The Script He Wrote in Prison - Imprisonment, the Loss of a Profession, and Beginning Again

When I met Po for the interview, he placed a sheet of paper on the table. Confused, I slowly examined the creased page, which was filled with a nine-square grid.

In the middle of the paper, the word "metamorphosis" was written in large letters. Around it were items, including training his abs, learning Spanish, writing letters, and reading the Bible. These seemingly random activities were promises Po had made to himself while he was imprisoned.

When he was arrested, Po had just completed his accounting degree and was preparing to enter the field of accounting. He was later charged with rioting and sentenced to two years in prison in 2023.

Witnessing the monotonous routine of prison life, Po felt that every day was merely a repetition of the one before. The only goal was to kill time. "What they do is crowd around the television. They bet on every sporting event in exchange for cigarettes and snacks and never get bored." He refused to become like them, many of whom had gang affiliations.

The dozen or so books that he had bought before beginning his sentence made his time in prison more meaningful. They covered subjects ranging from biography and psychology to economics. Po was inspired by Shohei Ohtani, the Major League Baseball player, who used the Harada Method to set goals through concrete action plans.

Under this method, a major goal is written in the centre of a nine-square grid, while the surrounding squares contain the actions needed to achieve it. Po adopted the method himself. In the centre, he wrote the word "metamorphosis," which was defined by the eight supporting goals surrounding it.

While others gathered to gamble, Po would sit quietly to one side with his books and notebook. "Are you planning to write a book?" someone once asked him. He could feel the distance between himself and the other inmates. Lacking anyone he could truly call a close friend, he came to regard loneliness as both a test from God and a blessing from Him.

Po has been a Christian since his university days. He can easily recite passages from memory. During our interview, he quoted one to me: "In nothing be anxious; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God."

Behind bars, reading the Bible helped him maintain his emotional stability. "God may not solve your immediate problems, but He gives you a sense of certainty."

However, it was not always easy to stay out of trouble in such a crowded, high-pressure environment. There was always some sort of conflict. Po recalls one incident involving several foreign inmates. According to him, many were involved in cross-border drug trafficking and had spent more than a decade in prison. "They were always complaining. They even discriminated against local inmates, saying that they couldn't even speak English. They were always sowing discord," Po says. "Sometimes I just couldn't take it anymore and started arguing with them."

On one occasion, Po and several other local and foreign inmates were assigned to cleaning duty. There were ten mops to be shared among three groups. The foreign inmates took eight, leaving only two for everyone else.

When Po approached them and tried to take some of the mops back, one of them replied arrogantly, "Who cares?"

Po shouted back, "Fine. I don't care either." He then snatched the mops back. The situation became so tense that others stepped in to calm everyone down.

Reflecting on the incident now, Po says, "It was completely unnecessary. I didn't need to get angry." He points out that the Bible teaches believers to "love your enemies". He explains that this is not merely an abstract principle. Rather, it is about maintaining one's moral boundaries even in times of conflict. Otherwise, people risk falling into a vicious cycle of wrongdoing. "Even when someone you dislike is suffering, you shouldn't mock them or make the situation worse," he says.

Yet after his release, he was reminded that society often judges people based on their backgrounds rather than their abilities or character. This became particularly evident when he discovered how difficult it would be for him to obtain professional qualifications. Meanwhile, his former classmates had joined leading firms and were preparing for their professional examinations.

Accountants in Hong Kong must undergo assessment by a professional institute. Applicants are required to demonstrate "good character". In other words, besides academic achievement and work experience, a criminal record is also taken into account.

Even before his sentence, after graduating, Po joined a large accounting firm. Everything went smoothly until his supervisors learned about his arrest. In the end, he failed to pass his probationary period.

Accountants need to go through verification by a professional institute in Hong Kong. Applicants have to be judged by their “good character”. It means that other than educational achievement and work experience, a criminal record is an important element. After graduation, he went to work in a big accounting firm. All went fine until his seniors found out about his arrest. Finally, he did not pass his probation.

During the years he spent waiting for his trial, he never again applied for internship programmes. He also heard of another former protester who performed well at work but was eventually dismissed because of his criminal record. That person later settled at a smaller firm as an accounting clerk or assistant.

After his release, Po planned to apply for jobs, only to discover that mould had formed on the clothes he had left behind. Dressed in newly purchased clothes, he attended interviews and found himself repeatedly being asked about his criminal record whenever he applied for more desirable positions.

Fortunately, through connections at the chapel where he leads Bible study sessions, he found a remote part-time job. He feels that he is finally returning to the path laid out in the nine-square grid under the heading "metamorphosis." The only difference is that some of the squares have been compressed, while others have been rewritten.

At one time, he had planned to move to North America or Europe and register there as an accountant. Yet he remains uncertain whether this will ever be possible. Everything depends on how the relevant professional body interprets his past: whether it sees him as a criminal or as someone who sacrificed for what he believed to be a better society.

"The qualification means a great deal for your career development," he explains, "especially when people your age are moving into management positions and taking on greater responsibilities."

While others are climbing higher, Po feels as though he is still searching for the starting line. Like many others, Po was still a student when he was arrested. While his peers are advancing in their careers during their twenties, Po is learning how to begin again.

Po points out that rebuilding one's life is not always easy, no matter how determined a person may be. "I know a former protester whose father was injured at work just after he was released. At the same time, his mother needed to spend several months in the hospital. Like me, he was only in his early twenties," Po recalls. "If it hadn't been for Bonham Tree Aid, he wouldn't have been able to look for work while supporting his family."

A story like this may appear exceptional, but in reality, it is far from unique. Former prisoners are particularly vulnerable. Their livelihoods are insecure, and their future paths remain uncertain. A single unexpected setback can be enough to overwhelm them.

Speaking about the importance of supporting former protesters, Po says that assistance can be surprisingly simple: a stipend for a month or two, suitable clothing for interviews, or the time and space needed to learn new skills. Yet these small gestures can determine whether a person succeeds in overcoming adversity and rebuilding their life.

Although Po believes that his own life has returned to the right path, he acknowledges that he has little control over his surroundings: the structure of the industry, the opinions of others, and the labels attached to him. These are things he cannot control. What he can control, however, is whether he continues to follow the plan he wrote down in those squares and pursue it every day.

When the interview ends, he carefully folds the paper and puts it away safely. Those squares were once borrowed from someone else's idea. Now they belong to him—or at least, one day, they will. 

Illustration: Hongkonger

Written by: G

Edited by: @mingyeung_