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According to juvenile offenders interviewed during the study, education in the correctional centre has a positive impact on their general behaviour and helps to promote social wellness. Their preference on spending time in a group and engaging in meaningful conversation signals the acquisition of social wellness. This is according to Hettler (1980) who describes a socially well person as one who gets along well with

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others, willing to express his feelings and is supportive to others. They indicated that they like spending time with others and supporting each other.

Juveniles also expressed general satisfaction on the impact of education at the centre and were convinced that since they had been attending school, their behaviour had changed positively and had made them ready for re-integration. The change in behaviour can be attributed to the acquisition of new social skills that enable them to live positively with others. Ozdemir (2010) attests to this assertion by saying prison education prepares convicts for life after release from prison because it helps them to get new skills, develop new personalities that help eradicate tendencies of delinquency. Education at the centre is therefore playing a crucial role since it is helping individuals to change their bad behaviour and desire to stay away from crime. In line with this, NICRO (2009) describes education as a powerful tool that empowers offenders to move away from crime, develop better and socially acceptable behaviour which benefits the whole community.

Participant offenders also described behavioural change as vital for their social re- integration. Most of them indicated that they were ready to go back to their communities and be part of the desired elements in the society. They attributed this readiness to the skills acquired at the correctional centre. Some of the social skills that they had learnt are positive communication in conflict resolution, sharing, respect, accepting interdependence of humanity (ubuntu). These skills form the core of social wellness that leads to social cohesion (Schaffer 2000).

Juvenile offenders also attributed their social re-integration readiness to the fact that they had acquired some of the tenets of social wellness that make the community stay intact. These include respect, selflessness - where one puts the community first before the self, fairness and respect for diversity. They also revealed that they had learnt the importance of team work, to differentiate between wrong and right and also the dangers of drug abuse. This knowledge plays a role in making an individual to fit in his or her community.

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Most participants also said that they spent most of their times wisely in group activities which included playing cards and singing. They indicated that there was less tension in their group activities. In groups where there is less tension there is a sign that group members have acquired good communication skills. This view is compatible with the opinion by Harber (2000) who says good communication skills may lead to less tension and frustrations in prisoners.

The general consensus among juvenile offenders was that education at the correctional centre has equipped them with socially acceptable skills. They felt convinced that if they apply these skills in their communities then they will be accepted and therefore fit very well. As mentioned before in this chapter, acquiring skills like respect and sharing is synonymous to acquiring social wellness. Therefore, these skills form an integral part of social wellness. McAree (2011) has a view that is in line with the above statement as he says that education in correctional centres helps offenders to re-integrate into their communities. NICRO (2009) also views the acquisition of socially acceptable skills as beneficial to both the offenders and their communities. This benefits can be attributed to the fact that when ex-offenders go back into their communities as changed individuals, they are likely to be well received and accepted and also be non-violent thereby making their community safe havens. As reformed individuals who work for the benefit of their communities, peace and harmony may prevail.

The spirit of ‘ubuntu’ was what most individuals said they had learnt in the correctional centre. Ubuntu is a Zulu name which entails the shift from independence to interdependence where the interconnectedness of human beings is upheld (Cilliers 2011). Ubuntu is characterised by compassion for others, respect for differences (diversity), respect for the minority groups and emphasis of reaching consensus through cooperation (McAllister 2009: 2). Participants expressed appreciation for diversity by indicating that when they work in groups, they value the sharing of ideas and experiences brought by others which benefit them in their day-to-day living. The exposure to debate and group problem solving helps them to reach consensus on issues where there are differences.

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According to some participants, education in the correctional centre has boosted their self-esteem and inculcated sound moral values that are valuable in the society. This has prepared them to go back into their communities and make peace with their victims, face the consequences of their actions and to move on with life. An education with such an impact is described by Hawley (2011) as being effective and relevant because it helps offenders to change their attitudes and form understanding of the consequences of their actions.

Offenders were optimistic that after release they will have alternative activities to do in order to stay out of crime owing to the education they received. The same sentiments were echoed by The House of Commons and Skills Committee (2005) which says effective education gives released offenders alternatives to crime. This committee also found that some released offenders who undergo education in prison wanted to go back to school, abandoned drug abuse and behaved in socially acceptable ways. Therefore, if the same levels of change expressed by participants in this study are transferred into action, the same results may be expected. These changes will be good for the offenders and their communities as they may result in less recidivism. This assertion is in line with Jovanic (2011) who says the level of change ensures less recidivism and further suggests that we should look at the level of change in prisoners in order to assess the effectiveness of prison education after they undergo educational programmes in prison.

Findings in this study suggest that education in the correctional centre is moving towards the desired direction and is likely to reduce recidivism although there are still some challenges.