The Bishop of Gloucester convened a gathering of inspirational individuals in London to share ideas, build connections and explore how churches and Christian-based organisations might more deeply support people in prison and those returning to their communities.
The event brought together people with lived experience of prison, representatives from churches, chaplaincies, charities and a range of organisations. Lord Timpson, Minister for Prisons, Probation and Reducing Reoffending joined the event for the start and entered into brief conversation with Bishop Rachel, who is also the Anglican Bishop for HM Prisons.
Attendees heard powerful testimonies from those whose lives have been transformed through relationships with prison chaplains, volunteers and supportive communities both inside and outside the prison walls.
Bishop Rachel emphasised the need for a justice system that balances compassion with accountability. She said, “Mercy and justice are not natural companions, and designing a system in prisons and community that holds these two together is tough. I believe the soft option is simply locking away more people for longer and doing nothing else.”
“The tough option is asking how we actually deal with each person as an individual, with a focus on transformation.”
Every person at the event received a copy of the recent report compiled by the Prison Advice and Care Trust (Pac✝︎), A Christian Approach to Justice Reform | Picking up the Pieces, and reflecting an alliance of Christian leaders across denominations, inviting the government to work alongside the hundreds of churches, Christian organisations, and other faith communities that are already ‘Picking Up the Pieces’ of our broken criminal justice system.
Two speakers with lived experience of prison gave moving accounts of finding support, hope and purpose through chaplaincy and community. One reflected on the value that people with lived experience can bring to other people’s lives at a difficult time: “The women I work with say, ‘I’m so glad that you’re here to support me because you know exactly how it feels’… and I think that is invaluable, you can’t teach that kind of experience.”
Another shared his story of finding faith while in prison: a moment of profound change that set him on a new path. He described attending Sunday chapel “by chance” and encountering a sense of transformation: “I came out of the chapel on Sunday and I was in tears… I went back to my cell, repented of everything I had done wrong in my life, and I felt the love of God fill my cell. Even though I was in prison, I was set free.” He went on to describe how chaplains and volunteers helped him secure housing, employment and a church community, forming a support network that continues today.
Reflecting on these stories, Bishop Rachel said, “We all need people who believe in us.”
Watch the precise video below (3:16 run time).
Representatives from different organisations shared more about opportunities to reach out to people when they were struggling and offer a safe space for relationship and connection.
The Revd Simon Tarlton, representing the Community Chaplaincy Association, spoke about the network of community chaplaincy projects across the country supported by the CCA. Projects are wide ranging in shape and style, but all recognise and in their own way respond to the universal needs of “something meaningful to do, somewhere to live and something or someone to love.”
Emily Green from The Welcome Directory highlighted the importance of community connection after release. “We know that many people find faith in prison… but we know that at the point of release, only about 1 in 5 people are choosing to connect with a faith community on the outside… The 80% who are choosing not to connect are a massive loss for the Church.” She emphasised the need for welcoming, accepting and safe church communities that challenge stigma and offer belonging.
She also noted the potential for growth: “There are almost 480 churches in our Directory. You might think that is impressive, but that only represents barely 1% of churches in the UK.” Bishop Rachel, a patron of The Welcome Directory, echoed Emily’s plea for more churches to sign up to the Directory.
There was a call for more people across our churches to get involved with chaplaincy; to become volunteers to lead and support groups; to offer bereavement support, prayer support and other practical things; and there was a particular call for people with lived experience of addiction to get involved.
Jo Henderson representing Prison Fellowship explained that all their programmes are about healthy relationships, whether that’s modelling healthy relationships through letter writing, taking the first steps towards a changed relationship through enabling a parent to give a Christmas present to their child, or looking at some of the behaviours that come from grief. “Underpinning all of it is the idea that restored relationships are a massive part of rehabilitation and that Christianity at its heart is about restoring broken relationships.”
Andy Keen-Downs from Pac✝︎, encouraged people to read and share ‘Picking Up the Pieces’ with their worshipping community. He also encouraged attendees to consider joining their network of over 500 prison volunteers. Many Pac✝︎ volunteers support children and families visiting their loved ones in prison. There are also Pac✝︎ prison visitors for those without family or friends: “We seek out the most vulnerable people, people who are very low, very isolated and are probably at greatest risk to themselves because no one’s visiting them.”
The central message was clear. Every person of every age is made in the image of God. Relationship, connection, support and care—inside and beyond prison—can offer hope for the present and the future, and transform lives and communities.
Watch the more in-depth version of the video here (9:08 run time).
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