by Suzanne White
Since May 1997, the Race Relations policy in prisons was
extended to include religious discrimination, the impact of which is that
anyone who chooses to declare themselves Pagan, or change their religion
to Pagan whilst in prison, are entitled to practise as such and have a Pagan
Visiting Chaplain if they request this.
Paganism was recognised as a religion by the Home Office
though work carried out by the Pagan Federation, and though management of
prisons has now been passed to the Prison Service this recognition remains
unchanged. To accommodate the needs of Pagan prisoners, the Pagan Prison
Ministry was established by the Pagan Federation and is recognised as the
umbrella body by the Home Office to ensure that where possible, the spiritual
needs of Pagans in prisons would be met. For these needs to have been acknowledged
was quite an important recognition of Paganism as a valid religious path,
and has helped in the positive profile of Paganism with other faiths.
Why become a Pagan prison chaplain?
I personally became involved because I strongly feel that
whatever the crime a prisoner has committed, he or she are entitled to the
same spiritual support offered to those of mainstream religions.
In addition, it is a huge forward step for Paganism to
be recognised by a government body, which would be diminished if no one
actually came forward and filled this role! It can be uncomfortable, and
tiring at times, and takes up your time, but it is also a rewarding and
humbling experience. It certainly makes you appreciate the small things
that we take for granted. We have our freedom to read what books we wish
to, buy any paraphernalia we wish to and can afford both in person and through
the Internet. We are able to connect directly with nature, if only with
a window box or a walk in a city park, these small freedoms become appreciated
and viewed very differently when the effects of the denial of these is seen
first hand. Paganism practised as a nature religion is probably the most
difficult path to follow while imprisoned.
Often prisoners discover or rediscover their Pagan spirituality
while imprisoned, and it is important to them that they are able to express
this and receive support and assistance in following their chosen path.
The role of a Pagan chaplain includes offering advice on adapting practises
to fit in with security issues, advice on obtaining suitable ritual tools,
books and magazines, leading ritual where this is requested and offering
general support and a listening ear.
As a chaplain visits in an official capacity, meetings
with Pagan prisoners are quite different to domestic visits, with meetings
being held in multi faith or designated rooms of the prison chaplaincy.
The prison offers security training, and a course has been developed by
the Home Office for all sessional chaplains to be familiarised with how
the Prison Service operates. Pagan chaplains are part of the chaplaincy
team of the prison, and visit as a sessional chaplain, as and when required.
This may be on a regular basis, or when requested by the Pagan prisoner.
The post is voluntary, but chaplains are entitled to an
hourly rate of pay and their travel expenses paid by the Prison Service.
A large part of my own role is to liase with the resident chaplains of the
prisons, recruit and select potential chaplains, and work with the Chaplaincy
General and Home Office.
If a prisoner is of a mainstream faith, spiritual support
systems are in place, and as stated above, Paganism is a recognised religion,
why is it happening that in some cases Pagans are denied the same
access to a chaplain?
The problem is that there are too few Pagan chaplains at
present to accommodate the needs of prisoners, particularly in some areas
where no local chaplain exists, and current chaplains often cover large
areas and several prisons. Therefore it is not always possible to assign
a Pagan chaplain where one is requested. There over 140 prisons and young
offenders institutions and many of these do have Pagan prisoners as Paganism
is continuing to grow rapidly. To help with this the Pagan Prison Ministry
also has a dedicated team of corresponding chaplains, who regularly write
to Pagans in prison both in the UK and the US. Chaplains from all paths
and Traditions are needed, especially those with a knowledge of Druidry.
Many prisoners have long sentences to face and some have
committed unpleasant crimes, often addiction related, and having being judged
by society are often also alienated from family and friends. It is not the
place of Pagan chaplains to judge them a second time but to support and
ensure their rights to practise their religion is protected. The positive
effects on the prisoner themselves of being able to discuss their path with
another person is important, and if they are the only Pagan within that
prison, the Pagan chaplain can be of immense support.
The essential characteristics for being a chaplain
(the description is not ideal, but is the title imposed on us by the Prison
Service and shared by other faiths such as Buddhist, Sikh etc) are a mature
attitude, good communication skills and recognition of the need to keep
confidentiality. Knowledge and experience of your own tradition is essential,
and a brief knowledge of those apart from your own is ideal, as is a sense
of humour! Be prepared for comments by prison staff on using your broomstick
as a method of transport!
The details of the application & screening process
are too long for this article, but if I have tempted you find out more about
the Pagan Federation, or the Prison Ministry please write to us.
Suzanne White
Pagan Federation Prison Ministry Manager
