• Discipleship
• Life Recovery (The Onesimus Project)
• Angel Tree
• Restorative Justice
• Legal Aid
• Family Welfare
• Medical Outreach
• Rehabilitation & Reintegration
• The Green Ribbon Campaign

Life Recovery (The Onesimus Project)

The Onesimus Project is: A Model for Change, A Reason to Hope.
Project Mission: Being Partners, Forming Friendships & Transforming Lives.

 

Hope for a New Start

The Onesimus Project offers prisoners and ex-prisoners Hope for a new start. What happens when prisoners are released?  How do we ensure their lives on the outside are different from how they were before?  What can stop prisoners from re-offending and re-entering the prison system?

Prison Fellowship Nigeria's "Onesimus Project" developed from successful Prison Fellowship International initiates in Brazil (APAC), the USA (inner change freedom initiative), Australia (lives in transition) among others is part, of the answer to the above dilemma faced by the government, correctional officers, Criminal Justice Administrators, society, prisoners and ex-prisoners alike.

 

Why Life Recovery?

Life after sentence for ex-convicts remains a horrendous scare and trauma.  The mere thought of being released after sentence is so scary to ex-convicts that often times, some have pleaded to be left inside the prison.  The reason is simple, they are often not welcomed.  Neither family, friends nor society are prepared to have anything to do with them, let alone help.  No one benefits from this sad stalemate; the result is that such ex-convicts in the face of rejection by friends, relatives and society turn to "old soul mates" and soon get caught in the crime web and sent back to prison.

The rate of re-offending and conviction (recidivism) is about 70%.  This prima facie, suggests that only 30% of those who are convicted and sentenced stay out of crime after release.  No wonder the rate of crime rather than abate is escalating. Society becomes unsafe, greatly constraining socio-economic, cultural and political pursuits and enjoyment.

Life Recovery is a component of PF Nigeria Green Ribbon Campaign and an intensive and extensive pre/post release programme designed to prepare inmates, with 4 - 6 months to the end of their prison sentence, for re-entry back into society and continuing for 12 months thereafter.

It is designed to address:

1. Idleness, restiveness and schism within the prisons, among prisoners as well as between prisoners and staff.
2. Re-offending by ex-convicts after their prison terms.
3. The rate of recidivism, which, itself has a direct relationship with the rate of crime.
4. Empowerment of prison inmates through vocational/life skills training, prior to release.
5. Ease re-entry of ex-convicts back into society.
6. Stigmatization through provision of Psychosocial support to, enhance the rehabilitation and reintegration of ex-convicts into meaningful socio-economic life after serving prison term.

 

Unique Features

• The use of mentors will provide ex-prisoners graduating from this programme post sentence guidance and enhanced psychosocial strength and support to navigate the "conventional" hostile reception given ex-prisoners by the society, which often force them, back to "old friends', crime and prison.
• The programme will re-orient and inculcate in the ex-prisoner/graduand appropriate and acceptable social and ethical beliefs, values and behaviours that promote self respect, honesty, obedience to constituted authority, hardwork and respect for the rights and feelings of others.
• The programme will improve the self worth of ex-prisoners/graduands by arming them with contemporary life and vocational skills for their meaningful socio-economic and cultural re-integration.
• The programme will contribute to our social capital by empowering the ex-prisoners/graduands to become productive members of the society.

 

Background

Life Recovery as a faith and community based programme has its origin in Prison Fellowship Programmes which have proved very effective around the world; "Innerchange" in Houston, United States, "Lives in Transition" in Victoria, Australia.  Similar programmes are now operating through Prison Fellowship in england, Germany, Holland and New Zealand, among other member countries of Prison Fellowship International.

These programmes have resulted in significant reduction in the level of recidivism that contrasts significantly with the global rate of 60+ %.  Recidivism of graduates from these programmes is put at about 15%. The programmes feature Christian education, mentoring, vocational and entrepreneurial skill training.

Life Recovery programme is designed to introduce prisoners to a value system that addresses offending behaviours and provide them with alternative way of thinking about their lifestyles, with a view to reducing the risk of re-offending, teach prisoners a range of living/vocational and entrepreneurial skills that will enhance their socio-economic opportunity on release.

 

Eligibility

The programme is designed to introduce prisoners to a value system that addresses offending behaviours and provide them with alternative way of thinking about their lifestyles, with a view to reducing the risk of re-offending, teach prisoners a range of living/vocational and entrepreneurial skills that will enhance their socio-economic opportunity on release.

 

Objectives

• Mentoring: The programme will line "one-on-one" participants with volunteer Christian role-models in PF-Member Churches as mentors who will use well-designed follow up processes to reach out to prisoners (200 prisoners mentored yearly for 2 years).
• Enabling Environment: The programme will design and produce behavioral change communication (BCC) materials for prison inmates and would-be volunteer Christian mentors from PF-Member Churches.  The mentors and mentees will pass through necessary orientation and training.
• Equipping Old and Establishment of new trade workshop: The programme will reactivate existing workshops and establish new ones where necessary, in partnership with corporate organizations and technical experts in the relevant trades to ensure standards, continuity and maintenance of the workshop.
• Skill/Vocational Acquisition: The programme will teach measurable practical and feasible skills and vocations that will assist ex-inmates re-entry back into the society (2 skill acquisition workshop quarterly for participating inmates within 1 year of commencement of programme).
• Post-Release Work-Plan: To assist each participant to write a detailed day-to-day post-release work-plan for the first month of release.  This will be done together with the approval and consent of his "life recovery-mentor".  This plan, where possible will facilitate job placement for the participant prior to release, (200 prisoners in 1 year).
• Temporary Shelter Provision: Temporary Shelter Provision for prisoners in need (100 prisoners in 1 year).

 

Benefits

• Patterns of criminal behaviours are broken
• Recidivism declines
• The work force gains trustworthy employees
• Families are restored
• society is enriched
• Security and safety of lives is enhance.

 

Support Life Recovery

We need volunteers who have professional, technical or special qualification to teach in a prison classroom situation.