Life after incarceration

Mitchell was one of the first students of the hospitality training offered by Bosasa in collaboration with HTA School of Cullinary Art. The training was introduced at the time when she and her husband Patrick Mitchell were serving their five-year jail sentence.

The two were convicted of fraud after closing down a nursing training institution they were running.

Denise said, “We founded the institution in 1997, I was a trainer and my husband was in charge of the business.”

The couple maintains it was a wrong that they landed up in jail.

“We didn’t renew our certificate of practice which was expiring in October 2005, yet we had students who were still to write final exams after its expiry date,” said Patrick.

He said they were unaware of their liabilities after they closed down until the police started to communicate with them about their investigation.

“We didn’t even get a proper defence attorney because our accounts were frozen, so we were represented by a legal aid lawyer,” said Patrick.

The introduction of catering training at Pollsmoor Prison during the time of incarceration was life changing for Denise.

She said, “I grabbed the opportunity and gave it my all. It was the next thing I could do since the South African Nursing Council struck me off the nursing register.”

The two were released before Denise could complete the level two certificate of the training, but she continued to attend lessons from outside prison.

A month after completing the course she found work as a chef with the Aha Hotel Group. After three years of service, Denise worked her way to head chef for the hotel group. She left the hotel early this year.

She said, “I felt like I had reached the ceiling and so I started my own catering company, DM Caters in partnership with my husband again.”

Her company specialises in corporate functions, weddings, Christmas parties and other events. Her passion however is training. She will also begin lecturing Professional Cookery at False Bay College from 7 August. She is also intending to start a hospitality school for children in the near future.

The couple said they have learned from their mistakes and are now very careful with details when signing any binding agreement. “We now study the fine print thoroughly,” said Denise.

Her husband has not been as fortunate as he still struggles to find work despite his qualifications with a degree in administration, few diplomas and certificates. He said, the criminal record is a hinderance.

“It’s like government doesn’t have faith on its systems because when you served jail time you have been rehabilitated. Government should be able to offer us work instead of using our past as the stumbling block.”

The couple has three children whom they say are still recovering from the trauma they went through during the arrest. Patrick said, “Family support is vital when one comes out of prison. It is difficult to regain your self-worth, but family support is what sees you through … We also got rejected by some in the society but family support came through for us.”

The couple says being jailed together helped them to become closer to one another.

Denise sometimes gives motivational talks at the prison. She says, “People can make something out of prison experience, like I did. The saddest thing is to see people that I served time with returning to prison. I know it’s hard out there, but there is always a way out.”