Prison can be an incredibly lonely place. Many inmates, often rejected by family and friends, can become overwhelmed with feelings of depression and hopelessness. This can be a dark hole to try and crawl out from. That’s where Prison Fellowship’s volunteers and chaplains come in – walking alongside inmates who may have no one else to visit them. 

Across Australia, there are hundreds of men and women coming alongside inmates, running various programs, offering prayer and Bible studies and, very often, simply sharing a cup of tea, a chat or a laugh with an inmate. 

As well as providing prisoners with encouragement and spiritual and emotional support, regular visits from a volunteer or chaplain can help prisoners form a more positive worldview and come to realise their true identity, value and worth – ultimately pointing them to Jesus.

This much-needed pastoral care is offered to prisoners from all walks of life: irrespective of their condition, religious background, social position, beliefs, ethnicity or crime.