I am blown away by the profound effect of the Sycamore Tree Project on all who take part.  It transforms both minds and hearts and in eight short weeks we see transformation take place in the prisoners, and healing and compassion flourish in the lives of both the offenders and victims.

Even the staff see these changes. Chatting with the prison manager, he asked me if we could run a third course for the year, as he had witnessed the effectiveness of the course in the changed lives of Sycamore Tree participants.  Many of the staff at the prison come to the graduations, along with family, friends, and other guests, to see what the course is about and to hear the testimonies of how the Sycamore Tree Project has inspired and transformed the offenders.

Over the last few years, the Sycamore Tree Project has been recommended to all the participants by their peers, and I think this speaks volumes for the effectiveness of the course.  

One of the things that speak most loudly to the offenders is the acceptance by the Prison Fellowship volunteers.  They are touched that we don’t judge them; we accept them as they are and we treat them as equals.

Not many offenders ever think about how victims of crime are affected; hearing the stories of victims is startling and a real lightbulb moment for the offenders. The course starts by talking about the ripple effect of crime, which means that when the victims share their stories, the inmates’ eyes are opened and they are really shocked by the effects of what they have done and the impact on society.

Hearing about forgiveness has a profound influence on prisoners. Many have taken and applied this with their own families, as they become aware of how much impact their crime has had there.  This leads to the hardest part of the course – writing a letter to their victims! (This is not sent to victims – only shared amongst the participants).