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Prison conditions place strain on chaplains

Prison chaplaincy is “ frontier ministry”, getting more demanding by the day and undergoing huge changes in its relationships with the Corrections Department.

“The growing number of prisoners with mental health problems, personality and behaviour issues and yet who do not have a clinical psychiatric illness is placing increasing pressures on both prison staff and chaplains, and their needs cannot be ignored,” says the Rev Doug Mansill, current chair of the Prison Chaplaincy Service of Aotearoa New Zealand (PCSANZ) and recently retired from the Presbyterian parish of St Giles in Auckland.

His concerns are echoed by the Rev David Connor, another Presbyterian who has just handed over the Executive Manager position at the PCSANZ to Wellington-based Salvationist David Major. “Prisoners are a lot less predictable now than they were when I started in 1974,” he says.

Mostly that stems from drug abuse. But it impacts strongly on chaplains’ ministry, which draws heavily on volunteers. “At one point in Auckland Prison, I had 1500 volunteers. Now it would be under 500 because security requirements have tightened up.” No longer is it possible to take children into a prison service, no matter how good it would be for prisoners. All volunteers have to be over 18, with no more than 12 in a group.

In 2000, management of prison chaplaincy changed drastically; from an employment arrangement to a service contract, and David says that has also changed the way the 50 chaplains work.

“Their responsibility now ends once prisoners leave,” he says. That’s another change. “When I was employed by Corrections as a minister, I could choose to go on working with someone once they left prison. Now the Department buys chaplaincy services inside prisons, so we run worship services, we provide religious education, pastoral care (to staff as well as prisoners), and we’re responsible for all prisoners of whatever faith. So we network with the Muslim Association, the synagogues, the Jehovah’s Witnesses and so on, so they can have people who come in and meet specific needs.

“It’s a frontier ministry because we are dealing with many people who have had no formal connection with the Church. They’re looking around for different life options because, despite what you read in the newspaper, very few prisoners actually like their lifestyle in or out of prison and all want something better for their children.

“Very often you don’t see results. I’ve never worried about the numbers who come to chapel. One prisoner who had done eight lags said he used to go along to chapel services ‘just to see the girls’. But the last time he got out, he started to get into trouble again, but he said he remembered something that had been said in chapel.… And now he’s been out 10 years, and said he earned more as a builder last year than from all the jobs he ever did.”

Presbyterians are both at the forefront of prison ministry and right behind it. “We are very supportive of the chaplaincy service,” says Assembly Executive Secretary Martin Baker. “There is no ambiguity in the Gospel about ministering to prisoners.” New Zealand’s high imprisonment rate concerns him. “We’re locking up people sooner for longer and often away from their families and support people.

“As a Church we have a long-term commitment to reconciliation. Our primary concerns are for victims – and also for justice. Incarceration at our present rates is not going to lead to a safe and peaceful society.

“We are very proud of our Presbyterians’ efforts and commitment in this challenging task.”

By Julia Stuart