House of Grace opened its doors as the first rehabilitation facility for prisoners in Israel. It successfully developed a recognized holistic program to meet the needs of prisoners while addressing larger social issues. The program aims to assist prisoners who are ready to rebuild their lives. House of Grace supports prisoners in reshaping their future and creating a healthy relationship with the Israeli and Arab communities. The need for proper rehabilitation has increased together with a general increase in the number of prisoners in Israel in the last decade. In Israel, as in many correctional systems, offenders belonging to ethnic minorities, especially Arabs, are imprisoned in disproportionately high numbers. Access to rehabilitation facilities is limited.
House of Grace is a rehabilitation facility for all prisoners, regardless of their religious or ethnic background. Christian, Muslim, and Druze prisoners live under the same roof. It is the only rehabilitation facility for newly Arab prisoners in Israel.
Recently, due to political instability, governmental funding has been reduced, and the rehabilitation center is threatened with being excluded from the list of government-funded institutions because of its politically neutral stance. Half of all expenses of House of Grace have to be funded through donations.
Out of the 10,650 incarcerated men housed in 22 prisons around the country, Arabs account for up to 46% of these prisoners. However, the percentage of Arabs in Israeli society is only 20% (statistics from the Agency for Rehabilitation Israel).
Since 1982, the House of Grace has provided a place in the rehabilitation center for over 1,000 prisoners. They were supported to facilitate their reintegration into society. The program is successful, and its impact is reflected in the low recidivism rate of less than 40% among those prisoners who have undergone our program (1 year after their completion and release from the House of Grace).
By working with prisoners, House of Grace aspires to encourage personal responsibility, enable individual transformation, and catalyze broader social change through empowerment projects that begin at the individual and communal level.
In June 2023, we marked an exceptional time of unity and celebration at House of Grace, as we observed the Muslim holiday of Al-Adha, also known as the Feast of
As a child, Abbad grew up with a very abusive father. His mother, the only supportive and dominant figure in his life, died of cancer when he was only 16.
Some of my earliest memories are from the House of Grace. I was born and raised there. I played and grew up alongside many individuals who passed through the house.
Haunted by drug addiction from a very young age, and facing the prospect of a life in institutions without seeing his young son grow up, Mohammed decided to change his
In order to create a rehabilitation program and ensure rehabilitees’ successful empowerment and reintegration into society, we follow a person-centered and holistic approach, specifically seeking to provide support in five main areas:
