Behind the heavy metal doors and thick walls of Windhoek Correctional Facility, rape-accused Jaco Kennedy (39) has been huddled over a desk trying to pen his feelings one page at a time.
‘Jailed thoughts’, he calls them.
Often isolated and with limited light, Kennedy is candid about the fact that it was during these dark hours of solitude that his poetic side came to life.
Kennedy is a former lawyer and magistrate, currently standing trial on several charges, including rape and kidnapping.
This has kept him behind bars since 2016. His attempts at bail have failed several times.
He is also charged with attempted murder, attempting to defeat or obstruct the course of justice, and resisting, hindering or obstructing a police officer in the execution of their duty in connection with an incident on 3 January 2015.
He was arrested on 16 January 2016.
WRITING BEHIND BARS
On writing ‘Jailed Thoughts’, he says: “It was just me, my notebooks, and the limited one-hour-a-week internet access granted under supervision.”
The book was published last week, with limited copies available.
‘Jailed Thoughts’ walks a thin line between reality and fiction, Kennedy says. He says the main character is not a direct mirror of himself describing the protagonist as “not perfect and full of flaws”.
It is not hard not to see the parallels though.
“The story explores the ripple effects of imprisonment, not just on the person behind bars, but on the families left on the outside,” the trial-awaiting inmate says.
Asked what inspired him to write the book, he replies: “I just gave it a shot.”
Kennedy says ‘Jailed Thoughts’ is not about clearing his name or meant to be a public relations exercise.
He says he wanted to make use of his free time in jail to do something productive.
“I wanted to show people I’m not just sitting around here,” he says.
Kennedy’s has worked in corporate environments and has spent time as a publisher of texts about Namibia’s history.
His lawyer, Boris Isaacks, says Kennedy is living in “impossible” circumstances, trying to bridge the gap between a locked cell and the global market.
“Local retailers such as Book Den will be selling a signed copy of the book,” he says.
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