Prison Fellowship Brazil Implements The Prisoner’s Journey and Aims to Expand APACs in the State

For the incarcerated men and women in Rondonópolis, Brazil, something is coming that hasn’t been available to them before.

In March, 29 newly trained facilitators were equipped to bring The Prisoner’s Journey into the district’s male and female penitentiaries for the first time. The day-long training drew an encouraging sign of broader support: judges, prosecutors, public defenders and community volunteers all showed up — reflecting growing confidence among local authorities in this approach to rehabilitation.

Leading the training was Adilza Paraízo, National Coordinator of The Prisoner’s Journey in Brazil. Drawing on years of experience, she challenged the new facilitators to go beyond curriculum and engage those in their care with genuine empathy — because the program works best when the people delivering it believe in the dignity of the people receiving it.

Afterward, Adilza and the presiding judge visited the women’s unit to assess conditions for launch. The visit exceeded expectations. “It was more than a great opportunity to implement the program,” Adilza said. “It was a chance to sow seeds in fertile ground, hungry for innovation and new approaches.”

This is part of Prison Fellowship Brazil’s ongoing expansion of the APAC method — an approach that replaces punitive prison conditions with community, accountability and the possibility of genuine change. It has already shown strong results in reducing reoffending across Brazil. In Rondonópolis, that same possibility is now within reach for people who, until now, simply didn’t have access to it.

That access exists because of people who believe restoration is worth investing in.