The call to go beyond the borders of the prison walls.
Fratelli Tutti is a challenging encyclical. Indeed, the curator of this blog series has observed that it “brings with it a number of key challenges which push us out of our familiar ways”. That is certainly true for this writer, as I reflect on the impact of Fratelli Tutti in the context of my life and work as a prison chaplain. One such key challenge is the encounter at the heart of this encyclical, where the Pope observes that those who pass by on the road down to Jericho are religious people.
I find Francis’ concluding reminder far more challenging than the casual observation it first appears to be: “belief in God and the worship of God are not enough to ensure that we are actually living in a way pleasing to God” (no. 74). It follows then that, even if, as a prison chaplain, I may be observing the necessary policies and procedures, this is not enough to ensure that I am acting in a way that is pleasing to God.
Pope Francis devotes this work to “fraternity and social friendship” (no. 2). He goes on to define social friendship as being “a love capable of transcending borders” (no. 99). In its promotion of social friendship, this encyclical models how the Catholic community can put Catholic Social Thought into action. This must be done by supporting people, not just while they are in prison but also beyond the borders of the prison estate, once they leave prison.
I have already reflected on the need for prison chaplaincy to extend beyond the walls of a prison. The call for us to “take an active part in renewing and supporting our troubled societies” (no. 77) is but one of numerous statements which may shake the foundations of our established routines in our desired work for the common good. But this encyclical does not just prod at our conscience, it also provides a means for how we should respond to its call.
If we are to respond to the call of this encyclical, our outreach should not remain “at the level of words” (no. 6). Instead we are urged to “help one another as we look ahead” (no. 8). Such an approach seeks to ensure that no one is eliminated, ignored, or left to face life in isolation.
Sadly, many people endure this - not only within prison, but also upon their release. Hence the call for a broader understanding of prison chaplaincy, a community chaplaincy, to go beyond the borders of the prison environment, and include those who have left prison.
The importance of doing time.
The previously mentioned encounter at the heart of this encyclical is perhaps the supreme example of social friendship found in Sacred Scripture. The Pope observes that the parable of the Good Samaritan “is one that any of us can relate to and find challenging” (no. 58). In the chapter devoted to this encounter we learn that our care for others is not to be limited to those nearest and dearest to us. Instead, we are called to strive to imitate God, by our care for others being without limits, knowing no borders and being extended to all.
In citing the example of the Good Samaritan, Pope Francis astutely notes that “[h]e also gave him something that in our frenetic world we cling to tightly: he gave him his time” (no. 63). The social friendship spoken of in Fratelli Tutti must be an essential element in supporting those who leave prison. They require much more than mere financial assistance.
By early afternoon on the day of his release, an individual I now mentor had received over £300 in cash from various agencies tasked with helping him. Such assistance was not necessarily what was best for him. We may even wonder if such actions are significantly different to those who pass by on the road down to Jericho; “people holding important social positions yet lacking in real concern for the common good”, who “would not waste a couple of minutes caring for the injured man” (no. 63).
The social friendship spoken of in Fratelli Tutti must be an essential element in supporting those who leave prison (image by Eric Ward: Unsplash)
There was no difference in the resting place for the man in my story and the man in the parable told by Jesus. Both ended up by the side of the road. Social friendship demands the giving of our time far more than of our finances. Financial assistance, at best, offers no more than a provisional solution. If we are serious about our desire to enable individuals to bring their talents and efforts to fruition, then we need to follow the example of the Good Samaritan in offering our time to “lifting up and rehabilitating the fallen for the sake of the common good” (no. 67).
Local solutions
Whilst the encyclical deals with global issues it never loses sight of the principle of subsidiarity and the necessity of actions at a local level: “we can start from below and, case by case, act at the most concrete and local levels” (no. 78). In calling us to social friendship, this document calls us to see those leaving prison as being people deserving of our time and attention. In so doing we can play our part to “direct society to the pursuit of the common good” (no. 66). Such a view supports a key recommendation of the classic teaching from the Catholic Bishops of England and Wales regarding a Christian approach to punishment and prison: in A Place of Redemption they call for “direct initiatives at parish level to assist ex-offenders”.[1]
Mentoring and befriending those who have spent time in prison is an essential aspect of how the Catholic community can rise to that challenge. The National Council for Voluntary Organisations defines Mentoring as “the development of a relationship in which one person gives time to support and encourage another to make changes in their life”.[2] The model for mentoring and befriending adopted by The Prison Advice and Care Trust is a marvellous example of social friendship in action at the grassroots level.
We are not alone
Such models provide a template for the wider community to embrace the call of our Bishops that “the Catholic community should explore options with the Probation Service for developing rehabilitative programmes within parishes”.[3] Furthermore, they are compatible with the concept of social friendship in Fratelli Tutti, in which outreach to those in need be part of a co-ordinated approach: “let us not do this alone, as individuals. The Samaritan discovered an innkeeper who would care for the man; we too are called to unite as a family that is stronger than the sum of small individual members” (no. 78).
For One and All
That such work is for the common good, rather than just for the individual concerned, should be clear for all to see. Research from Cambridge University found evidence that mentoring “may serve to reduce re-offending by providing continuity of support and acting as a bridge to other services”.[4] The research highlighted “a potentially fruitful faith-based partnership between the voluntary and statutory sectors”,[5] calling for probation agencies working “more closely with faith-based organisations to enhance community development work”.[6]
Such findings mean that mentoring, as a means of reducing re-offending, also reduces the number of victims of crime. That surely must be a measure for the Common Good! Extending support to those who have left prison is not, as Cardinal Vincent Nichols stated when addressing the National Catholic Prison Chaplains Conference in 2016, “about being soft on prisoners or crime. It is about being civilised. It is about recognising just punishment, reducing reoffending, genuinely helping victims, and getting people’s lives back on track so that they are a benefit not a burden on our communities”.[7]
This is exactly what Fratelli Tutti is calling us towards with its devotion to fraternity and social friendship. In adopting mentoring and befriending, we can give people leaving prison the support they need in order to play a meaningful and fulfilling role in society. It does present a huge challenge to us: “that I must myself be a neighbour to others” (no. 81). Yet, like the stranger on the road down to Jericho, we must help those who have fallen to get back up.
David Cahill is a deacon, serving the Catholic Church in Jersey. He has been the Catholic chaplain with The States of Jersey Prison Service since September 2009, based at HMP La Moye. Since September 2020, thanks to the generous support of a local benefactor, he has commenced mentoring people following their release from prison.
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[1] CBCEW, A Place of Redemption (London. Burns & Oates, 2004) p. 95.
[2] https://www.ncvo.org.uk/practical-support/information/coronavirus/1945-ncvo-mentoring-and-befriending?highlight=WyJtZW50b3JpbmciLCJtZW50b3IiLCJtZW50b3JzIiwibWVudG9yJ3MiXQ==
[3] CBCEW, A journey of hope: a Catholic approach to sentencing reform (Online, 2018) https://familyofsites.bishopsconference.org.uk/plain/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2018/11/a-journey-of-hope-catholic-approach-sentencing-reform.pdf, p. 5.
[4] Dr Jane Dominey and Dr Elizabeth lowson, Community Chaplaincy and Desistance (Online: University of Cambridge, 2017) download (communitychaplaincy.org.uk), p. 8.
[5] Ibid.
[6] Ibid.
[7] CBCEW, The Right Road: a Catholic approach to prison reform (Online, 2016) *the-right-road.pdf (bishopsconference.org.uk)