Transform, Restore, Reconcile

For some weeks now a group of Northland people have been preparing for this year's Angel Tree. It's under the umbrella of Prison Fellowship in which local people have been very active especially since the building of the Corrections Facility at Ngāwhā. Sue Nash (of Holy Family Church) has been an inspiration and Parish Council appreciates Jessica Scott's willingness to front for our parish, along with the Robinsons. Angel Tree contributes to a crucial factor in life after incarceration – that there is a viable family life to return to and that the person knows he has a place among his family and his community.

In a recent Herald article I read that Corrections minister Anne Tolley had taken a shine to an English prison initiative. Certain inmates at Doncaster are allowed to spend lengthy periods with their children, in a family friendly area. The scheme is understandably limited to minimum security fathers who pass behaviour standards.

"While we were there, there was a father who was bathing his 18-month-old daughter. She comes in once a week, and the two of them go through a normal parenting day. He has a day with his little one and he has done [this] since she was born," Mrs Tolley said. "It's to try and maintain those links, so they don't miss the development of that child, so the child gets the benefit of a dad."

She asked them about the record of violence with this scheme. She said, “they looked at me as if I was nuts.”

How do you react to this? Or more generally, what do you think when you hear about kindness to people convicted of crimes? There's a prevailing attitude that considers prison is about making wrong-doers pay. If they're not suffering, then the system is going soft on them. It is so easy to get sucked into the dominant culture's cries for retribution and punishment.

I heard a senior police officer say recently that the people they most often come into contact with “are victims too”. His big concern is the issue not being tackled even though it is the major contributer to the crimes they encounter most. The issue is alcohol and it's almost always there, be it drugs (more time spent drinking before and after drug taking), violence, sexual abuse, car accidents... It makes sense to Police that when they are dealing with offenders they offer to put them in touch with help: 0800 787797 for Alcohol Drug Helpline. In Northland a trial is running whereby Emergency Departments and the Police can, with the person's permission, make a referral so that a helpline caller will contact the person. It is much easier to respond to a phone call than to make the initial call. Already the stats are impressive about the help being received and changes made.

Back to the matter of attitude. Against the dominant culture of retribution, which labels wrong-doers and risks leaving them on the outer of a normal life, the Christian Way provides us with a counter-culture: a much more effective attitude and one that is true to our humanity because it is true to our spiritual foundation.

The law of the land says, a person is innocent until proven guilty, and when proven it is hard to gauge when that guilt ceases.

The law of our God says, a person is loved regardless.

That's my starting point, ending point, and everything in between. Victims loved and needing compassion and understanding; perpetrators loved and needing compassion and understanding. I am impressed, from my limited knowledge, with prison guards. For us outside it can be hard because we think of the awful things prisoners are in for. The guards seem to me to be enacting this principle, not focussing on what the person has done but treating all equally as people who matter. And of course wise to individuals' ways: “as cunning as serpents and as open as doves”, in the words of the Master (Jesus).

Often in our church it is like we're in another world: no swearing or abusing, no drunkenness or violence. Then I remember that among our relations are people of all sorts – if not our blood relations, then our relations because of our shared humanity. Equally, unconditionally, loved by God.

Prison Fellowship's motto is “Transform, Restore, Reconcile.” If you'd like to help build bridges for offenders to live good, healthy lives after prison, get in touch with Alan Robinson. He's our parish secretary but, more importantly, he's the Mid-North Chair of Prison Fellowship.

Shalom, Robyn

We tend to turn off the people we most need to hear. The people to whom we are least attracted often have the most to teach us. If we identify those to whom we are least drawn, we can make a special effort to listen to them attentively.... Answers can shut down growth; good questions encourage growth. Answers sometimes terminate our listening; questions stimulate further listening.

Source: Listening Hearts