OVERVIEW
The Victim Offender Prison Care Support (VOPS) is a Cameroon based Catholic social structure that offers assistance to people affected by crime be they victim, offender or the community. It is a registered non-profit organisation instituted and run by the congregation of the sisters of St. Therese of the Child Jesus; Cameroon. It is made up of a team of religious, lay, paid and volunteer
workers who firmly believe in a judicial system that goes beyond punishment, envisages rehabilitation and reinsertion, that is, offering another chance to those affected by crime and the prevention of crime through formation and education of crime prone groups. VOPS brings together; social workers, Religious, psychologists, doctors/nurses, teachers, members of the judicial and penitentiary systems, press men and women, etc. who are dedicating their time and efforts in the fight for the improvement of; detention centre, the respect of the human rights of detainees and crime prevention. Prison visits is part of the novitiate program of the Sisters of St. As young novices, Sister, Manyi Atabong Jacqueline alongside others reached out to detainees. Sr Atabong took special interest in the apostolate and made it a point of duty to visit and help detainees wherever she worked. While in Douala working as Director of L’hopital Notre Dame de L’amour Logpom, she made her usual visit to the Douala New Bell Prison. and a sister What she saw was beyond comprehension. The prison condition was so bad that she felt a need to allocate more time. She turned to the congregation for help and Sister Ndeng Akongni Ayumbi was sent to work in the prison full time. In 2008, Sr. Jacqueline Atabong was released of her duties in the Hospital and she then made her presence in the prison full time. VOPS uses a holistic approach to prison pastoral care. Its activities go beyond the prison as it operates a mid way home for ex-inmates. This came about because imprisonment stigmatises and ex- inmates are rejected by their families, the society and even the government. For VOPS, the person who commits a crime remains a human being made in the image and likeness of his creator, whatever the nature of the crime committed is. VOPS is thus based primarily amongst others; on the policy of, the Prisoner from a pastoral point of view; that is to say; whatever the crime, the person is still loved by God, he or she can still change for the better and can still become a useful person to his or her family, friends and society at large. To this end, VOPS focuses on health care, legal assistance; moral, psycho-social and spiritual rehabilitation; socioeconomic reinsertion, prison reform and crime prevention through restorative justice, communication and networking. Its goal is to support all those affected by crime. VOPS is managed by the Sisters of St. Therese of the Child Jesus of Buea. It depends entirely on donations and contributions of its members and partners as well as revenue from some of its activities. Initially known as ICCPPC (International Catholic Commission for Prison pastoral Care) Cameron. VOPS has been working in the Douala Central prison since 2003. It was given its current name VOPS (Victim Offender Prison Care Support in English) in 2008, which reflects its mission. It is now a recognised private nonprofit social structure (Oeuvre Sociale Priveé-OSP) by decree No 2014/AS/027/A/MINAS/8G/DPSE/SDPDE/SACIPEE of 25th of March 2014. What started as a one-person initiative has developed over the years into a multi-disciplinary team who dedicate the respect of the rights of detainees, for a just and crime free society. On a day to day basis the running of VOPS is done by a director who doubles as the chief finance officer, and is supervised by the office of the executive director who is accountable to the Superior General and council of the Sisters of St. While as at 2015/2016, VOPS has 48 full time staff, 25 temporary staff and 3 volunteer, giving a total personnel strength of 48 in addition to the various professionals who are enlisted when necessary in the ex*****on of specific projects.
