After reading a Shenzhen Daily article about a hotline
in the city for ex-prisoners, Tim Hutton, an English teacher from
Australia, called the newspaper and expressed his willingness to
help ex-prisoners learn English.
Hutton, who teaches at two schools in Shenzhen, said he wants to
teach ex-prisoners basic English for free, so that they could find
better jobs.
"What I want to do is also to help them not be forgotten by
society when they come out of prison. I agree to the article that
depression of ex-prisoners might lead them to commit crimes again.
Gaining more working skills and having more access to work, they
will be confident of themselves and believe they will live a bright
life," Hutton said.
Hutton taught juvenile delinquents in an Australian school two
years ago, which he says has prepared him to teach ex-prisoners, he
said.
Hutton hopes he can start teaching English to them as soon as
possible.
The founder of the hotline, Wang Jinyu, said yesterday that he
welcomed foreigners willing to teach ex-prisoners English.
(Shenzhen Daily April 20, 2006)
