Reformed criminal speaks to Risley inmates about his new life (From This Is Cheshire)

Reformed criminal speaks to Risley inmates about his new life

3:40pm Thursday 11th March 2010

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"I MADE sure my time served me. It was up to me to take that opportunity and grab it with both hands. I had a long criminal history but on the last occasion I thought enough is enough. I was no use to anyone in prison."

These are the words of reformed criminal Ade Orioke who spent around 10 years in and out of prison for a number of crimes, including burglary and card fraud.

Ade, who is still on licence, was invited to speak to inmates at Risley Prison at an employer engagement event last Tuesday, aimed at helping prisoners who were coming up to their release date to secure employment.

Since being released from Risley on November 3, 2008, Ade has thrown himself into employment as a fitness instructor for Stockport Sports Trust.

He secured the job after completing personal training qualifications at Risley Prison when he was serving a four-year burglary sentence.

He said: “The lowest part was just being in prison, it is a lonely place. You are sent to prison to serve time but I reversed it and let time serve me.

“If you trust prisoners to work for you, you will get someone completely different.”

Ade, whose ambition is to be a manager of a gym, said he loved his job and wanted to be the best he could at his role.

The 43-year-old had a ‘harsh’ upbringing in London and turned to crime to rebel against his dad who disapproved of his ambition to become a footballer.

“I was burgling houses in affluent areas,” he said.

“In London it is a fast life, everybody is very materialistic. I just wanted things that the normal kids had – it was just greed and stupidity that led me to crime.”

Ade said all he wanted to do was find employment but his convictions hindered him, leading to a vicious cycle of crime.

“I was never told that I was good, I was always told I was bad,” he said.

“If you hear that you don’t get any positives. My brother killed himself when I was in prison.

“You are just no good to anybody when you are inside.

“If you think of embarking in a career of crime you will get caught eventually. You have this arrogance that you will never be caught but you will.”

Employers including DHL, ex-prisoner Bob Croxton, chairman of the Criminal Information Bureau and building company B4Box attended the event to offer prisoners advice on how to obtain a job on release.

Qualifications available to inmates at Risley include industrial cleaning, braille and painting and decorating diplomas.

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