Voices from the inside
A book published by northern Quakers features the voices of prisoners from HMP Frankland
‘“It’s the Society of Friends; we’re mates so you can meet me there!” Not the usual response to: How did you become a Quaker? But we were not in a usual situation, as prisoners living on different Wings, one of the few places we could meet was in the chapel and Quaker Meetings were easy for a chat.’ This prisoner at HMP Frankland, Durham, had found a way to see his friend and, in a remarkable book to be published by northern Quakers, he admits to using the Meeting for personal contact.
The two ‘burly cons’ met there a couple of times. ‘When my mate didn’t attend I carried on, partly from guilt of how we’d used those good people to facilitate our little chats,’ he recalls.
‘What I found was my spiritual home’, writes the high-security prisoner, Colin, in Friendly Voices from HMP Frankland.
The voices are those of men who go regularly to Quaker Meeting for Worship at HMP Frankland, which houses 800 men serving long sentences. They were collected by Quaker chaplain Judith Catty of Durham Meeting.
Judith says: ‘During our time together the men often talk about how they feel and what it means to them to come to meet together. So, I encouraged one or two to write down their thoughts.
‘As they brought their pieces they read them to the others in the Meeting. Slowly, all the men felt comfortable enough to write something. It feels important to me that their voices should be heard.’
In her introduction to the book Judith writes: ‘for me, this is Quaker Meeting at its best’.
Northumbria Area Meeting is footing the cost of publication and it is hoped the book will be marketed nationally. The men have requested that any profits from sales go to charity. ‘Interestingly,’ Judith says, ‘they didn’t want any profit to go to anything from which they or the prison might benefit, but instead to benefit disadvantaged people.’
After a year of overcoming obstacles – ‘doing anything in the prison service feels like mountain moving’ says Judith – the men are excited at the publication of Friendly Voices from HMP Frankland.
‘Within the prison service there is always a degree of scepticism about anything the men do – What are their motives? – Can we trust what they say? But in this case I want to accept what they say in good faith,’ she adds.
Two of the men at HMP Frankland have been accepted into membership by the Area Meeting.
Quotes from Friendly Voices from HMP Frankland
‘Yes, my friends, the wars go on
A few scream, shout, demonstrate and discuss
Pull out their hair and make a fuss
But as society what do we do
We stand and we watch what happens to you’ – Z
‘The silence itself is different for everyone. The first time I was just searching in myself for thoughts, but now I usually think about all the crimes I’ve committed in the past and the consequences I’ve caused for myself as well as my victims… I often think how I can handle similar situations in the future with the Quaker values and beliefs… I’m glad I made the decision to come and I will continue while I’m in prison as well as when I get out… if the big G will have me that is.’ – C
‘I’m not really a church person, but coming to Quakers is something different for me. At first it was something just to get out of work – but as time goes on I can feel the benefits. You get time to think. I know you can think about things in your cell, but coming here is a good place to be with your thoughts. You seem to think clearer here…’ – K
‘It is rare in the world, in or out of Quaker Meetings, to encounter the genuine simplicity, honesty, humility and “childlikeness” to be met with here. And as a challenge to our notion of “high security prison inmate” the stories could work wonders.’ – Poet Gillian Allnut of Durham Meeting, on reading Friendly Voices from HMP Frankland.
Comments
Please login to add a comment
