Food for the Poor secures freedom for 25 prisoners

Dec 13, 2009 News

Thanks to Food for the Poor, 25 now freed prisoners will be spending the Christmas season at home in the company of their respective families. On Friday, the prisoners were released by prison officials after their fines were paid by Food for the Poor.

This is a part of a biannual initiative which has over the years been untaken by Food for the Poor.

During the Lenten and Christmas seasons, first offenders who for some reason or the other cannot pay the fines imposed on them by the Magistrates’ court are released. Upon the request of Food for the Poor, the prison officials submit the names of first offenders with small fines and the monies are paid on behalf of the prisoners.

Upon their release on Friday, the prisoners were treated to a lunch at the Food for the Poor Office in an atmosphere that was akin to a simple celebration.

On the occasion, Chairman of Food for the Poor, Leon Davis, charged the ex-prisoners to make the best of the opportunity given to them. He urged the men not to go back to their past life but instead they should try to seek gainful employment to further develop themselves.

“You have been given a second chance at life. Make the best of it. From the time you’ve spent you know prison in not a nice place so don’t allow yourselves to end up back there,” Davis said.

He added that in some instances some who were released in the past by his organisation do end up back in prison but that was the choice they made. On this occasion, some of the freed prisoners thanked Food for the Poor for giving them a second chance.

One now ex-prisoner said that being able to spend Christmas with his family is truly a miracle from God.

“If this is not a miracle I don’t know what else is a miracle…I am thankful to Food for the Poor for paying my fine because my family couldn’t afford it. Now I can spend Christmas with my family.” Several similar sentiments were expressed by the freed men, who all promised not to make the efforts by Food for the Poor go down in vain.

Following the celebration, each ex-prisoner was given a small hamper and assisted with their passages to make their way home.