When I left prison, I was anxious, stressed and worried- it wasn’t going
to be easy. The stigma of being an ex-offender coupled with being young
scared me, how would I get a job? How would I tell people where I’d been
for the last year? How would I deal with all the people who had seen my
article in the local newspaper? These questions moved around my mind,
leaving me in a daze.
I want to provide a step-by-step guide to becoming successful after leaving
prison, it will vary depending upon your own situation but I want to be as
general as possible to ensure as many people can gain value from this as
possible.
- Don’t be ashamed of your lived experience. It’s easy to get caught
up in what other people think, instead reframe this into what you think
about yourself. If you’ve made progress in your personal development
through taking responsibility for your life and making changes then speak
about how your experience enabled you to achieve this. Your lived
experience is just an experience, it doesn’t define who you are unless you
let it. - Educate yourself through freely available resources such as
Youtube, social media, free courses, training through probation or other
providers. It’s pivotal that you engage with your own self-development the only way to overcome the barriers of a criminal record is to defy
expectations. Knowledge is power. If you recite this mantra to yourself,
you can motivate yourself to learn absolutely anything. - Your thoughts become your words, your words become your
actions and your actions become your habits. It’s a simple process in which
you have full control- if you consume positive and productive content, you
will produce thoughts that reflect this. It’s key to remember that the music, films, media and people you immerse yourself in will determine how
you think and how you perceive the world. Therefore, remain mindful and
build good habits. If you want to know how your life will look 5 years from
now, just take a look at your daily habits. - Focus on the present moment. It’s easy to get wrapped up in the
past and anxious about the future- instead, use simple exercises like meditation and journaling to anchor yourself to the present. The infinite present
moment is all we ever have, don’t lose precious time to the illusions of the
past and the future. - Think about how you can serve the world. A key way to live that
I’ve found useful since my release is to constantly think about how I can be
of service to others. Whether it’s as simple as picking up a piece of litter
or offering someone support- learning to live in service can help us to
forget our own troubles and give.
To conclude, our journeys when we are released from prison can vary
greatly. I believe that being a person who has been to prison is a strength,
it gives you a unique insight into our society. Use that voice, to help create
a system that’s more compassionate and loving to those who need it.
Written by Samara
