Criminal justice and prisons

At the top security Brixton prison in South London, Cardinal Murphy O'Connor, on behalf of the Bishops of England and Wales, launched the document A Place of Redemption: A Christian Approach To Punishment and Prison.

The day the document was issued - December 9, 2004 - will be remembered by all prisoners and all those involved in promoting debate our society needs to have.

Keeping in mind the rights of victims, the bishops asked for retribution to be balanced by reform and rehabilitation. This document may be truly described as the voice of the voiceless in speaking out for prisoners. They stress that prisons are not at all effective instruments of reform and enjoy a hopeless record of reforming their inmates.

The bishops are defending vigorously the dignity of prisoners. When they issued this document they knew it would receive a hostile reception in some quarters. They knew that at parish level there are some initiatives to assist ex-offenders and prisoners' families. But they encourage Catholics to be engaged to participate in the debate on criminal justice and prisons. They are presenting a challenge to many who consider the performance of prison is only in protecting the public especially the elderly, who make up a disproportionate amount of criminal victims.

The bishops say that the prison population in England and Wales stands at 75,444 with a high number of women and black people behind bars.

Cardinal O'Connor appeals for an overhaul of the criminal justice system. He knows very well what he is speaking about because he has been a prison visitor for years. He insists "that building new prisons is not the answer to chronic overcrowding and that the aim should be to send fewer people to prisons with more effective alternative punishment served within the community". The bishops maintain that "it is inhumane, however horrifying their crimes, to leave prisoners with no hope of release once they have ceased to be a danger to society". It is a pity, they observe, that prison authorities are mainly concerned with security on the premises and that the media focus on protecting the public.

Though the document throws fresh dealings with prisoners, it is hard to disagree with the assertions put forward by the bishops of England and Wales. Although they may be under attack they are acting in fidelity to the Gospels. Their proposals include alternative sentences to prison even for heinous crimes. I wish that many in Malta could be enthusiastic about this document and speak out clearly when such a debate is conducted. Unfortunately, the effort to keep us in our box is considerable.

Besides the approach to prison challenges, the document carries a good analysis on immigrants/asylum seekers. The bishops felt it is important to smash the myths surrounding immigration. They say there are many myths and much downright nonsense spoken about asylum seekers and the Church must be at the forefront of speaking out for them. The bishops emphasise: "We must speak. But we must go further. We must be there to welcome, to help with practical assistance. We must be there to guard their human rights from being abused".

It is often claimed that Britain is flooded with migrants when the reality is that most migration occurs between developing countries. The bishops say there were about 70,000 migrants in the UK but they are sadly invisible to most people if not for the tragic deaths of cocklers that help to draw attention to their plights and accuse the government of condemning poor migrants to destitution. Some asylum seekers are not granted any status. Others are dismissed from detention forced to fend for themselves in cities.

About 40 per cent of migrants to the UK were female, often with small children to support as well as sending some money to family members.

The bishops added: "The government should ensure that our asylum system recognises that seeking asylum is a fundamental human right, guaranteed in international law. It is therefore incumbent on the government to make certain that no one is left destitute".

Reading this document on the eve of our national conference about the same issue to be held in Malta may be a wake-up call. A wake-up call is intended to rouse us from sleep. The bishops of England and Wales choose to emphasise, to the point of imbalance, our Christian commitment. Prisoners and asylum seekers are not a problem - they are people.

Fr Mintoff ofm is the director of the Peace Lab, a pioneer in defending the rights of asylum seekers and a member of the Prison Visiting Board.

pdmpeacelab@kemmunet.net