Israel Prison Services’ Lieutenant General Ofra Kleiner and senior management staff were recently welcomed to ADI Negev-Nahalat Eran, setting yet another milestone in the long-running relationship between the village and the Israel Prison Service.

Collaboration between the two organizations is mainly expressed via the prisoner rehabilitation program, in which inmates from various southern penal facilities volunteer at ADI Negev-Nahalat Eran, arriving on a weekly basis to work with residents.

Detainees assist village staff with various ongoing activities such as area field trips, arts and crafts activities, vocational workshop projects and more.

The regular schedule of volunteering and the inmate-to-resident relationship creates feelings of personal closeness that can be seen in the expressions of joy, sparkling eyes and outbursts of laughter accompanying the beginning of each meeting. The electricity can actually be felt in the air! Inmates’ responsibility, love and giving towards village residents goes beyond description.

On their part, internees tell of the ways in which they have been enriched by volunteering, as their activity with village residents present a new perspective on life, enabling and channeling them into becoming better people.

Ofra and the wonderful Israel Prison Service staff,

Thank you for the visit, the cooperation and the trust!