Prison Fellowship has been working in Cambodian prisons since 2001. Initially the environment hostile and suspicious of NGO’s and access was difficult to obtain.  Sharing the Gospel was prohibited.  PFC began by caring for the dying, feeding the hungry, treating the sick and establishing small scale education program.  An agreement was signed with the Royal Cambodian Government in 2002 to continue to build and develop the organization and support for prisoners, shortly after PFC was chartered with PFI. As trust and relationship were built, PFC was permitted to have greater access to prisons and prisoners, to develop social services to help those leaving prison, and then to eventually work with the invisible victims of crime: the children.  Permission was given to teach the Bible. Men and women began to accept Christ and were baptized.  As their behaviour in the prisons changed it was noted by officials, who opened the door to more Bible education and other PFC services.

Initially these services were developed independently of one another with little attempt to integrate them, however, a ten year strategic direction developed in 2010 identified 4 strategic pathways PFC would walk down to achieve its vision and mission.

1. Develop and implement services that provide the opportunity for achieving the restoration of people and relationships affected by crime and imprisonment.
2. Develop a network of self-sustaining partners that can deliver restorative services in prisons and communities; and contribute to the life and growth of prison ministry throughout the country.
3. Initiate, evaluate, and then communicate successful restorative models to government and to other agencies to help foster better practices both in Cambodia and elsewhere.
4. Support long term sustainability for Prison Fellowship Cambodia.

PFC’s Education Service has been operational since 2001 when ‘moral excellence’ classes for 60 men were established in one prison. With the prison population’s literacy reported at below 50%, PFC’s aim is to improve opportunities for employment and successful rehabilitation of prisoners through providing quality academic and vocational training.

PFC’s reintegration service was launched in 2004 run by a hard-working team of social workers, support workers and vocational trainers to support clients in their journey from prison ba ck into their communities. Within prisons, our focus is on assessing clients on their pre-release needs, and providing one on one and group counseling services. Following release, we support clients with emergency aid services as needed including immediate accommodation; counseling; mediation; family assistance; vocational training; income generation; apprenticeships; medical checks and minor operations. PFC supports the pprisoners nearing release,  to  ensure  that  they  are  prepared  and  empowered  to  return  to  their  communities  fully  restored  and motivated; to contribute positively to their families and community; and to lower re-offence rates.