Faith Based Unit

Purpose

The Faith-based Unit was established to:

• Reduce the risk of re-offending by providing a programme with a strong Christian emphasis, within a supportive environment.
• Provide prisoners with an opportunity to explore the Christian faith.
• Provide prisoners with Christian support leading up to and following their release.

Eligibility

To be admitted to a Faith-based Unit, prisoners must:

• Have minimum to low-medium security status.
• Be drug free.
• Preferably be in the last 18 months of their sentence.
• Be willing to explore the Christian faith.

Prisoner obligations

Prisoners must:

• Maintain appropriate standards of behaviour.
• Remain drug free.
• Participate fully.

Other features

• The 60-bed unit opened at Rimutaka Prison in October 2003.
• The Maori name for the unit is He Korowai Whakapono (Cloak of Faith).
• The unit functions as a partnership between the Department of Corrections and Prison Fellowship New Zealand (PFNZ). The Department is responsible for the overall management of the unit and PFNZ is responsible for administering the 18-month Christian development programme.
• The four-phase programme includes:

• The unit is Christian-based with the faith ethos reflected in an 18-month long programme delivered in the unit, a prayer-centred daily routine, and a combination of faith development and life-related programmes and regular worship involving a variety of external church groups and Christian volunteers.
• The Christian-based programme delivered in the unit was developed in consultation with the Corrections Department’s Psychological Service.
• Prisoners are selected for the programme without dsicrimination in relation to ethnicity, race or religion.
• The unit works alongside Operation Jericho, a Prison Fellowship New Zealand prisoner after-care programme, in which trained mentors work on a one-to-one basis with eligible participants, up to eight months before they leave prison, and for up to two years following their release.