“How I Got out of the Gutters”
Abstract
Criminality is a complex phenomenon, and people’s motives for becoming involved in criminal and corrupt activities remain a huge conundrum for many governments. Why express an interest in exploring the stories of ex-prisoners who have become social change activists in their respective communities? The author employed a qualitative research approach, using a phenomenological design, so that participants in this study could narrate their lived experiences as former inmates. In interrogating and analysing their stories the reasons for their incarceration were revealed, and, ultimately, also the turning points each had experienced. Two major phenomenological identifiers emerged from the narratives, namely the discriminatory legislation of segregation and the socioeconomic climate prevailing in South Africa at the time of their arrest. Discriminatory apartheid laws prohibited blacks from accessing quality education, from utilising learning opportunities and participating in the economy. Further investigation will determine to what extent socioeconomic issues such as crime, drug abuse and poverty affect the quality of people’s lives in general. An exploration of similar stories might explain why many ex-prisoners become success stories as the voices of the voiceless in their communities.