Greater Manchester Probation Trust

Akiel tells them crime doesn’t pay

TEENAGERS listen when poet and performer Akiel tells them crime doesn’t pay, because the reformed drugs smuggler is speaking from experience.
The father-of-five, who lives in Manchester, spent five and a half years in prison after being caught bringing £250,000 of cocaine into the country.

Since release in 2004 he has transformed his emotional experiences into a critically acclaimed theatre production, and won accolades for what he does with the pen. He now works in schools and youth groups running a performance that runs through many of the moral dilemmas teenagers face.

It is a far cry from the young man who, on a trip to Jamaica to see his relatives, thought he’d make a “fast buck” smuggling drugs. But he was caught and got an 11-year sentence.

He said: “The help I got from GMPT was crucial. Jonathon Goodfellow was my main Probation Officer. He was a good guy and strongly encouraged me to pursue writing, the arts and performing. He sensed I was doing well, but knew there was something else. He was the strongest person pushing me in that direction, teasing it out and telling me I had a lot to offer.”

Now Akiel is an acclaimed poet and performer, and also tours schools with a project he leads aimed at helping children and teenagers avoid taking the wrong path.