Question

To ask the right hon. Member for Meriden, representing the Church Commissioners, what steps the Church of England is taking to increase provision of spiritual guidance in prisons.

Chaplains (both employed and voluntary) work in teams, and in many places these are well supported by local churches and Christian charities. The work of Prison Fellowship, Reflex, Community Chaplaincy and other such organisations is especially important in this regard.

There is an Anglican chaplaincy presence in every prison. When vacancies arise, dioceses work with the National Offender Management Service to support the process of appointing a suitable person. While Chaplains are employed within NOMS, Church of England Chaplains are licensed by their local bishop and bishops are being encouraged to support chaplains in their areas. Bishops provide endorsement and often convene Diocesan meetings to support those in chaplaincy as well as chaplains attending deanery and diocesan events from time to time. The Bishop to HM Prisons (the Lord Bishop of Rochester) is also working with the Chaplain-General and others about arranging an event specifically for Church of England Chaplains.

The Bishop to Prisons is also one of the sponsors of a new national initiative called Prison Hope. This has the intention of strengthening the links between chaplaincy, local churches and Christian and wider community organisations. This initiative was launched at HMP Pentonville in October, and will run through 2017 into 2018. It has significant potential to increase the level of prison volunteering, to the benefit of prisoners, those who work in prisons, victims of crime and wider communities.