With Prisoners’ Sunday falling on 10 October 2021, national Catholic charity Pact has been raising awareness of its work.
Pact provides support to men, women and young people in prison, people with convictions, and their children and families. Its vision is of a society in which justice is understood as a process of restoration and healing, and where the innate dignity and worth of every human is valued.
It has been appealing for people who will be ambassadors for Pact by:
• Giving a short talk after Mass about Pact’s work and its impact, using a provided script.
• Being a Pact presence, ensuring that posters are displayed and leaflets
distributed.
It says prisoners and their families have been severely affected by the pandemic; in an effort to stop the spread of the virus, people have been confined to cells for 23 hours a day. Families have suffered prolonged separation as visits have been largely suspended since March 2020. Now, more than ever, it says, it needs the support of parishes to enable it to continue to support families and to help rebuild relationships.
In England and Wales there are almost 79,000 people in prison and just under 90,000 children with a parent in prison. Research shows that keeping links between those in prison and their families reduces the risk of prisoners committing further crime after release by 39%. This is a key aspect of Pact’s work. It depends almost entirely on the generosity of the Catholic community for donations to fund its core operation; Prisoners’ Sunday is, therefore, crucial to its ministry, its says.
If you would like to find out about volunteering opportunities with Pact, please either email [email protected] or call 020
3031 6867 . To find out more about Pact’s work, click here: Prison Advice and Care Trust
Marking Prisoners’ Sunday | Prison Advice and Care Trust