We release prisoners and their victims into a new future, with your help!

Jane (not her real name) was raped one week before her wedding. Because of the shame she felt, Jane did not share this with anyone, not even her husband-to-be. For many years she struggled immensely with the hurt and the shame and could not come to terms with it all, even after becoming a Christian. As a Sycamore Tree victim participant, Jane was determined to press forward and had to face some great fears; being seated between two prisoners Jane struggled to hold it all together but she made it through into a great place of freedom. (She went 30 years before she even told her husband what happened and prior to her involvement in PFNZ’s Sycamore Tree programme he was only one of two people who knew). During the final celebration, in front of some 60 people, Jane told her story publicly – how she was now set free to get on with her life, she said ”last night I fell asleep in my husband’s arms for the first time in 31 years”. There was not a dry eye in the place !

At Prison Fellowship our concern is for prisoners, victims and their families. Every day some 30 people leave our 21 prisons, supposedly rehabilitated, but what happens to them then? There are also thousands of victims of crime like Jane who need an emotional release and reconciliation with their offenders but who will help them?

Our national correctional system, other than keeping us all “safe”, is still failing to address what it is meant to,. Some 65% of offenders return to the prisons’ “revolving doors” within 4 years of their first offence, and as a nation we are not doing anything effective to bring that number down. The Government only spends some 6.5% of its $1,000,000,000 annual Corrections costs on rehabilitation and reintegration services, a pitiful amount given the magnitude of the need.

There are 4 core projects that we want to fund going forward to address these issues in New Zealand’s correctional system:

Target Communities – currently our largest project, to establish over the next 10 years some 800 communities around New Zealand, based on churches, iwi, hapu and community groups, who will provide the ongoing levels of support a released prisoner needs to prevent them going back to prison, ever!  We have worked hard for 2 years, with support from the Ministry of Social Development and other philanthropists’ funding, now we need to fund the workers who will take this initiative to every corner of New Zealand. Funding is urgently needed for this NOW.

Therapeutic, faith based communities – throughout our prisons, and outside, in key communities, there is an increasing demand to have living communities where released prisoners, both men and women can really learn the skills to adjust to living in our society based on the spiritual transformation that has started in their lives within prison. We need seed funding of $100,000 for this project to examine the feasibility of establishing such therapeutic faith based communities, in a purposeful way, over the next 3 years.

Sustainable enterprises for released prisoners- Sustainability is a real buzz word, but for us it means ensuring that prisoners, when released, perhaps living in one of our new therapeutic communities, can have purposeful work from the minute they leave prison, as well as earn money that can fund our future projects. We want to partner with enterprises who have ideas and access to capital funding for such schemes. (Contact Robin Gunston, National Director for more details)

Restorative Justice for all – this project will build our capability of skilled facilitators over the next few years to ensure that we can provide far more Victim Offender Conferences / Sycamore Tree programmes like the one Jane attended in every prison in New Zealand, and in community settings.

By supporting our growing work with your generous gifts you will really change the lives of prisoners, victims and their families. Over time you will also help to reduce the overall prison population by giving the required support to released prisoners. For our part we will continue to strive for excellence in our administration so that the majority of the valued gifts you entrust us with are spent wisely. Link to PFNZ annual report

Hebrews 13 v3 says “remember the prisoners, as if you were in prison yourselves”. This injunction may be difficult for many of us to fulfil practically, but those of us involved directly in Prison Fellowship can do this on your behalf, if you will generously support us with your gifts.

Thank you on behalf of the many prisoners, victims and their families you are assisting.

Robin Gunston

National Director