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Communities of Restoration

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New Zealand Faith-based Unit impacted by Lockdown

In late 2007, the New Zealand Department of Corrections implemented an extended time of lockdown for prisoners due to various staffing and budget constraints. In many prisons, including Rimutaka Prison housing the PF New Zealand Faith-based Unit, prisoners are locked in their cells from 5:00pm until 8:00am. While posing challenges to the activities of PF New Zealand volunteers in all programmes, the new lockdown policy offers unique problems for the faith-based unit.

Lives in Transition: Proof of a Life Transformed

Lives in Transition is a 16-week intensive pre- and post-release programme operated by PF Australia (Victoria). In this article, Robert, a programme graduate, describes how the programme caused him to see the reality of his offending and to seek a meeting to apologise to his victim.

Lives in Transition From custody to community: An initiative of Prison Fellowship Australia - Victoria

Lives in Transition (LIT) is a new innovative approach to the problem of recidivism in Victoria. It takes a holistic approach to the issues facing prisoners in the transition from custody to community thereby recognising the need to fully address the physical, emotional and spiritual needs of the inmate. Lives in Transition grew out of faith based programs developed by national Prison Fellowship ministries around the world. Primarily it is based on the InnerChange program initiated by Prison Fellowship in the USA and the Transition of Prisoners program based in Detroit.

Resolving Conflict and Restoring Relationships: Experiments in Community Justice within a New Zealand Faith-Based Unit

In October 2004, a faith-based prison unit was opened at Rimutaka Prison, near Wellington, New Zealand, being a joint Department of Corrections and Prison Fellowship of New Zealand programme that promotes peace and reconciliation. The model of biblical peace making, and processes for 'conflict resolution and the restoration of community peace, presents both staff and inmates with conflicts in terms of established disciplinary procedures, and the impact of 'prisonisation' on inmates. The introduction of a victim-offender program (the Sycamore Tree program) further reinforces the consequences of crime and the harm to victims. The paper explores the role of restorative justice in prisons, and the applicability of "best practise" restorative justice principles and practises within an institutional setting. It also examines the implications of this model for inmate family/whänau restoration, and victim/offender reconciliation. The paper concludes with a discussion on the implications of this model for the wider correctional system.

Community Of Restoration Brochure

A guide to the faith-based unit in Rimutaka Prison.

Murder in the Faith-Based Unit

At 10.30am, Thursday, 4th April a profound event occurred in the faith based unit at Rimutaka Prison, which shook both staff and inmates to the core. It was at that time that an inmate was found dead, with a garden fork through his throat.

Faith-based Prisons: An Innovative Path Towards Offender Rehabilitation

‘He Korowai Whakapono’, the faith-based prison unit at Rimutaka Prison, provides inmates with a Christian programme emphasizing spirituality and moral development, with the aim of rehabilitation and reduced re-offending.

PF New Zealand – The first Sycamore Tree Project® in the Faith Based Unit

Five victims of crime and five offenders took part in this inaugural STP in the Faith Based Unit. PFNZ staff member Jackie Katounas ran the programme along with David and Karina TeHira who will run subsequent STP at Rimutaka Prison. I have attended quite a number of STP Celebration events and I hear similar things comings from both offenders and victims. Let me share with you some of the comments that were shared with the assembled guests at the FBU this morning.

Faith-based Prison Rehabilitation

An innovative New Zealand prison unit is using prayer and spiritual transformation as a means to reduce prisoner re-offending. The Faith-Based Unit at Rimutaku Prison is the first of its kind in Australasia and represents a unique Christian approach to rehabilitating convicted criminals.

Transforming Faith

Prison Fellowship in Wellington is proving that, despite initial scepticism from others, it is possible to build a sense of Christian community behind bars. The transformation which has been occurring within the hearts and minds of inmates since the faith-based unit at Rimutaka Prison in Upper Hutt opened last October, was evident after an unforeseen and tragic murder which happened there some weeks ago.

Inside Out. The Newsletter of Prison Fellowship New Zealand. December 2003.

This issue of the Inside Out Newsletter features article on the new faith-based unit opened by PF New Zealand as well as the other work of the ministry.

APAC Transition

Handout prepared by PF Queensland to inform people in their state about APAC.