A BUNBURY prison chaplain is determined to grow a program which champions “restorative justice” to combat the escalating number of repeat offenders.
For five years, Prison Fellowship WA’s Sycamore Tree Project has brought crime victims into the Bunbury prison to meet with groups of offenders.
The victims talk about the effects of crime, the harms it causes and how to make amends.
On Monday the latest group of Bunbury prisoners and community volunteers completed the eight-week program with an emotional graduation, describing it as a life-changing experience.
Prison chaplain Paschal Kearney said the demand from prisoners wanting to be involved in the program was immense.
He is calling out for more community volunteers to share their story.
Mr Kearney said the program’s focus on restorative justice left a lasting impression on a prisoner who may never have considered the far-reaching impact of their crime.
“Most of them have never been exposed to the other side or given the opportunity to sit with someone who has been impacted by crime and see how it compounds on a family,” he said.
“Suddenly they see the mother, father, sister that has been hurt by a crime and it hits home.”
In August this year an independent review revealed that ongoing overcrowding at Bunbury prison meant that some inmates were forced to share cells smaller than that demanded by national standards.
Mr Kearney said the continually robust prison population showed that a focus on rehabilitation was critical.
Australian Bureau of Statistics figures from June last year showed that three in five WA prisoners had previous jail time.
Custodial Services inspector Neil Morgan’s review pointed out that voluntary programs may not be sufficiently valued by the Corrective Services department.
Mr Morgan said programs like the Sycamore Tree Project could be “transformative” but he was concerned the department and the Prisoners Review Board “placed little weight on them as reducing a person’s risk of reoffending.”
Project facilitator Jane Anderson said community volunteers had described the process as a healing experience which removed judgement.
“Punitive justice is a state government solution but restorative justice is a community solution – the Bunbury community needs to step up to the plate,” she said.
Victims of crime healed through speaking with prisoners
The Bunbury Mail met with the crime victims who were involved in the latest round of the project after their graduation on Monday.
While they did not want to be identified, they were keen to spread the word about the positive outlook they had gained from the experience.
One woman had completed the eight-week process for the third time after being a victim of crime overseas.
She said she now felt "completely healed".
"At first I felt very confronted, I couldn't even get through my story without breaking down," she said.
"But I came to realise that the basic needs of all people are exactly the same - we all want trust, honesty, openness and acceptance - things that these people may never have experienced before.
"Someone is your enemy until you know their story - these people have been offended and then they have become offenders."
Another woman said she used to sit on the lounge watching crime on the news and her immediate reaction was "put them away and throw away the key."
After being a victim of crime she had become very wary around men, but through the program she developed the confidence to sit and speak with a large group of men who society had labelled "bad."
"I never saw the humanity behind people that commit crimes, but after hearing their gut-wrenching stories, I can't say that I wouldn't have reacted the same if I had walked in their shoes," she said.
An older woman said the Sycamore Tree Project was the most rewarding thing she had ever done in her life.
She said the men had given her gifts of paintings and secret recipes at the end of the program as a way of saying thank you.
Who can get involved?
The crime which has impacted the community volunteer should not be a very recent experience as it may be too raw. The participants should have overcome the initial traumatic pain of the incident.
Community volunteers should not judge and are not there to "tell the prisoners off."
Anyone who registers an interest in the program will be interviewed by the facilitators to make sure the experience will benefit everyone involved.
For more information or to register your interest in The Sycamore Tree Project, contact 0419 952 735 or email jane@albanyis.com.au
