The Prisoners Aid and Reintegration Society of Canterbury Inc. (aka PARS or Prisoners Aid) is an Incorporated Society that provides reintegration support service to prisoners and their whānau in an effort to reduce recidivism and break the cycle of crime and incarceration in families, thereby strengthening society and creating safer communities.
Prisoners Aid is based in Christchurch and governed by a Board that meets monthly. The Department of Corrections is our primary funder, and the Christchurch City Council secondary.
We provide assistance and support to prisoners, releasees and their families in a range of areas on both sides of the prison wire – including facilitating access visits, liaising on their behalf with agencies and government departments, and helping them establish a new life on release.
PARS volunteers support clients to maintain contact with their whānau and life outside the prison wire.
Our services help strengthen family connections during a prison sentence and play an important role in linking the prison and the community – measures widely accepted as key factors in creating the conditions necessary for successful reintegration.