The prison routine keeping ex-inmates on the outside
A Sydney gym has become one of NSW Corrections’ latest success stories.
Joseph Kwon served a nine-year sentence for directing a criminal enterprise and for the supply of large commercial quantities of MDMA.
On the outside, he told Mark Levy, there was one part of his prison routine he saw opportunity in continuing.
“When I was in prison, I loved forming communities.
“For us to train, it was a way to escape the negative realities of prison.”
Seeing a need to give fellow former inmates employment, and a way to reconnect with society after their release, he started a gym: ConFit.
He credits a cellmate, an accountant, with changing his life’s direction.
“He taught me about … accounting, and how to run businesses, and he just taught me about self-worth.”
Now, in addition to his gym, the UNSW commerce student’s passion is to introduce further education into the prison system.
“The common denominator for why everyone is in prison is the lack of education.”
Mark was struck by the story.
“You’ve turned your life around, and you’re using it for good to try and keep people out of jail: for that you should be commended, mate.
“Anthony Roberts, Mark Speakman, jump on the phone [and] get him into Macquarie St.
“Maybe you could learn a thing or two about some of the good things that are coming out of corrections.”
Click PLAY below to hear the full interview
To learn more about ConFit, click HERE.
Image: Getty