By any objective measure, our prisons are in crisis. Inspection reports reveal unacceptable conditions with reports of vermin, violence, self-harm and of people languishing in overcrowded cells. At the same time, too many people leave prison without the support they need to make a fresh start.
Prisons have endured years of budget cuts, whilst locking up more and more people for longer and longer. Many of the people who work in our prisons are nothing short of heroic. Where prisons do succeed it is because of these hidden heroes who go above and beyond, in spite of the conditions in which they work and the huge challenges they face.
<a href="https://www.prisonadvice.org.uk/"><mark style="background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)" class="has-inline-color has-vivid-cyan-blue-color">Pact</mark></a> is the leading national Catholic charity working in the criminal justice system. We support prisoners, people with convictions, as well as their children and families. For 125 years, we have been providing caring and life-changing services at every stage of the justice process – in court, in prison, on release, and in the community.
We have a vision for society to understand justice as a process of restoration and healing that uses prisons sparingly and as places of learning and rehabilitation, and that values the innate dignity and worth of every human being.<br><br><strong>RELATED: <a href="https://catholicherald.co.uk/the-new-britain-uk-prepares-for-a-landmark-election/?swcfpc=1"><mark style="background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)" class="has-inline-color has-vivid-cyan-blue-color">The new Britain: UK prepares for a landmark election</mark></a></strong>
After all, the first saint was a prisoner. The good thief – St Dismas – said to Jesus on the cross next to him: “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom”. And Jesus, replied to him with the mercy and love he shows all of us, saying: “This day you will be with me in paradise."
In Matthew 25:43, Jesus reminds us, as part of the parable of the Sheep and Goats, about the importance of the corporal works of mercy, which include visiting the prisoner. We are called to see Christ in everyone and that includes those who are a part of the . How we treat people in prison is a reflection of our society and ourselves as followers of Christ.
Our work at Pact means we are on hand to support an incoming Government to create prisons that are safer for staff and prisoners and that cut crime by rehabilitating people with criminal convictions.
Overcrowding in prisons is a major issue. It has been reported that police chiefs have written to forces suggesting they consider the fact that prisons are full when taking decisions on whether to arrest or charge people. Judges are now factoring in lack of prison space into their deliberations. Meanwhile there is a backlog of over 60,000 cases in the criminal courts and people have been kept in police cells for far longer than they should at huge expense.
The UK Government deserves credit for introducing measures to relieve overcrowding, including an early release scheme and a presumption in favour of community sentences, rather than a short-term stay in prison.
However, in practice, too many people have been released at too short notice with too little preparation and have simply ended up being recalled to prison. The wide range of charities that work in the criminal justice system are on hand to help but have barely been called on to support. We would urge an incoming government to consult charities in the sector urgently on how the early release scheme can be made to work better.<br><strong><br>RELATED: <a href="https://catholicherald.co.uk/the-general-election-god-calls-us-all-to-get-involved-in-the-exercise-of-our-franchise/?swcfpc=1"><mark style="background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)" class="has-inline-color has-vivid-cyan-blue-color">The General Election: God calls us all to get involved in the exercise of our franchise</mark></a></strong>
A part of that work must be more investment in family services. A prison leaver’s most effective resettlement agency is often their family, who help them to get back on their feet and to find a home and a job. People who stay in touch with family during their sentence are 39 per cent less likely to reoffend but just one in three prison leavers who need support in contacting family members are receiving it.<br><br>A different approach to mental health is also desperately needed. Too many people who offend because they are mentally ill languish in cells where they will get worse, not better. Very seriously unwell people are suffering irreversible harm waiting for transfers to secure mental hospitals – just 15 per cent are transferred within the required 28-day period.
This is stretching the resources of staff and healthcare teams to breaking point. Rather than housing seriously mentally ill people in prison, we should be investing in the right care for these people and funding appropriate secure or community-based mental health provision.
But support does not have to begin and end with government action. Support for families when a loved one is sent to prison is often lacking, with families and children of prisoners stigmatised for the actions of their family member.
In nearly all parishes in England and Wales, there likely will be families of prisoners within the parish boundary. There may be family members attending the parish who feel unable to speak about their experience out of fear of the attitude they will receive in return.
As a Catholic community, now more than ever, we need to keep this group of people in our thoughts and our prayers. <br><br><em>Photo: Screenshot of a prison interior from <a href="https://www.prisonadvice.org.uk/about/our-impact/"><mark style="background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)" class="has-inline-color has-vivid-cyan-blue-color">www.prisonadvice.org.uk</mark></a></em>.
<em>Andy Keen-Downs, CEO Prison Advice and Care Trust (Pact). To find out more about the work of Pact, and how your parish could offer support to families of prisoners, email: <a href="mailto:faith@prisonadvice.org.uk">faith@prisonadvice.org.uk</a>.</em>
