Over the last five years we have produced a Prison Fellowship newsletter 2 – 3 times a year, to keep people informed of what is going on. But times have changed. Compared to five years ago, Prison Fellowship is involved in a wider range of services and activities, and the pace of change has increased.  We need something more snappy, more current, to keep our supporters aware of what is going on, rather than reading about something that happened some months before. 

We have decided to send out a regular electronic newsletter, (or rather an irregular electronic newsletter) to keep readers apace with what is happening.  It will be 2-4 pages in length, and people can “read, delete, or save”, and subscribe or unsubscribe at any time. 

We will send it out to people by “snail mail”  if they so choose.    

Most of all, we want our supporters and contributors to share in our journey – the successes, the challenges, the up times, and the occasional down times.  We will be actively seeking contributions from local Prison Fellowship Coordinators and volunteers.   

“Inside Out” will continue to be published 2 -3 times yearly, but will contain more in-depth reading, and less emphasis on current news.    

Kim Workman

National Director

Prison Ministry visits Wiri Youth Justice Centre

Discussions between Lance Thompson, Prison Fellowship Auckland, Angie Thompson, then Manager of the Wiri Youth Justice Centre, and Marilyn Brough of the Auckland East Elim church, has led to regular visits by church members to the Centre.  Lance Thompson picks up the story…

Marilyn and her team of three dedicated volunteers have been going into the Youth Justice Facility (YJF) in Manukau, every fortnight for over a year now. In that time they have met and ministered to dozens of young men and women - the most disaffected youth in our society. Some of the craft activities they have completed with the residents include jewellery, teddy bears, papier mache boxes, cushions, and – two of the favourites – photo frames, and scrapbooking.

Marilyn recalls the time making photo frames as extremely special as she was allowed to take a camera into the facility and take a photo for the participants to put into their own frame. More often than not, these children had never had a “beautiful” photo taken of themselves. It was an “amazing time” seeing them light up as they saw how wonderful they looked in a photograph, often for the first time.

There have been some special connections made with a number of the youth “inmates”. One special young man, Sam (name changed) Marilyn will always remember had not wanted to participate in any of the activities – generally being a nuisance and a frustrating disturbance. One day, Marilyn noticed him off by himself watching television and after inviting him over to join in, he refused. Shortly afterward, while standing watching the group work, Marilyn felt an arm wrap gently around her shoulder. Turning, she saw it was Sam. As she cautiously put her arm around him she was sure he would move away – but he stayed in her embrace…and they stood together, a connection made by God.

Marilyn and her church, East Elim have an intense passion for the youth – and their local Women’s prison in Wiri. Marilyn remembers vividly a young man in the YJF saying to her “I don’t want to go out – I’ve got no safe place to go”. Two days after being released, he was arrested for committing another crime and sent back to the Centre. The question remains, “what do we need to do to stop that happening?”

Long term prison visitor, Roger Peake, has published a novel based on a lifetime of prison volunteering at Waikeria Prison, both as a member of Prisoners Aid and Rehabilitation, and as a lay chaplain.

‘Inside Inside’ is a compelling read that deals with the struggle an offender has to truly repent in his heart and to rehabilitate, faced with obstacles both within the prison system, and on release.  

Former Prison Chaplain, Don Ward, describes thus;

“He draws you in, you walk the corridors or maybe you walk with him, into the very bowels of the prison, you almost smell the prison smell. In his writing Roger offers a positive answer to our nation’s ‘crime problem’. In this respect his book is autobiographical, as he offered the same positive answer to each inmate he met. I warmly recommend it as a good read.”

 

To read more about ‘Inside Inside’ click here.  

You can order a copy of the book from Roger at 231/1 Tiki Rd, RD2, Te Awamutu. The RRP is $19.95 plus $2.00 P&P. 

Roger Peake outside the gate to the main block at  Waikeria Prison with his novel ‘Inside Inside’.

It was only a few years ago, that holding a conference between a victim and an offender in a prison, was a definite ”no no” for  some Prison Managers. Kim Workman recalls,

“In 1992, when I was Head of Prisons, I tried to organise a meeting between a prisoner and his rape victim and her whanau at Rimutaka Prison.  Prison Managers were very much opposed to the idea, and the only way we could do it, was to grant the prisoner home leave, and hold the meeting at the local marae.  Although it was a great success, we kept it quiet so as not to attract adverse publicity.  Today, Corrections recognise the value of in-prison victim offender conferences, and the impact it has on both parties. 

There are growing requests from both prisoners and victims for these meetings.  Often they stem from prisoners taking part in the Sycamore Tree program.  In the last month alone, Prison Fellowship received five requests from Paremoremo Prison, and two from Rolleston Prison.  All but one were from prisoners who had taken part in the Sycamore Tree program, and sought to meet with their victims, and express  remorse  for their actions. In addition, a victim wrote to Prison Fellowship, seeking to meet with her victim.   

Prison Fellowship meets the cost of victim-offender conferences itself, and is currently seeking ways in which this work can continue.  

Volunteers Urged to ‘Hang In’ during Lockdowns. 

Volunteer and church leaders are being urged by Prison Fellowship, to hang in, despite the real prospect of available volunteer hours in some prisons being reduced by 50 75% in some prisons. 

Increasing prison populations have resulted  in staff working excessive overtime, and accumulating much needed leave.  That, aggravated by staff shortages and budget constraints, has resulted in prisoners being locked down for up to 16 hours a day, in an effort to manage staff health and safety issues and budget constraints.  Work and activities are compressed into the remaining day time hour.  s available.

Prisons in the Wellington Region have been  locked down starting this week.  Those volunteers who visit the prison after 4.30pm at night will be unable to do so, and  programs that have been run in the evening, may no longer be available to the prisoners.    Volunteer time in the prisons will be significantly reduced.  While the situation will be reviewed monthly, this situation could continue well into next year. 

Volunteers who for years have been going into a prison at a certain time every week, may decide to  volunteer elsewhere.  It will be a challenge to entice them back into the prison, once the lockdown is over.  

Priosn Fellowship  has worked with the  department to lessen the impact on the faith based unit at Rimutaka, and to see whether alternative arrangements can be made for volunteer activity that occurs in the evening.  The department is committed to deliver its behavioural programs, and employment activity.  Educational programs, remedial reading, Bible studies and recreational programs such as art and music, will be severely affected.  Community work programs will terminate, and programs designed to impact on both rehabilitation and reintegration will be severely affected.  Within those prisons affected, volunteer activity will reduce by between 40 and 60%.  In the faith based unit, the mentoring activity (which took place in the evening), is estimated to reduce by 75%.  Most mentors work during the day, and are not available to visit prisoners at that time.    

For many prisoners, the time they spend with volunteers is truly valued.  The opportunity to talk with an outsider about their family, relationship issues, personal victories and setbacks will be sadly missed.  

Please pray that:

• The situation will be restored as soon as possible, and

• That those volunteers who are temporarily excluded from the prison, will remain committed to prison ministry, and re-commit to prison ministry once the lockdown is lifted.      

Kim Workman