We want to live in communities free from crime, but locking people up isn’t the answer. With a justice system focused on punishment and not restoration, there are common misunderstandings regarding the reality for ex-offenders. ONElife is a newly-developed, interactive board game that aspires to change attitudes about crime and punishment, and to create a society inspired by the possibility of restoration for all people.
| Organization Name: | Prison Fellowship Canada |
| Location: | Mississauga, ON |
| Project Name: | ONElife Project |
| Amount Awarded: | $40,000.00 |
| Date Awarded: | 12/10/2016 |
| Participating Grantmakers: | Bridgeway Foundation, Redleaf Foundation, River Dali Fund |
| Purpose of Investment: | To offer a high-quality group gaming experience for government officials, donors, corrections staff, and church members, awakening them to the sobering disadvantages and challenges facing ex-offenders in their reintegration process to Canadian society. |
Executive Summary by Prison Fellowship Canada:
This past year Prison Fellowship Canada created a simulation that leads groups through the process of what an offender experiences in the first 30 days they are released from prison. In Canada, we have 400 people per day for whom this is their reality. 70-80% do not make a successful re-entry into society, and the game highlights why this is a reality. We piloted the project with 25 CEOs, and they were stunned.
We would now like to launch it nationally. Through our national staff, regional staff and key volunteers we want to provide a gaming experience for communities across Canada to engage in the discussion of this issue. The purpose of this is to create opportunities for social innovation and change that will authentically result in less crime and fewer victims. Ex-offenders will directly benefit from this as they have increased options for reintegration. Ex-offenders will also profit from the restorative effect of being included or accepted in society. Healthy people don’t harm others. Children, families, and communities all benefit from individuals who are restored and functioning in a healthy manner.
It is our expectation that this will not only change lives but that it can shift the conversation and provide the statistical measurement to affect policy within levels of government as we advocate with those who make institutional decisions.
Measurable Outcomes:
- Create a 40-page facilitation manual and train ten key PFC staff to facilitate the ONElife experience by February 2017.
- Promote the ONElife experience in 15 key cities across Canada with corporate and professional participants along with members of the PFC community of stakeholders (including offenders, ex-offenders, volunteers, chaplains, donors, board members, etc.) by December of 2017.
- Have participants create five innovative projects to provide stable housing, stable employment and stable community for 50 ex-offenders and have in progress by March of 2018.