Prison Fellowship FAQs
Here are answers to some of the frequently asked questions about Prison Fellowship. If you can't find the answer you are looking for please contact us
What do we do for those who have been affected by crime?
Prison Fellowship works with offenders, families of those in prison and victims. We support offenders through prayer and going into prison to work with Chaplaincy to provide Bible Studies and services. We also run specific programmes:
- Our Sycamore Tree course is a victim awareness course where offenders on the programme explore the effects of crime on victims, offenders themselves, and the community, and discuss what it would mean to take responsibility for their personal actions. The Sycamore Tree is run by our volunteers, and in week 3 a victim of crime comes in to talk through how crime has impacted their lives.
- Angel Tree provides Christmas presents for prisoners' children. Local Prison Fellowship volunteer groups raise funds and work with churches and prison Chaplains to buy and deliver the presents. Prisoners with children are given the opportunity to apply for a gift to be sent to them along with an optional Christian story book.
- Letter Writing allows prisoners to write to a Christian Letter Writer and have a vital link with the outside world.
How does PF work?
Prison Fellowship is a volunteer-led organisation with a small team of paid staff. We have around 1,400 volunteers throughout England and Wales who pray for prisoners, run Sycamore Tree courses, co-ordinate Angel Tree, write letters to prisoners and have various other roles to support Chaplaincy.
How are we funded?
Prison Fellowship relies on the generous donations of Trusts and our supporters to run our programmes. Find out how you can support us financially.
How can I volunteer?
For more information on volunteering with Prison Fellowship England & Wales see how to get involved.
What is Restorative Justice?
Restorative Justice is a theory of justice that emphasises repairing the harm caused or revealed by criminal behaviour. Practices and programmes reflecting Restorative Justice will respond to crime by identifying and taking steps to repair harm, involving all parties, and transforming the traditional relationship between communities and their governments in responding to crime. For more information on Restorative Justice please visit the Restorative Justice Consortium website.
How do we know it works?
Sheffield Hallam' s Research Centre for Community Justice has done some work on offenders' attitudes to their crime before and after the programme, and have shown that the programme has had the desired impact on participants and reduced attitudes that are known to be conducive to offending behaviour.
Someone in my family is in prison, can you send someone to visit?
Although Prison Fellowship does not run a prison visiting scheme, local prayer groups may be able to do this. You can contact the prison Chaplain to find out if this is possible. You may find it useful to visit The Prison Advice & Care Trust , a charity which supports people affected by imprisonment. They provide practical support to prisoners' children and families, and to prisoners themselves.
Do you help prisoners overseas?
Prison Fellowship is part of Prison Fellowship International, which has Prison Fellowship affiliates around the world. We do not generally support prisoners overseas, as many can be supported by the national office for that particular country.