Wednesday, October 15, 2008 
FORMER Ministry of Agriculture permanent secretary Peniasi Kunatuba says he has found life to be exciting and educational in prison.
Mr Kunatuba was given a four-year sentence by the High Court in November 2006.
Mr Kunatuba said he used to be negative about prisoners.
"Before I was sentenced I was part of the group of people who had the perception and believed in the stigma that prisoners were people to be looked down on because of what they had done. We had branded them with all sorts of names," he said. 
Mr Kunatuba said he now appreciates how people have become prisoners.
"I came to realise that majority of the inmates are there because through circumstances with no real intent for them to dish out evil for anyone," he said. "Some of them, being poor were not in a position to defend themselves from allegations and so they were serving their sentences."
Mr Kunatuba said there was always hope whatever the inmates' backgrounds. He said community support was important for inmates to have a bright future.
Being highly qualified, Mr Kunatuba said he assisted with the administrative work and helped educate inmates.
"I was already a talatala before being sentenced, but being in prison has given me a calling which I believe was already ordained for me," he said. 

Mr Kunatuba takes Bible classes and helps out with rehabilitation programs such as agriculture and fish farming.
"I was the PS to Mahendra Chaudhry when he was prime minister before the 2000 coup and being a PS is one of the highest qualifications for a civil servant and I believe I have done all that I wanted to do."
Mr KUnatuba is based at the prison headquarters in Suva.