I was arrested for burglary, and I am now remanded in prison. I have been arrested several times, for taking drugs, robbery, and burglary and have been in and out of prison for years.
For 20 years I had a meth addiction, and I committed most crimes after I took the drug.
I was an estate agent in my 20s. After several years of hard work, I developed a successful career, earning millions annually. But at the peak of my career, I was persuaded by bad friends and went down the wrong path of drugs. Not only did I put my career on the line, but I was also arrested for drug possession.
I developed a successful career, earning millions annually. But at the peak of my career, I was persuaded by bad friends and went down the wrong path of drugs.
By my 30s, I had been in and out of prison so many times I was a regular. It was not until 4 years ago that I started to ponder on the meaning of life and realized that prison is a waste of time. After I got out, I got to know several ex-prisoners from The Society of Rehabilitation and Crime Prevention. Someone introduced me to a church and brought me to mass. From time to time we volunteered to serve the needy, gave masks and daily necessities to the homeless, and we cleaned the homes of elderly people living alone.
In the last two years, I got a job working as a warehouse keeper. I didn’t earn much but I had stable working hours. I would have the weekends off and I would usually volunteer for different churches on Saturdays. On Sundays, I would jog in the morning and hike and go biking for the rest of the day. I was clean from meth and had a stable work-life balance.
Around February and March 2021, unfortunately, I was sacked because of the COVID-19 pandemic. I could not bring home any money and my father, who is old and has been unemployed for a long time, was in debt. We could not pay our rent for two months and we would argue non-stop. Under such pressure, I committed another crime and was on remand for 5 months.
Last month, my uncle passed away. He was the closest to me in my family, and I am particularly regretful for what I committed this time, as I didn’t treasure the time I had with him. While he was still here, I promised to open a kiosk with him, it was his lifetime dream. Yet I cannot keep this promise. My uncle didn’t have any children, and he treated me like a son. We discussed everything together, and he would try his best to help me with everything. This is why his death is my greatest regret. I have made up my mind to open a kiosk and fulfill his dream once I get out. I have also reflected on the importance of routines in life, as I really enjoy helping others and serving the community.
Note: This letter has been translated from its original in Chinese