“Unless prisons are reformed, they will continue to exacerbate the problems in people’s lives rather than offering them a way to get back on track. Better alternatives must be found.” Bishop Richard

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‍When Pope Francis celebrated Mass at the Eucharistic Congress in Matera earlier this year, thousands of the altar breads he consecrated had been made by people in Italy’s prisons. The inspector general of chaplains explained: “The bread produced within the prison walls, and which will become the Body of Christ on the altar, intends to be a voice of hope.”

Here in England and Wales, Catholic chaplains, charities and volunteers are working throughout the year to support people serving sentences in our own prisons. This Christmas, like many other bishops, I will be joining them and celebrating Mass at HMP Coldingley, a Category C men’s prison, and at HMP Send, a closed category women’s prison. At this time, so many of the men, women and young people in prison are not only drawing hope from the celebration of Christ’s coming, but also feeling the pain of separation from their families and loved ones.

Over the years, Christmas Masses in our prisons have been for me a real highlight of the day, for the sense of the hope of Jesus’ birth is so often present to those living in our prisons, enabling them to focus on the hope of new things to come. The singing of carols brings a moment of joy, and the chance to pray for those from whom they are separated brings some consolation. As we celebrate Christmas in our own homes and parishes, I call on everyone to hold these brothers and sisters in our prayers.

It is also incumbent upon us to think about the bigger picture and ask ourselves if our justice system is serving the common good as effectively as it might. Four years ago, the Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales published 'A Journey of Hope', drawing upon Catholic Social Teaching to offer a new vision of how our society should approach imprisonment. At its heart was a call to break from the trend of ever-harsher sentences and an ever-increasing prison population, and instead, while never forgetting the suffering of victims and the necessity of just punishment, focus on helping those who commit crimes to truly find mercy, forgiveness, and redemption. Today, with the number of people incarcerated across England and Wales projected to reach almost 100,000 in the coming years, it is perhaps time to reiterate that call.

Prisons play an important role in keeping the public safe, punishing people who have committed crimes and supporting them to make a fresh start. Yet in many cases opportunities for genuine rehabilitation are limited and custodial sentences can exacerbate the problems in people’s lives rather than offering them a way back on track.
Other people, separated from their families, have seen relationships break down, leaving them in an ever more despairing situation, with even less motivation for reform.

Over the years I have met so many people struggling with mental-health difficulties or addictions. They have a primary need for health care that is so difficult to provide in the prison setting. The greater the prison population, the harder it becomes to address these issues.

This is not only devastating for those in prison and their families – it affects our entire society. If people are helped to address their personal challenges, they are far less likely to commit crime and more likely to live lives that enable them to contribute to the common good of society. Many of those who serve unproductive sentences in overcrowded and under-resourced prisons simply end up re- offending after release. Given the raging cost-of-living crisis, surely we have a responsibility to look for better alternatives, rather than spending vast amounts of public money on new prison places that in the long term are doing so little to reduce crime.

There is a real need to seek a better way. While recognising the great pressures upon our healthcare system, there is a need to provide more appropriately secure places for those with serious mental health conditions. Should we not challenge whether custodial sentences are appropriate for those female offenders who have committed non-violent crimes driven by their own abuse or trauma?

Many offences resulting from drug or alcohol misuse can be better handled through problem-solving courts, which combine an element of punishment with intensive support to tackle addictions. Community sentences could also be employed much more widely to ensure that people pay their debts to society while maintaining contact with their families and communities. By taking these sorts of steps, we can ensure that when it is necessary to send someone to prison, resources are available to rehabilitate them instead of simply locking them away. Those who have committed crimes remain part of our society, and it benefits us all to help them improve their future, rather than merely punish them for their past.

Christ himself called us to visit those imprisoned and to minister to their needs. Our hard-working prison staff, the chaplains and the many excellent charities such as the Prison Advice and Care Trust (Pact), along with the volunteers who do so much to support those in prison and those leaving at their end of their sentences, are engaged in a most wonderful work.

Pope Francis speaks of Christmas as the moment that hope came into the world. Let us take a moment this Christmas and recommit ourselves to helping others on a journey of hope, both inside and outside our prison walls.

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This article was published in The Tablet, December 2022. Bishop Richard is the Bishop lead bishop for prisons for the Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales.