad of programmes under the “restorative justice” banner.

Thus, Restore is the bridge that links The South African with the formerly incarcerated. With The South African, they are granted a platform to tell their stories.

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Once an ex-offender has submitted an article, he/she is paid a fee for their story, putting money into the pockets of those who have struggled to earn a living during and after incarceration.

ABOUT RESTORE

Restore was started in Cape Town, South Africa, by Marqua-Harries and Lindsey Pettit-Lee in 2012 to deliver restorative justice courses for young offenders in Cape Town’s Pollsmoor Prison.

RESTORE PROGRAMMES

After many years of voluntary prison work Marqua-Harries and Pettit-Lee decided a consistent and systematic programme would best tackle the challenges of these young  offenders and so Restore was born.

Some of these systematic programmes are the Leadership Programme and Pollsmoor Inside Out, which were headed up course facilitator Celeste van Es.

ALSO READ: Prison Journalism: Life in Pollsmoor prison for the first time

“This programme has prompted deep reflection on how Celeste taught us about time during our time in prison. Even though I was only there for a day, it made me contemplate the duration I spent incarcerated.

“The teachings and discussions in the program have given me a newfound perspective on the passage of time and its significance in my life, both during my confinement and beyond,” says Jermaine Nomdoe, who served a six-month sentence at Pollsmoor.

Restore works hands-on with offenders both inside and outside of prison, their families, the justice cluster and civic society.