| Pagan
Prison Programs |
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Introduction
to PPO Prison Ministry Program
Our Pagan prison ministry program began in 1994 under the
auspices of the Pagan Federation/Fédération
païenne Canada.
In 2003, with the blessing and endorsement of PFPC, the people
involved in its prison work formed Pagan Pastoral Outreach
to concentrate on this and related ministry.
 We
took over facilitation of a pre-existing circle in Kingston
Penitentiary and since then have expanded to visit every federal
prison in the Kingston area (KP, RTC, Joyceville, Pittsburgh,
Bath, Millhaven, Collins Bay, Frontenac and Warkworth).One
of our Elders, previously involved in the Ontario prisons,
has visited prisons in B.C. (Abbotsford, Kent, Mission, Mountain,
William Head, Ferndale, Elbow Lake and Burnaby Women’s Prison).We
also provide long-distance supervision for a Wiccan chapel
group in New Brunswick, and advice to both chaplains and Wiccan
inmates in other prisons in the Maritime region.
As of March of 2000, visitation in the federal prisons in
Ontario
Region
has been
under a contract with CSC Regional Chaplaincy.
PPO responds to requests for information and support from
chaplains or inmates in all regions (e.g. we have sent books
and written materials for francophone and anglophone inmates
in Quebec, and information to chaplaincy and possible visitors
in the Prairie Region).We
also visit in Provincial Prisons and Regional Detention Centres
(both adults and young offenders), and are the Pagan Representatives
on the South East Regional Ontario Multifaith Council.
PPO has developed a program of
Lessons
by Correspondence
especially
for Canadian inmates who do not have an opportunity for visitation.We
also publish articles and poems written by inmates on our
Material by Inmates (Articles,
Poetry)
pages.
In 2002, PPO members co-wrote (with the manual's editor) and/or
edited the chapter on Paganism and its various branches, for
the CSC
Chaplaincy Manual.We
also are responsible for periodic updates to the manual and
addressing the concerns of CSC chaplaincy Headquarters.
We contribute materials for the CSC
Restorative Justice Week. In
2000, CSC picked up a letter-to-students (originally written
for the John Howard Society) from the PFPC newsletter by one
of the inmates we visit (in Material
by Inmates -
Articles).In
2003 one of our Elders wrote on Restorative
Justice from a Wiccan Perspective for
CSC.
If you are
interested in being involved in Pagan Prison ministry with
PPO, please read our Organization
and Policies pages
in the PPO Administration
section and then contact
us.
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