Volunteers in prison: a way back to life!

Volunteers in prison: a way back to life!

The correctional facility (JVA) Remscheid shows an active civic engagement by integrating volunteers. These committed citizens are at the side of the prisoners and make it easier for them access to social resources. At the moment, 40 volunteers are active in the JVA Remscheid, who aim to help prisoners lead a unpunished life. Throughout North Rhine-Westphalia, there are even around 2,000 volunteers who work for social reintegration in prisons. According to wdr , the volunteers understand this process as a way to facilitate the imprisonment to freedom and prepare them for their discharge.

one of these committed supervisors is Günter Selbach. Today, on April 25, 2025, he visited the prisoner Wolfgang Neustadt. Before his visit, Selbach was scanned by an employee of the prison, a standardized procedure that he already knows from his numerous visits. The visiting room is simple, equipped with two leather sofas and a green plant, but it is shaped by thick bars in front of the windows. In such a room, Selbach has talks with Neustadt, who serves a lifelong prison sentence and, among other things, discuss the political situation. Selbach emphasizes that many prisoners are not from scratch and that their situation often represents a reflection of society.

volunteers in the JVA Remscheid

Marion Fabricius is another supervisor in the JVA Remscheid. Together with a Catholic prisoner, she looks after a group of men who are also convicted of life. Fabricius offers prisoners support and courage through personal conversations. In her group, a prisoner has completed his training in prison, which is considered positive for rehabilitation. Fabricius is convinced that the conversations that she conducts have a noticeable influence on the prisoners, since they often come from broken family conditions and need trusting caregivers.

The voluntary commitment in the prison is funded by various institutions such as Diakonie and Caritas. Caritas offers training for interested parties who also want to get involved as a supervisor. In order to support these important tasks, the project is also funded by the North Rhine-Westphalian Ministry of Justice. The Catholic prison association in the Bergisches Land and the Evangelical Bergische prison community offer additional opportunities for participation in the JVA.

For everyone who is interested in voluntary work, there is direct contact with the JVA Remscheid. Ms. Angenendt is available for more information, phone: 02191 595-324. Committed citizens can make a significant contribution to the positive development and reintegration of the detained.