P:     Hello Ron .Please tell us something about yourself.

RN:  My name is Ron Nikkel and I am a Canadian.  As long as I can remember I have had a passion for issues of      justice and the compassionate treatment of both victims and offenders.  I began working in the juvenile justice field in the early 1970’s as an outreach worker for runaway and delinquent youth including street kids, homeless youth, and those with drug issues.  I began working in Toronto where I developed a model program before going on to lead a national initiative aimed at setting up similar programs in other Canadian and US cities.  In 1982 I met Chuck Colson following his release from prison.  He had been the so called “hatchet-man” of President Nixon (USA) during the Watergate political scandal.  Following his imprisonment he determined to work for the benefit of people in prison through prison visitation and justice reform.  I was captivated by his vision to make a difference and when he challenged me to work with him in developing the program Prison Fellowship Internationally I accepted.  I worked as the chief executive (President) of Prison Fellowship International until 2014 when I stepped down from that position and am now working as President Emeritus .

RN:  When I began working with Prison Fellowship International,there were just a few interested persons in five countries.  I began helping them organize themselves and develop program initiatives to respond to the needs and opportunities in the prisons and criminal justice systems of their countries.  The work spread rapidly and today Prison Fellowship works worldwide in 128 countries essentially in mobilizing the faith community to befriend prisoners, ex-prisoners, and their families as well as victims in providing friendship, basic care where needed, and being a bridge back into the community.  We also provide special outreach to the children of prisoners who are often the forgotten victims of crime.  Additionally we work on victim – offender reconciliation and advocate extensively for Restorative Justice.

What really inspired me to take up the work was the fact that the criminal justice systems of most countries are a disaster – with over 60% of prisoners becoming repeat offenders after their release.  Further I was inspired by the stories of people like Chuck Colson for whom a religious experience became a turning point in their values and lifestyle.

RN:  The basic problems of prisoners today include loneliness, alienation, exclusion from the community, separation from the family, idleness, lack of meaningful activity and alternatives while in prison, and particularly re-entry assistance upon release from prison.  All this combines to create a sense of hopelessness and helplessness and often anger.  Another problem is that many many prisoners have underlying addiction and dependency issues that are simply not treated while they are in prison.

RN:  It seems to me that the global community has never been serious about prison reform, or rehabilitation, or crime prevention.  This is compounded by the fact that there is an underlying belief that justice is accomplished when an offender has been arrested, tried, convicted, and punished (imprisonment.)  Justice is not accomplished through punishment that only serves to isolate a person from their family and community and incapacitate them in regards to their reputation, ability to get a job after imprisonment, and maintain family ties.  Society goes terribly wrong when we use prison as the primary means of responding to criminal conviction.  It should be the last resort.  Studies on Restorative Justice have shown that it is far more effective and less costly to use alternatives to imprisonment especially for non dangerous offenders.

RN:  We work with governments to address issues of overcrowding and inhumane conditions.  In addition to advocacy we provide direct assistance where we can to improve access to clean water, improve sanitation, provide emergency medical assistance, food security, clothing and sanitary supplies etc.  Most importantly we advocate for the reduced use of imprisonment through the use of Restorative Justice alternatives.

RN:  Absolutely, society has a role to play in prisoners reformation.  Crime is a problem of the community and the community must be part of the solution.  The tragedy of prison bars is that it alienates prisoners from the community and marks them for life.  The community has a huge normalizing role to play in prison through engagement with inmates through sports, cultural, religious, educational, and other developmental programs.  Mostly what is needed is supportive friendship between caring members of the community and prison inmates — friends who will be at the gate when an inmate is released and provide a way back into the community and the support that is needed for the ex-prisoner to re-integrate.

RN:   We need to reduce prison overcrowding by using prisons only when absolutely necessary for the protection of society.  And when a person is imprisoned they should have access to the programs and resources they need to address their needs in areas of addiction, anger management, social relationships, decision making, educational competence or marketable trade/skills, and spiritual/ moral development.

RN: Unless we as a society truly come to understand justice not as punishment for wrongdoing but as peacemaking – restoration, reconciliation etc. simply making prisons more humane and less crowded will not ultimately solve the problem.