The Prison Fellowship International webinar on Restorative Justice took place on February 16, 2022. It was organized by the PFI special expert Jonathan Derby. The event was attended by ministers and volunteers of pastoral mimistries of Eastern Europe, among whom were many chaplains and their assistants from Ukraine.
The Ukrainian Christian Mission "Spiritual and Charitable Care in Prisons" is a national organization representing the activities of the PFI in Ukraine. Therefore, among participants of the webinar was also Fr. Constantin Panteley, the head of the UGCC PC Office for Pastoral Care in the Penitentiary System of Ukraine, the current secretary of the Mission.
As a special adviser to PFI, Jonathan Derby has developed a handbook that informs national ministries about restorative justice concepts and best practices.
The webinar covered the following topics:
• Review of Restorative Justice in the Context of PFI
• Continuity of Restorative Justice General and prison sphere
• Practical application to make our programs more effective
How crime harms everyone
Unfortunately, imperfect and sometimes corrupt criminal justice systems help perpetuate the range of crimes.
Prolonged pre-trial detention
Millions of prisoners around the world are being held in overcrowded, inhumane conditions awaiting trial. They often wait longer than the maximum sentence they can receive if convicted.
Punitive populism
Many justice systems focus on punishing offenses rather than creating a rehabilitation environment where prisoners can learn to take personal responsibility for their behavior.
Suffering victims
Victims of crime receive little help to recover from injury. They are ignored, except when summoned as a prosecution witness.
Silent victims
Families and children of prisoners live in poverty in remote, hard-to-reach areas. They are often ostracized for being related to a prisoner and risk physical and emotional trauma.
The participants of the webinar discussed steps to implement effective reconciliation programs aimed at restoring wounded souls and restoring hope for peace in public life, peace that has been distorted and endangered by criminal activities.
Jonathan works closely with Prison Fellowship International and national ministry leaders who are experts in Restorative Justice in their countries, including the Netherlands, Germany, Syria, Rwanda, Nigeria, Canada, New Zealand, Colombia and the United States. In addition, Jonathan has developed a three-year strategic plan that integrates Restorative Justice into the context of serving Prison Fellowship International.
Prison Pastoral Care of the UGCC
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