You are here: Home → PF Justice Reform around the World → Justice Reform by Region → Justice Reform in the Pacific → Sycamore Tree Project®

Sycamore Tree Project®

Up one level

Sycamore Tree Project ® in the Solomon Islands

A recent newspaper headline from the Solomon Islands reads, “Prisoners find way to reconcile with victims.’ The article refers to the recent celebration ceremony of Sycamore Tree Project® run by Prison Fellowship Solomon Islands in Rove Central Prison in Honiara.

Sycamore Tree Project® in the Community

Recently, the PF Australia chapter in New South Wales completed its first Sycamore Tree Project® pilot project in the community. This pilot worked with both ex-prisoners and offenders on community sentences. The offender participants volunteer for the programme because they are required to complete a certain number of prescribed courses as a term of their sentences. Sycamore Tree is only one in a range of courses.

“Today I got to Speak”

Trembling from fear as they neared the massive prison, Fiona and Helen both felt the urge to just keep driving and avoid meeting the offenders who waited for them behind the gates. They were on their way to take part in PF Australia’s Sycamore Tree Project® (STP) at Acacia Prison near Perth in Western Australia.

Prisoners Donate to Fund for Victims

Furthering the reconciliation work that is initiated by the Sycamore Tree Project® (STP), Prison Fellowship Western Australia has set up a Victim Relief Fund that encourages prisoners to donate to crime victims.

Observations of a Visitor—Sycamore Tree Project®

Prepared by Lynne Ridgeway of the Victim-Offender Mediation Unit who attended the final session of the Pilot Programme at Acacia Prison 2005.

Celebration of Healing: Report from the Sycamore Tree Project® – Pilot at Acacia Prison

28 people, both men and women, sit in a circle facing inwards. It is morning. Among them, dotted about in random fashion, are 9 men in green, the clothes marking them out as prisoners. We are in a large classroom, a cross and some stained glass windows identifying this as a chapel. The location - Acacia private prison - a loose block of buildings, 50 kilometres East of Perth, heavily fortified by razor wire indicating its maximum security classification. Around us are the living and working quarters of about 750 inmates (this is the largest of WA’s prisons) and a large number of security personnel. It is Friday 11th November 2005. There are smiles and an atmosphere of peace, confidence - even of joy - among those present.

Evaluating the Sycamore Tree Project®

In November 2005, Prison Fellowship New Zealand released a new evaluation of the effectiveness of the Sycamore Tree Project® (STP).

Sycamore Tree Project Impact Evaluation for Prison Fellowship New Zealand

Forty nine offenders completed an attitude to offending measure (CRIME_PICS II) before and after the Sycamore Tree programme showed significant changes on all scales in the expected direction. While the reduction in victim empathy was not as great as might be expected the changes were nevertheless significant.

Prison Fellowship of New Zealand: Sycamore Tree

Paper presented at the Just Peace? Peace Making and Peace Building for the New Millennium conference, held in Auckland, New Zealand, 24-28 April. Auckland, New Zealand: Massey University, School of Social and Cultural Studies, Centre for Justice and Peace Development.

No Future without Forgiveness: The practice of Victim-Offender Reconciliation in NZ

In my presentation today I will speak about PFNZ’s work in prisons that focus on programmes and processes that address restorative justice values and principles.

A Consideration of the Sycamore Tree Programme and Survey Results from the Perspective of a Restorative Justice Practitioner

The Sycamore Tree Programme (STP), delivered by Prison Fellowship of New Zealand, is a restorative justice programme which brings together a panel of six inmates and six crime victims over eight two-hour sessions. The victims attending these meetings are not the particular victims of the inmates. The programme includes large and small group discussions, victim/offender interactions, role-plays, and readings that create a contemporary retelling of the biblical story of Zaccheus, a man who admits to his offending and sets about to restore to his victims what he has defrauded them of.

Sycamore Tree Success

A restorative justice programme involving face-to-face meetings between prison inmates and victims of crime is proving so successful it is to be expanded into eight prisons around the country this year.

Sycamore Tree Programme: A Journey For Them All

PRison Fellowship New Zealand is actively workign with the Department of Corrections to expand the Sycamore Tree Project. This article originally appeared in Te Ara Whakatika: newsletter of the court-referred restorative justice project, Winter 2004, number 22.

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.

Sycamore Tree Project Expanding in New Zealand

This article from the New Zealand Corrections News originally titled "Sycamore Tree Programme Plans to Expand Across Region," describes the programme and expansion plans.

Profound Impact on Inmates

A community-based restorative justice programme that works with offenders in prison is growing rapidly.

Taking the Sycamore Tree Project Literally

Participants in PF New Zealand’s pilot of the Sycamore Tree Project took the name literally and concluded the programme with a tree-planting ceremony.

Twist of Fate Under the Sycamore Tree

As the Sycamore Tree Project took root in New Zealand, PFI Pacific Office director Graeme Taylor got more than he bargained for when he organized the victim/offender reconciliation programme. The story began in March of 1990 when he was in a serious motorcycle accident. As he was riding at about 100 kilometres per hour, a car made a U-turn directly in his path and having no option, Graeme had to ride straight into the car’s rear door, wrecking the motorcycle, totaling the car and sending Graeme over the roof of the car to land 20 metres down the road. He went to the hospital with a broken wrist, mangled ankle and a body full of bruises. Fortunately, a helmet and the grace of God (not necessarily in that order) saved his life. The police visited him at home later to complete a “victim impact report”. Graeme told the police that he knew it was an accident, felt no ill will against the driver and did not want to press charges.