By Tanapol Vikitsreth, BBA#15
Once I heard that we were going to have a fieldtrip to a prison, three words went straight to my mind- gloomy, smelly and of course scary. Not too soon, the day my friends and I had expected arrived and I could sense everyone’s excitement. Our destination was Klong Prem Central Prison.
As soon as we got there, the staff gave us a very warm welcome and a little introduction about this long-rooted prison. After that we went for a walking tour inside the prison. By that time, I didn’t get any impression that I was walking and chatting in a prison; it was rather like a school than a jail. It was because there were so many activities both educational and entertaining for prisoners to do, such as graphic design, art, music, computer, or even university courses. Name it, it’s there. However, the atmosphere shocked me the most. One example was that the staff and prisoners seemed like teachers and students to me. To clarify, the staff didn’t carry rods to hit prisoners anymore; instead they carried knowledge to teach those people whom they referred to as “sons” and “nephews”. A fair treatment among prisoners and staff was visible due to the issue of human rights and equality. Another example must definitely be about the prisoners and their optimistic view towards their time spent in the prison. I didn’t see any prisoners sat there and blamed God for the misfortune; I saw diligent and enthusiastic-to-learn people who tried to improve their lives as much as they could. Up to this point, I personally didn’t even want to call them “prisoners”. I was also appalled by how much support this Prison got from outside organizations and charities. Their contributions were invaluable.
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Well, I think I should redefine this Prison as warm, welcoming, and touching, but I really don’t want you to get a wrong impression. I’m not trying to encourage you to spend your valuable time here although you might want to after realizing that this Prison isn’t so bad. What I’m trying to say is that I hope this little piece of writing will be your reminder of how lucky you are to be where you are now and to be able to do what you are doing; therefore, take each step with full consciousness and care and live up to your potential. Besides, if you have time, go there and do something nice for these people. You can just drop by and donate books or even go there and teach. So, any plans for this weekends?
Posted date: November 22, 2007 – 19:00 hrs. |
