Release LincsCommunity Chaplaincy

Kirstie ClarkeCommunity Chaplain

Community Chaplaincy Volunteer Mentors

• Volunteer mentors• Matched prior to release with a man leaving HMP Lincoln• Full 4 day training including shadowing• Ongoing training in issues facing our mentees – eg. Drug & Alcohol

awareness, suicide awareness etc• Ongoing support – monthly supervision and regular support meetings• Weekly commitment 1-2 hours

Release Lincs Values

• Hope for both victims and ex-offenders• Love unconditional love, compassion and kindness that goes the extra mile but does not count the

cost• Belief in the intrinsic uniqueness and specialness of someone who (often) does not believe in

themselves• Forgiveness holding on to the fact that there is the possibility of forgiveness, restoration and a new

start for anyone, regardless of what they have done• Restoration of Relationships Demonstrating and modelling caring, consistent and stable

relationships. Mending family ties. Showing people that they matter and are valuable through unconditional relationship

• Walking alongside as a companion on a journey, when one stumbles there is another to help them up, and on with the journey

• Long term stability: sharing the values above ensure that mentors of faith or none will tend to be to be relatively stable over time and so are better placed to provide open-ended support

Community Chaplaincy Mentees• Initial assessment after referral• Goals and priorities set based on needs for release support• Holistic approach• Support offered over the pathways to reducing reoffending:• Housing• Health• Drugs and alcohol• Employment, training and education• Families and children• Finance benefit and debt• Attitudes and behaviour

• Meet with mentor weekly

Some statistics

• There are over 7 million people in the UK with a criminal record• Out of 10 men leaving HMP Lincoln after serving a short sentence, 6 will go on to

reoffend in the next 12 months• 8 out of 10 men leaving HMP Lincoln have settled accommodation (bucking a national

trend)• 28 out of 100 men leave HMP Lincoln with a job• 60% of offenders are thought to have significant literacy problems• It is thought that around 160,000 children are affected per year by parental custody• It is estimated that around 74% of the population of prisons show tendencies of one or

more personality disorders• Between a third and a half of new receptions to prison are estimated to be problem drug

users (equivalent to between 45,000 and 65,000 prisoners in England and Wales)

Contact details

Kirstie ClarkeRelease Lincs Community ChaplainHMP Lincoln01522 66320307951 256550

www.lincschaplaincy.org.uk/community_chaplaincy