Bruce Edwards knew the gang had come for him the day they tried to run him down on his bike.
"They came in a car and lined me up," he says. "I am sure their intent was to take me out."
Today, more than 30 years later, Edwards, a Principal Corrections Officer at Rimutaka Prison at Upper Hutt near Wellington, believes the experience has benefited his work to break the cycle of re-offending by encouraging prisoners to choose the right path after serving sentences.
But at the time he feared for his life: "I only had a split second to do something to save my life," he says. "I jumped off the bike and ran home. I didn't tell anyone what had happened, but if I hadn't run I could have ended up in hospital.
"I knew then I only had one option – leave town."
Edwards was 15 when the incident - which came after local gangs tried to recruit him - took place on the streets of Kaingaroa Village, his home town deep in the Bay of Plenty heartland.
"At the time they were targeting young people like me," he says. "My mum also told them none of her sons (Edwards is the youngest of four brothers) were going to be joining a gang.
"I think they wanted to take me out because I'd said no to them, because I wouldn't bow down to intimidation" he says. "In the end the only organisation I joined was the army."
He joined Corrections in 1998 after being encouraged to do so by a friend already working in prisons and his story comes as Corrections is planning two livecasts to give people interested in applying for jobs an opportunity to question both Corrections and Probation Officers about their work.
The sessions, part of a Corrections recruitment drive, will be streamed online on June 25 (corrections) and July 9 (probation).
Edwards says there is no doubt his life would have turned out differently had he accepted the invitation to join the gang: "It saddens me now to see kids coming in to prison and to think that could have been me too.
"I had a great childhood," he says. "I was outdoors a lot, hunting, fishing and duck shooting and my parents were good hard-working people and my years in the army (he served for 11 years before joining Corrections) gave me a sense of respect and discipline."
In charge of 15 staff who work with 88 prisoners in Rimutaka's high medium unit, Edwards says his passion is helping people to change and break down the cycle of re-offending.
"My family and friends were a bit concerned when I first took on the job and there is an element of danger and fear involved," he says. "But the staff I work with are great, we receive excellent training and are not here just to lock prisoners up.
"At times we have got to be a teacher, at others a mentor; my mantra is I come to work happy and safe and go home happy and safe."
Edwards says his biggest reward comes when he meets ex-prisoners: "It's when they say 'thanks', or when we get thankyou letters from them, these are things the public never see but which are worth a million dollars to me."
Edwards says one of the biggest success stories he can think of is the "small part" he played in the rehabilitation of a prisoner serving time for murder who began studying for a university degree while in prison and went on to build a successful career.
"I was able to be a friend to him, make sure he wasn't involved in fights and help with his studies," says Edwards. "I had the opportunity to help him and when I see him now he always says thanks.
"That's why I do this and why I feel I'm in the best job."
Corrections National Recruitment Manager, Jo Evans, says the department is running the livecasts to ensure potential applicants have the right information to help them make informed decisions by giving them access to people already doing the job.
"For many people their only knowledge of prisons comes from television which often doesn't mirror the reality," she says. "Yes, it's tough, challenging and confronting, but working to help others make the right choices in their lives is also hugely rewarding.
"Many worry about how safe they will be at work or the unknown of what's behind the prison fence and these deeply held views may be holding back great people from applying."
# The livecasts will take place on June 25 and July 9. For more information go to https://live.corrections.govt.nz/