HOPES OF A ‘SHORT SENTENCE’ DASHED
Even though James knew he was about to go to prison, he did not tell his sons. “It was not something to be proud of,” he says.
With remission for good behaviour, he had hoped he could be out in less than two years, “maybe just a year” if he could get into a community-based programme. “A short sentence,” as he puts it.
But things were about to get worse. While out on bail, he was at his fiancée’s restaurant one evening when, he says, a drunken customer grabbed her. “I couldn’t take it,” he says. “I hit him with a mug.”
James continued hitting the man until his fiancée stopped him. He was arrested again.
This time round, he knew there was no chance of him serving a short stint in prison, and he would have to tell his sons where he was going. “I have to answer for what I’ve done,” he told them.
He remembers the remorse he felt at the time, knowing he was about to leave his sons — and break his promise to them. And he felt worse as he saw his boys sitting quietly, heads bowed, taking in the news.
“I could feel the sadness,” says James, who encouraged them to take care of themselves.
“If you don’t have a family, you lose only your freedom,” he adds. “When you have a family, you lose so much more — you also break the hearts of your loved ones.”
How has imprisonment affected his relationship with his sons? What is the biggest challenge he faces behind bars? And what makes him so sure this will be his last stint in prison? Find out in the podcast Imperfect by CNA Insider.
Imperfect by CNA Insider is a podcast on which young mother Lianne Chia talks to other parents grappling with dilemmas that cause them to question whether they are doing things right.
This is the final episode of this season. If you have a view on the topic or an idea for future episodes, write to cnainsider [at] mediacorp.com.sg.