Prison Fellowship of NZ is one member of an association of 88 national Prison Fellowship organizations world wide, each of whichcarries out a similar mission:

To reach out to persons touched by crime, prisoners ex-prisoners and their families, and increasingly crime victims as well, with amessage of hope and offers of tangible assistance.

Around four years ago, Prison Fellowship International decided to develop a program that would bring small groups of victim volunteers into prisons to meet with small groups of prisoners to talk about their experiences with crime. The victims and offenders are not related (that is, the victims are not the particular victims of
those offenders). Studies in North America and Europe have suggested that this kind of meeting can be useful for both victims and offenders. PFI convened an international design team to explore how such a program might be constructed and to oversee development of the curriculum. This was a task the team took seriously since the issues and group dynamics generated in these
meetings could be quite powerful.

The result is the Sycamore Tree Project. The name comes from the Biblical account of the corrupt tax collector named Zaccheaus who climbed a sycamore tree to get a better view of Jesus as he walked through Jericho. He had no idea that Jesus would invite himself to Zaccheaus's home for a meal that night. As a direct result of that meeting Zaccheaus was a changed
man. The evidence of the change was obvious to the community as he paid back quadruple the amount he had stolen from the local taxpayers. He also gave away half his wealth to the poor. The curriculum includes large and small group discussions, victim/offender panels, role plays and readings that create a contemporary retelling of the Biblical account. Obviously participation is strictly voluntary for both inmates and crime victims. Sycamore Tree runs for varying periods of time depending
on how many sessions can take place each week. These sessions examine issues such as:

• Taking responsibility for our actions
• Understanding confession
• Understanding repentance
• Connecting forgiveness with confession and repentance
• Understanding the concepts of reconciliation and restitution
• Considering ways to achieve restitution or at least demonstrate the desire for restitution
• Sharing in a meal to conclude the sessions together

Pilot programmes have already concluded at a men's prison in Houston, Texas, USA and in a men's prison in England and in Arohata Women's Prison in late 1998 and again in 1999. The most recent Sycamore Tree Project was run at Rimutaka Pris on in the Wellington area. These programmes showed the effectiveness of
Sycamore Tree in confronting offenders with their responsibilities towards their own victims. Victims too have benefited as they have dealt further with the issues that they face as victims of crime. PFI is in the process of further refining this programme.

The inmates eligible for the programme are selected by the prison Chaplains. It is important that inmates and victims complete the whole programme. This ensures that participants gain the most from the programme. By working with the prison chaplains and the support people of the victims we ensure that both groups have access to support both during and after the programme.

The programme normally runs in the evenings from 6.00pm to 7.30pm and is usuallyconducted in the chapel or a utility room. Ultimately the group will work towards completing a symbolic act of reparation as a way of demonstrating the desire to 'make things right' as far as is possible. Individual inmates have sought direct victim and offender reconciliation meetings as a result of Sycamore Tree. At the end of each Sycamore Tree Project we share in a celebration dinner to mark the end of the programme and share with leaders from Corrections, the community and the churches
just what has taken place during the past few weeks in the lives of crime victims and inmates alike.

Sycamore Tree is a model of restorative justice applied within the context of a prison. Comments from those involved in the Sycamore Tree run in Arohata in previous years follow:

Crime victim "S": It's been a life changing opportunity. Having been a victim of crime I needed a lot of answers to a lot of questions. It hasn't yet solved them all for me but I am a better, more understanding and I think more forgiving person than I was - and those qualities are increasing in my life all the time now.

Inmate: As a victim I know the effect unforgiveness of ones offenders can have on ones life. The pain mistrust and confusion it can cause. Unfortunately I now have become an offender myself and I know the pain this has caused not only to my victim but also his and my families. Through the Sycamore Tree project I have
gained more knowledge than I ever thought possible. This project has enabled me to totally forgive those who have offended against me and also myself. Through doing this I have found true inner peace. I pray that some day I will have the opportunity to face my
victim and apologize to him for what happened and hopefully he too may forgive me and also find the inner peace that comes from forgiveness. I highly recommend the Sycamore Tree Project to victims and offenders alike.

Crime victim "M": I felt God's presence in a very special way during Sycamore Tree. There was such love and friendship between the inmates and us from the community. I now see inmates in a very different light. In many ways they are not different from you and me. They are real people and I sense that they too can now see that victims of crime are real people too. I am very grateful to have been a part of Sycamore Tree.

Inmate: I have gone from being suicidal to being hopeful. When I began Sycamore Tree I was in a mess. Now I see there is a way forward. When I saw the forgiveness demonstrated by "K" (crime victim participant in Sycamore Tree) I knew I could cope with what ever life threw at me.

Inmate: I have discovered what forgiveness means.
Facilitator Pam Sims (Chaplain, Arohata Women's Prison): I've seen something I've never seen before. Constantly, women are coming to me and asking "Please, please, don't forget me on the next (Sycamore Tree) course"

For further information see http://www.pfnz.org.nz/programs/sycamore_tree_project.htm

Article by Graeme Taylor and Rev. Pam Sims