National Affiliates and Remand Prisoners

PF Nicaragua providing legal services for prisoners

In 2011, PF Nicaragua formed the Defensoría Social to provide legal counsel to prisoners who may have completed sentences or earned the possibility of release through various legal mechanisms. A team consisting of three volunteer lawyers and eleven law students identify qualifying prisoners and bring their case before the courts.

La C. C. de Nicaragua está proporcionando servicios jurídicos para los prisioneros

En 2011, la C. C. de Nicaragua instauró la Defensoría Social para proporcionar asistencia jurídica a los prisioneros que puedan haber ya terminado sus sentencias o ganado la posibilidad de ser puestos en libertad a través de varios mecanismos legales. Un equipo que consiste de tres abogados voluntarios y once estudiantes de derecho identifican a los prisioneros elegibles y llevan sus casos ante los juzgados.

Prison Fellowship Nicaragua and the Supreme Court of Justice

PF Nicaragua signed an agreement with the Supreme court in order to help to prisoners who cannot afford a lawyer. According to Monsignior Peña of PF Nicaragua and the President of the Supreme Court free legal assistance "will help to the consolidation of a justice prison system that is more efficent and respectful of the human rights in the frame of the restorative justice contemplated in our "Great Charter" "Carta Magna."

PF Nicaragua promoting legal assistance for prisoners

In their work with prisoners, PF Nicaragua volunteers often encounter prisoners who have completed their sentences but not been released due to judicial delays as well as other legal issues. In response, the national ministry developed two partnerships resulting in agreements with The Supreme Court of Justice of Nicaragua and the American College University in Managua. The agreements create mechanisms for PF Nicaragua social defense volunteers, aided by law students, to provide assistance to review and process cases.

La C. C. de Nicaragua está promoviendo la asesoría legal para los prisioneros

En su trabajo con los prisioneros, los voluntarios de la C. C. de Nicaragua frecuentemente encuentran prisioneros que ya han cumplido sus sentencias pero que no han sido liberados debido a demoras judiciales así como a otros asuntos legales. En respuesta a ello, el ministerio nacional desarrolló dos asociaciones que resultaron en convenios con la Suprema Corte de Justicia de Nicaragua y con la Universidad Americana en Managua. Los convenios crean mecanismos para que los voluntarios de defensa social de la C. C. de Nicaragua, ayudados por estudiantes de Derecho, proporcionen asistencia legal para revisar y procesar casos penales.

La C. C. de la República del Niger proporcionando esperanza a través de la ayuda legal

Por muchos años, voluntarios de la C. C. de la República del Río Niger han recaudado información sobre prisioneros con muchas necesidades y han compartido éstas con un equipo de asesores legales. Una vez que la información es compilada, representantes de la C. C. de la República del Río Niger visitan los juzgados para recabar mayores detalles del caso. Si el asunto es sencillo, los representantes trataran de resolverlos. Si esto no es posible, el ministerio acude a un equipo de abogados cristianos para que representen a los prisioneros en los juzgados.

PF Niger providing hope through legal assistance

For several years, PF Niger volunteers have gathered information on prisoners with various legal needs and shared these with a team of legal advisors. Once the information is compiled, PF Niger representatives visit the courts to gather further details on the case. If the matter is simple, the representatives will try to resolve the issues. If this is not possible, the ministry calls upon a team of Christian lawyers to represent the prisoners in court.

Prison Official On OverCrowdedness At Prison

From the article in The Inquirer Online (from Liberia): The Coordinator of Access to Justice and Legal Aid in Liberia has criticized the over crowdedness of prison centers across the country. Rev. Francis Kollie attributed the situation to the lack of access to justice and poor justice system in Liberia.

La C. C. de Georgia Ofreciendo Ayuda Legal

Para muchos prisioneros y sus familias en Georgia, las realidades económicas limitan el acceso a la ayuda legal para una variedad de asuntos incluso la defensa legal en casos penales, el alegato de abusos de derechos humanos y asuntos civiles. En respuesta la C. C. de Georgia movilizó a un equipo de diez abogados certificados para satisfacer los requerimientos legales de los prisioneros, sus familias y otros ciudadanos.

Aider les Églises à mieux connaitre la Justice Réparatrice

Au début de Septembre, la FP Australie (Australie du Sud) a expédié des notes sur la justice réparatrice à 140 églises parmi celles qui la soutiennent.

La FP Géorgie pourvoit à une assistance juridique

Pour de nombreux prisonniers et leur famille en Géorgie, les réalités économiques limite l'accès à une aide juridique dans différents domaines, notamment celui de la défense juridique dans les affaires pénales, les allégations de violations des droits de l'homme, et en matière civile. En réponse, la FP Géorgie a mobilisé une équipe de dix avocats certifiés pour répondre aux besoins juridiques des détenus, des membres de leurs familles et les autres citoyens.

АТСГрузиипредлагаетюридическуюпомощь

Для многих грузинских заключённых и членов их семей доступ к юридической помощи ограничен в силу их затруднённого материального положения. Под юридической помощью в данном случае понимается целый спектр услуг, а именно: юридическая защита в уголовных делах, заявления по поводу нарушения прав человека, а также ведение дел из области гражданского правосудия. Отвечая на эту нужду, АТС Грузии мобилизовала команду из 10 дипломированных адвокатов, которые смогут оказать юридическую помощь заключённым, членам их семей, а также другим категориям граждан.

PF Georgia Offering Legal Assistance

For many prisoners and their families in Georgia, economic realities limit access to legal aid for a variety of issues including legal defence in criminal cases, allegations of human rights abuses, and civil matters. In response, PF Georgia mobilised a team of ten certified attorneys to meet the legal needs of prisoners, their family members and other citizens.

Legal Aid in Liberia

In a country with only 300 lawyers for an estimated 3.5 million people, PF Liberia’s Legal Aid programme offers hope to those being held on pre-trial detention illegally. For example, programme volunteers facilitated the release of 117 pre-trial detainees from February to June 2009. The volunteer lawyers and lay people, active in four main prisons, collect data on the prisoners in need of assistance, identify necessary evidence and witnesses for court proceedings, and offer mediation services as an alternative mechanism for processing the case.

Providing Legal Assistance in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

Responding to the needs of poor prisoners and those being held illegally, PF Democratic Republic of the Congo (PF DRC) has created a juridical committee to identify those in need and provide legal assistance. In early 2009, the committee secured the release of 26 prisoners being held illegally.

Open Court in Prison

For years Prem Kumar, executive director of Prison Fellowship Malaysia, has watched remand prisoners languish in prison as they await trial. Recently, Prem shared his concerns about the situation of 332 remand prisoners with a friend visiting his home. This friend, a former deputy public prosecutor and current Manager of Sabah Courts, decided to see what could be done. He asked Prem to use his role as a Visiting Justice (position created in the Malaysian prison legislation to inspect prisoners) to ask these remand prisoners if they wanted to plead guilty. As a result, the first Open Court session in prison was held on 15 October.

Speaking for the Forgotten

The old adage, “children are to be seen and not heard,” was not supposed to apply to the justice system. Unfortunately, children can often become voiceless victims in an overburdened justice system that is lacking in resources. That is what Vijula Arulanantham, PF Sri Lanka Board chairperson, discovered when visiting a juvenile remand home recently. The children here were not all offenders. Many were victims— street children abandoned or neglected.

An Indefinite Wait for Freedom

“Innocent until proven guilty” doesn’t mean much for the nearly 800 prisoners who are crowded into the dirty, dank prison cells of Liberia’s Monrovia Central Prison. Most have yet to be convicted of a crime – some charged with offences as minor as not paying a bill – but they have languished here for years without a trial.

Freeing Prisoners in Sri Lanka

In Sri Lanka, prisoners held in remand indefinitely are called 'no date' prisoners. While the law requires that they be given the opportunity for bail within two years, many are serving as much as three or four years without trial or a bail hearing according to Vijula Aralanantham, board chairperson of PF Sri Lanka. Responding to many requests for assistance received by staff and volunteers visiting prison, the ministry started the Prison Fellowship Legal Aid Team (PFLAT).

Facilitating Prisoner Releases in Liberia

Recently, PF Liberia aided the release of 36 prisoners held for more than 180 days without trial in Monrovia Central Prison and Kakata Prison Centre.