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For six months, Fr. Helmut Schumacher SJ worked with young prisoners on Rikers Island, New York. The island in the East River between the Bronx and Queens is home to a complex of ten New York City prisons. With up to 17,000 prisoners, it is the largest prison in the world. Up to 80 men share a huge dormitory, each with only one bed and a box for personal belongings. Everything can be seen at all times, there is no privacy at all.

The project "Thrive for Life" has two pillars: behind and beyond prison. "Behind, that is, behind the prison walls, we visit the people in custody as pastors, offer talks, pray with them," explains Fr. Schumacher. "We see our task here first and foremost in giving people hope so that they can get through their time in prison."

"'Beyond' means that we offer a perspective for the time after prison. The Ignatio House was converted for this purpose, and released prisoners can move into it if they want to pursue vocational training. Some of them even study. It's supposed to be a safe place after the bad experiences in prison and at the same time a place where we accompany them on their way back to what we consider normal life."

Schumacher consciously went to the margins of society to be close to the people there. "I've met so many wonderful people in prison. Despite the terrible circumstances and despite the difficult biographies, especially in the Beyond project after prison: they really want to do something new with their lives, to set out and find their place."

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