Prisoners in the Pews

Prisoners often return to criminal activity upon release because they become disconnected from their community and find it too difficult to assimilate to life on the outside.  This problem can be compounded when members of the community isolate and shun released prisoners due to fear and uncertainty.  PF Papua New Guinea is helping to bridge that gap with an innovative “inmate/outmate” programme that connects prisoners with their community.

With permission from the prison authorities, PF Papua New Guinea routinely takes a group of prisoners to local churches to participate in their worship services.  The prisoners themselves are speakers at the services and they have formed a music team that leads the congregation in lively sing-a-longs.  “This programme allows the Church outside to fellowship with the Church inside,” explains Uvenama Rova, PF Papua New Guinea‘s Executive Director.  The programme has been in effect for a few years now, and has become increasingly popular.  Churches throughout the area are now requesting that the prisoners visit. 

PF Papua New Guinea furthered this effort with special “Weekend Outreach Programmes.”  This programme began in 2002, when PF staff took 12 prisoners and six prison officials to Fisherman‘s Island, a small island near Port Moresby.  Similar to a weekend retreat, the prisoners spent time with the church members on the island, who prepared a special welcome feast at their arrival and presented them with farewell gifts upon their departure.  “The inmates experienced love, acceptance and freedom,” says Moale Vagi, PF Papua New Guinea staff member.  “The church community‘s perspective of prisoners had changed.”

This first PF weekend outing was treated as a pilot programme by the prison officials.  “This was the first time the inmates had been taken away from their cells to spend the whole weekend sleeping outside,” Moale explains.  While initially reluctant to allow the inmates to be away from prison for more than a day, the prison officials were pleasantly surprised by the prisoners‘ behaviour.  So much so that when they returned to the prison they reportedly suggested these particular prisoners be released because they were no longer dangerous!

The first weekend outreach event was so successful that the programme has grown to include areas outside of Port Moresby, the capital city.  And PF has been granted permission to bring selected prisoners to community events for shorter excursions.  Recently, a four day outing was also held with prisoners and prison officials in a small village 130 kilometres southeast of Port Moresby, which was also a powerful experience for both the prisoners and the community.

PF has also developed “care groups” composed of church volunteers who routinely visit prisoners throughout the country.  Such care groups have been established in 19 prisons.  PF carefully trains the volunteers and secures permission for their visits by obtaining special entry passes to even enter the Maximum Security section at Bomana Prison.  Recently PF began holding Christmas parties with the 38 prisoners in the Maximum Security section of the prison, something that was previously prohibited.

As well as aiding the community in their support of prisoners, PF has also been successful in encouraging prisoners to help the community through their successful “Dream Maker Project.”   This crime prevention programme brings ex-prisoners into schools to speak to students about the serious consequences of criminal behaviour.  In this way released prisoners are helping prevent crime in their own communities by warning kids not to make the same mistakes that they did.  In the second phase of the programme, PF volunteers bring students into the prison to let them see for themselves what criminal behaviour can lead to.

PF Papua New Guinea‘s community-building programmes are helping prisoners to reintegrate into society in a way that supports both the prisoner and the community.