Christianity is among those faiths which believe that justice in society should be a reflection of God’s righteousness. The Southwark and London Dioceses Prison and Penal Concerns Group was established in the mid-1980s to help the Church, north and south of the River, own this fundamental concern, to keep Church leaders briefed on changing prison and penal issues in London and to keep the two Dioceses in touch with chaplains and others who work in prisons in the Church’s name. 

The Group is jointly accountable to our Church & Society and, in London, to CARIS. Both bodies send representatives to the Group which is currently chaired by the Bishop of Kensington. As well as prison chaplains, its members also include people from the prison and probation services and a variety of voluntary sector agencies who work with and for prisoners, ex-prisoners and their families and for prison reform. 

Major agenda items in the last year or so include ministry to deaf and blind prisoners, mental health (39% of convicted prisoners have mental health problems), the resettlement of prisoners (including sex offenders) in the community and in parishes, Alpha in prisons, and issues arising from the Stephen Lawrence Report about how the penal system, from arrest to imprisonment, deals with minority ethnic people. 

The Group meets four times a year during the day. People interested in joining the Group, on a regular or occasional basis, are encouraged to contact the Board for Church in Society.

I was in prison and ...

Over the last seven years, the population of British prisons has more than doubled. The numbers of women in prison rose by 132 per cent, there were almost twice as many children (under 18) in prison, and numbers of young adults (18-21) increased by 72 per cent.

These growing figures are not due to an increase in the number of offenders appearing before the courts, but to harsher sentencing. In November 1997, the Lord Chief Justice said 'The reason for this exponential increase is, I have no doubt, the vocal expression of opinion by influential public figures that custody is an effective penalty'.

Since 1998, the Government has invested a great deal of money in prison repair and maintenance, in rehabilitation programmes and skills training for prisoners, but population figures remain high. And the more people there are in prison, the larger the task of helping them resettle when they return to the community.

Christian faith requires a commitment to the most vulnerable in our society and the churches continue to play a part in the care and resettlement of offenders. Whatever the offence, the list of abuses and disadvantages suffered by many prisoners certainly indicates their vulnerability and makes them especially in need of care. And there is a good deal of important work going on.

Prisoner Governors are finding it a good investment to employ more Chaplains. Prisoners Week in November each year is used by parishes to break down ignorance, fear and prejudice in congregations and to pray for prisoners. With Alpha courses running in more than a hundred British prisons, there are prisoners finding faith and wanting to make a new start, and there are some churches helping find ex-offenders accommodation and jobs. The Mothers Union's SCIP project works nationwide with women in prison. The London and Southwark Dioceses Prisons and Penal Concerns Group meets regularly with chaplains, people from the police and probation services and agencies working with offenders, ex-offenders and their families. A number of parishes in this diocese already have experience of the demanding pastoral challenge of offering former offenders appropriate pastoral care and support as they return to church and community in search of a new beginning. Diocesan Guidelines 'When Sex Offenders return to the Community' have recently been made available to parishes.

But because of lack of contact between parishes and prisons, chaplains find it hard to refer prisoners because they don't know which parishes are willing and prepared to offer a pastoral welcome. Some parishes don't feel able cope with the possibly long-term responsibility or with the theological demand that the Church should be a community of hope and welcome for all. So a great deal remains to be done.

Prison chaplains are willing to preach in local churches, not only in Prisoners Week, and they would be glad to receive requests from local church groups wanting to visit a prison. Congregations might take on a letter-writing project, perhaps through the Prisons Fellowship. Or they may feel they are in a good position to respond to one specific part of the task (women, young people, single men, drug or sex offenders).

The London and Southwark Prisons Group would be glad to hear of parishes wishing to consider offering appropriate pastoral support to offenders and will gladly to act as a source of information and advice.

Useful links

www.apextrust.com
Apex Charitable Trust seeks to help people with criminal records to obtain appropriate jobs or self-employment by providing them with the skills they need in the labour market and by working with employers to break down the barriers to their employment.

http://home.btclick.com/pffs
Prisoners' Families and Friends Service is an independent voluntary agency whose main aims are to provide the families and friends of anyone sentenced to imprisonment or remanded in custody with advice and information, support at court and friendship and support.

www.ccjf.org
The Churches' Criminal Justice Forum seeks primarily to educate, encourage and enable Christians by raising awareness of criminal justice concerns among congregations, helping churchgoing people to be better informed and sharing information about local and national initiatives and activities

www.imprisonment.org.uk
PACT aim to provide advice, information and support to people who are suffering or have suffered a legal restriction on their liberty in any penal or correctional institution and to their families and children.

www.caringforexoffenders.org
Making links into local churches.

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