“Poor choices got me in jail”

By Michelle Karaga

A Chikurubi Maximum Prison Inmate Simbarashe Chaunoita says prison has changed him over the past 11 years.

The 46-year-old inmate said he committed murder in 2005, which landed him in jail.

Chaunoita told H-Metro how it is like to live in prison.

“I have learnt a lot of things in prison, one of them being rehabilitation and singing for the prison choir. I managed to complete my “O” and “A” levels and a Diploma with Amphic while in prison,” said Simbarashe.

He said it was hard to adapt to life in prison.

“It is tough to live in prison because prison is not a friendly place to be, but one has to know what they want in life and be focussed. It can shape your tomorrow and how to live with others in the community.

“I am a peer educator in prison and I teach about campaigning against peer pressure and mostly focus on HIV and Aids so that individuals can go for testing and we conduct counseling sessions with them.

“We also monitor drug adherence to the people who will be positive. Circumcision is also available for those who are willing to take it,” he said.

Chaunoita added that there are challenges, which they come across when they are teaching the prisoners because there is too much resistance.

“We also face challenges like poor diet especially for people who are HIV positive. They lack the proper diet that they are supposed to get and lack of funds.”

“I am now used to it, but I mainly focus on new inmates who will be coming into prison.” H-Metro