Stories from Africa

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Raising Community Awareness in Swaziland

In April, PF Swaziland participated in an awareness raising event aimed to help community leaders in the country’s Lubombo region understand the proposed community service programme. Organised by the Commissioner of Correctional Services, the meeting included several stakeholders: Correctional services, local chiefs, the Swaziland Association for Crime Prevention and the Rehabilitation of Offenders (SACRO), National Emergency Response Council on HIV/AIDS (NERCHA), and PF Swaziland.

PF Rwanda Receives Grant for Reconciliation Work

Recently, PF Rwanda received a two-year grant from the Embassy of Belgium in Kigali. The grant will support the ministry’s restorative justice activities both in prison and in the community. The goal is to strengthen the understanding of restorative justice at various levels and support peaceful coexistence in communities where those guilty of crimes during the 1994 genocide and survivors are living side-by-side.

Sycamore Tree Project® in Kenya

In mid-March, PF Kenya finished the first Sycamore Tree Project® in Kamiti Medium Security Prison near Nairobi. Nineteen inmates participated in the programme with George Karimi – PF Kenya executive director – and Silas Musyoka serving as facilitators.

Facilitating Restorative Justice in Lesotho

Each November, PF Lesotho organises several events to commemorate Restorative Justice Week. For 2009, the ministry had intended to pursue the low cost approach of sending volunteers into churches to encourage participation in the commemoration and teach about the concepts of restorative justice. However, a phone call from the Minister of Justice, Human Rights and the Correctional Service changed their plans.

Partnership for Addressing Prison Overcrowding in South Africa

According to the International Centre for Prison Studies, the South African prison population was at 139.9% of capacity in 2009. Overcrowded prisons pose several difficulties for South Africa – and any country facing a similar problem – they are hard to control and they increase the negative impact on prisoners’ ability to make pro-social decisions upon release from prison. In response to the growing overcrowding problem, PF South Africa joined with several other concerned organisations and individuals to form the National Initiative against Overcrowding in Prisons (Initiative).

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.

Preparing Mediators and Facilitators in Zambia

In late May, PF Zambia provided restorative justice training for 24 volunteers from eight care groups around the country. It included an overview to restorative justice theory, mediation practice, and the Sycamore Tree Project® (STP). Training goals included building capacity for STP implementation and mediation services across the country.

Transforming Lives and Attitudes in Zambia

“Words alone cannot express our gratitude and heartfelt thanks to you as a team of the Sycamore Tree Programme and the entire Prison Fellowship Zambia for taking this life transforming programme to Kamfinsa inmates,” wrote a group of participants from PF Zambia’s most recent Sycamore Tree Project® course held at Kamfinsa prison.

Diverting Juvenile Offenders Away from Courts in South Africa

In response to prison overcrowding and the negative impact of incarceration on young offenders, PF South Africa launched a juvenile diversion project known as The Fig Tree Project. Targeting first-time, non-violent offenders and students in danger of expulsion from secondary school (grades 8-12), the Fig Tree Project offers a community alternative to incarceration.