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Prison visiting

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Prison Visiting

GUIDANCE FOR BAHÁ’ÍS WHO WISH TO WRITE TO OR VISIT PRISONERS

March 2015

The National Assembly has reviewed the support offered to those serving prison sentences and reflected on the learning that has come from the experience of prison visitors and those working with prisoners in a professional role. In order to ensure the safety of the community the Special Care Committee (SCC) has been asked to monitor contact with those prisoners who are particularly dangerous.

Prison visiting as a service to the community
Prison visiting may be a way in which some Bahá’ís feel they can give service to society. The National Assembly encourages any Bahá’í who wishes to take on this role to do so through the National Association of Official Prison Visitors, and would not support any prospective visitor who does not go through this channel. The National Association of Official Prison Visitors (NAOPV) is a well-established and official avenue for prisoners to maintain contact with the outside world; it provides a regulated framework that preserves the safety and well-being both of the visitor and the prisoner. The NAOPV provides all necessary security checks, training and support for its members who are appointed to a prison by its Governor.

Contact from prison chaplains
The prison chaplaincy service has a duty to provide a pastoral care visit from a recognised faith representative if this is requested by a prisoner. A prison chaplain may contact a Local Assembly or an individual Bahá’í with this request. In these circumstances and before any action is taken, we ask that the SCC be informed by e-mail to scc@bahai.org.uk

Visiting family or close friends
In order to visit a prisoner you must be in possession of a Visiting Order which will have been sent to you through the post by the prisoner. A family member or close friend will normally already have your address and you will know the person well enough to judge whether or not it is safe and wise for you to visit them.

Visiting prisoners unknown to you or those convicted of serious offences
While the National Assembly understands there will be Bahá’ís who wish to support a prisoner it reminds them that they have a responsibility to ensure the welfare of themselves and others and for the good name of the Faith to remain intact. Some prisoners are untrustworthy and will continue to be a risk to society, and on release such prisoners are unlikely ever to be fully reintegrated into the Bahá’í community. The National Assembly wishes to protect those caring and trusting Bahá’ís who may be misled by these dangerous people. Before contact with a potentially dangerous prisoner it is advisable to contact the SCC who may be able to inform you of the risks posed by that prisoner. It is imperative to anticipate the pitfalls and mishaps that can occur through lack of knowledge and understanding of prisons, offending behaviour, and prisoners’ lives.

Advice on visiting a prisoner

  1. The purpose of visiting prisoners is to offer pastoral care, support, and friendship; it is not an opportunity to promote the Faith or offer Ruhi study circles.
  2. Where a Bahá’í wishes to become an official prison visitor, he/she should do so through the National Association of Official Prison Visitors. In this way appropriate protection, support and training will be provided.
  3. It is inadvisable to give a prisoner the address of another person or to encourage another person to visit a prisoner. The potential visitor may not be in a position to make an informed risk assessment if they are unaware of either the prisoner’s offence history or their untrustworthy nature, and may be at risk of being manipulated.
  4. If you are asked to give your address to a prisoner or are asked to visit one you should consult with the SCC before doing this so that you are fully informed before making a decision.
  5. Requests from prison chaplains should be directed to the SCC.
  6. No Bahá’í visiting or writing to a prisoner should give any undertaking with respect to the prisoner’s access to the Bahá’í community on release. If the prisoner asks to be introduced to the Bahá’í community, the visitor/writer should inform the prisoner that they must write to the SCC with this request and that he/she will be asked to give full disclosure of his/her offence. The SCC will then give a decision based on the prisoner’s own information, and information from the statutory agencies to which it is allowed access.
  7. Prison visitors should be aware that prisoners can be highly plausible and manipulative and often use others to insinuate themselves into situations where they can continue their offending behaviour. It is this behaviour that may put Bahá’ís and the Bahá’í community at risk.
  8. Prisoners convicted of serious offences will be released on licence. The licence will contain strict conditions, such as where the former prisoner can live and with whom he or she can or cannot have contact, and will be monitored by the Probation Service. Failure to adhere to these conditions can lead to a recall to prison. When a Bahá’í prisoner is released on licence it is imperative that the Bahá’í community abides by these and any other safeguarding conditions imposed by the SCC.
  9. If you have any doubts about the safe course of action contact the SCC.

Note: While asylum seekers may be detained, they are not prisoners and have not been convicted of a crime, and this document does not refer to them or to anyone wishing to visit them.

Issued by the Special Care Committee of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United Kingdom – scc@bahai.org.uk

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