Mr. Jonasa Tonawai attaching a Yellow Ribbon to the representative of the tikina Batiwai, during the Serua Provincial
meeting at Vunibau village.


Ex-offender Jonasa Tonawai made an emotional plea to the Vanua of Serua that they accept ex-offenders back into their fold.

The former inmate who appealed his life sentence and was bailed in March 2009, for a retrial made his emotional plead during  the Serua Provincial Meeting  that was held in Vunibau Village on Tuesday, November 23.

“As an ex-offender I make a plead that the Vanua of Serua  to really accept their sons and daughters who are former inmates back into society.

“While in prison, we whole heartedly want to change, and we look forward to the day when we will be released, we do not want to reoffend and re-enter prison again.

 “However, while we may be accepted at home, most ex-offenders can see through the eyes of some members of society by their reactions that they do not truly accept us.

Chief Prison Officer Joseva Vatuwaliwali  who led the Yellow Ribbon Project Awareness team told the heads of all the tikinas of Serua that one of the biggest problems that the Fiji Prisons and Corrections Service faced was who do they had over the ex-offender to.

 “When an ex-offender is discharged, one of the biggest problem we face is who do we hand over to?”

CPO Joseva Vatuwaliwali said that inmates after serving their time need to feel accepted, protected, loved and cared when they return to their homes and to their vanua.



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