Re-imagining imprisonment in Europe: common challenges, diverse policies and practice

Transcription

1 Re-imagining imprisonment in Europe: common challenges, diverse policies and practice Trinity College, Dublin, September Workshop report Many different gifts, but always the same Spirit 1 Sharing experience to promote new thinking Sally Malin, CSAN Criminal Justice Project, London This workshop explored the use of comparative approaches to promote fresh thinking on criminal justice within and beyond the Catholic Church. The CSAN 2 Criminal Justice project, inspired by a 2010 study visit to Caritas Ambrosiana in Milan, was presented to open debate and stimulate sharing of experience in this field. A. Background The Catholic Bishops Conference of England and Wales (CBCEW) has a long history of involvement in criminal justice issues in England and Wales, including a number of policy reports 3 and A Place of Redemption 4, which reviewed the Catholic theology of criminal justice. However, at parish level criminal justice is still not widely discussed, and in recent years the Catholic Church has had limited input to government criminal justice policy. The arrival in 2010 of a new government keen to dialogue with the Catholic Church and to reduce the use of ineffective imprisonment suggested the potential for CBCEW to refresh its focus on criminal justice 5. A study visit to Caritas Ambrosiana in Milan, in September 2010, provided new impetus and perspectives. The visit scoped key differences and similarities between the criminal justice systems in England and Wales, and Italy, and in the Catholic Church s response 6. With generous support from the Plater Trust, a one year project was then established by CSAN to share learning from the Milan visit by encouraging reflection, developing policy, dialoguing with government and initiating practical 1 I Corinthians 12:4 2 CSAN: Catholic Social Action Network an agency of the Catholic Bishops Conference of England and Wales 3 Catholic Bishops Conference of England and Wales, A Time for Justice (1994); Women in Prison (2000); People, Punishment, Prison (2002) 4 Catholic Bishops Conference of England and Wales. A Place of Redemption (2004) 5 Archbishop Vincent Nichols, speaking in Brixton prison September Sally Malin, An Unfailing Test: report of a visit to Caritas Ambrosiana Prisons Sector, Milan, September 2010 (December 2010)

2 action. Discussion with Caritas Ambrosiana continues, and we are drawing on Italian experience to promote debate on proceeds of crime 7, and to encourage new parish responses to supporting ex-offenders 8. This workshop shared experience of the CSAN Criminal Justice project and of participants on the following: 1. encouraging reflection on criminal justice, particularly at parish level 2. developing policy 3. dialoguing with government 4. initiating and sustaining practical action in support of Catholic policy positions on criminal justice B. CSAN Criminal Justice Project Overview To stimulate debate through theological reflection on criminal justice within and beyond the Catholic Church of England and Wales - theological seminar held London, September 2011, and report widely disseminated 9 - in active discussion with CBCEW through Principal RC Chaplain for Prisons about possibility of strengthening annual liturgical focus on prisons - relationships established with key UK academics researching in field of faith based social action in criminal justice field - CSAN website re-launched with dedicated criminal justice section 2. To develop Catholic Church policy on criminal justice - theological seminar confirmed principles to underpin any Catholic criminal justice policy and identified 3 themes for initial policy development crime prevention and community safety; victim support; resettlement - policy position statements on the above developed, refined and confirmed - policies to be launched autumn To inform the development of Government policy on criminal justice 7 Sally Malin for CSAN, Ill gotten gains, forthcoming article for CSAN newsletter 8 Caritas Ambrosiana, Il progetto Un tetto per tutti: alternative al cielo a scacchi, in Giustizia e sicurezza: politiche urbane, sociali e penali, (2010) 9

3 - in tandem with policy development process above, and with input from CSAN network, CSAN has commented on recent key Government consultations on criminal justice 10 - currently preparing resources to support local debate on forthcoming election of Police and Crime Commissioners 4. To propose practical initiatives in support of its policy on criminal justice, including identification of potential Church resources to fund same - mapping of CSAN network criminal justice projects initiated and continuing - discussion initiated with CBCEW about potential Church resources for future initiatives - discussion imminent with Caritas Europa about potential Caritas Europa initiative on victims of crime C. Next steps We are currently seeking funding for the next phase of the project, which will comprise: 1) A seminar for practitioners on resettlement issues, with a particular focus on community chaplaincy. The seminar will identify good practice models for resettlement, in the context of emergent criminal justice at local, national and European levels. 2) The development and dissemination of resources around such models, including those within and beyond the Caritas network, so that good practice may be shared and developed by new people in different locations. 3) Research and develop relationships and links at local level with those in the field, including prison chaplains, to facilitate an active contribution to new local criminal justice policies and practice after the first time elections of local Police and Crime Commissioners in November ) Identify and bring into working partnership a thoughtful, relational and expert group of practitioners who will sustain and develop theological, policy and practical work on criminal justice within the Caritas network and with other collaborators in this field. 5) Enable and inform the development of an ongoing and sustainable forum within CSAN structures to sustain, enhance and develop the Catholic social action with

4 offenders, ex-offenders, families and victims of crime throughout England and Wales. D. Discussion Members of the group were invited to share their experiences of work in the criminal justice arena, and of the relationship between such work and faith. An aftercare worker based in Dublin, working with young people leaving care, described the importance for her of her Quaker faith, particularly since she began fostering a young care leaver. A representative from Church Action on Poverty stressed the need to see imprisonment in the wider context of poverty and inequality. CAP is now bringing together a group of people with direct experience of prison issues to ensure their perspectives inform CAP lobbying. Many members of the group agreed that early intervention was vital to steer children and young people away from the risk of becoming involved in crime; however the increasing difficulty in securing resources (financial and people) for such work was recognised. Representatives from the Limerick based Bedford Row Family Project described their work. Initiated by the Franciscans, the project was set up 12 years ago and works to reduce crime by working in a holistic way across the generations to break the cycle of involvement in crime. This is seen as a long term (40 years) project and seeks to identify the potential residing in communities and individuals and to enable this to flower to the fullest degree. A secondary school teacher who has worked for many years in a deprived area of Liverpool, often in partnership with social services and education welfare, talked about those children who fall through all the safety nets to end either in prison or when dead, as the subject of a serious case review. She is now taking time out from school to research what is really needed for those very vulnerable children, and when. A recent stay with the Pilsdon Anglican community in Dorset 11 had inspired her interest in the restorative potential of community life. A researcher who has written about the impact of the sexual abuse scandals on the Catholic Church in Ireland highlighted the falling away of active involvement in many Catholic parishes, and consequent reduction in scope for parish based social action. 11

5 An academic who is also a Quaker explained the long history of Quaker concern about prison issues. In particular, the experience of imprisonment during the First and Second World Wars by Quaker conscientious objectors brought these individuals into direct contact with prison conditions and the lives of people in prison. The Quakers now have an active programme of work on criminal justice issues at local, national, European and international levels. This includes Circles of Support, through which individual volunteers are brought together into a group to work with and alongside sex offenders after their release from prison. A prison chaplain talked about his work in prisons, which had begun in the H blocks. The massive impact of drugs on society, levels of imprisonment, and life within the prisons was emphasised. Space for newly released prisoners has now been created within the chaplain s religious community; this gives ex-prisoners the opportunity to live with religious for 4-6 months, often spending the weekends with their families. This model challenges society s fear of ex-prisoners, and allows real trust to grow between ex-offenders and the religious community. The group shared the view that it would be helpful to stay in contact, so that experience of work in the criminal justice arena, and of the role of faith in sustaining such work, could continue to be shared. Sally Malin agreed to put this to the conference organisers. Sally Malin 12 September 2012 sallymalin@aol.com