Friends discuss prisons
Friends gathered in Lewes to consider aspects of prisons
Sussex and Surrey Area Meeting met in Lewes and online last month for a day considering aspects of prisons. Liz Bridge, a former prison chaplain, and two colleagues from Wandsworth, spoke at the event on 22 March about the poor conditions in their local prison and the campaigning that they, and others, had so far initiated.
Chris Lawson, from Lewes Meeting, told the Friend: ‘They had found many other local people who wanted to join in and help raise awareness of the situation. The resulting group has highlighted issues in the local press, been in touch with politicians, set up an online presence and made three submissions to the Lords and Commons Justice Select Committee, including one from Liz on tackling drugs in prisons. They are wanting to be constructive critics, are building contacts with the prison governor and have been able to help in providing wind-up radios and wooden construction kits for prisoners.’
The other focus of the day was considering how Friends could best receive ex-offenders into a Meeting, he said. If the person is out on licence, certain conditions have to be met. Simon Ewart, from Quakers in Criminal Justice (QICJ), led Friends in understanding the issues and recommended procedures that could be followed to maintain safety and confidentiality. The ‘Welcoming All to our Meetings’ document is available on the QICJ website.
Chris said: ‘Our Meeting house, like many, has the picture of Elizabeth Fry visiting a prison 200 years ago. It is still not easy to learn of details of the daily lives of those in prison, but the deeply-held concern of those who spoke to us, for both prisoners and those who work in prisons, came across as a strong commitment to creating change, in line with so much that Quakers have tried to do and which needs upholding by all of us.’
