One year on.

It´s almost Christmas and coming to the end of the year aways makes you look back and reflect. I´ve been visiting the girls prison for over a year now and a few things lately have made me reflect on how things have changed in that time. The population of the prison has almost doubled since I began visiting, with the effects of the new govenernments 'mano duro' (firm fist) policy- which makes simple gang afiliation a crime. With a new government came a new prison director who is very positive yet firm in her interaction with the girls. New government also meant a new post - Director of Rehabilitation at the national level. And the post holder really believes in an integrated approach to prisoner rehabilitation and reinsertion in society - so there's support for faith based activities as well as vocational and educactional programmes which are being developed. On a personal level, I can see how the girls are much more responsive to my participative approach and enjoy getting involved in games and activities and dramas. The guards seem much more positive too.
We´ve prayed a lot this year - and my prayer has often been that inspite of it being a prison, that the girls would find rest there; that they´d meet with God and begin to rediscover who they are in him. Last week I found out that the building was originally the summer residence of a well-respected former president - and so is protected as a national heritage. The irony is loud and clear. A government marked by it´s 'mano duro' of punishment, but yet sends those in 'conflict with the law' to a place of rest. Of course it´s nothng like a holiday camp now but somehow I think that through it´s original design and purpose, God has got bigger plans for it than what the government thnks. I´m really excited to see what might develop in the future.