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Ontario Region Prison Visitation

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Pagan Prison Programs

Ontario Region Prison Visitation

We visit the federal prisons in or near Kingston, in most cases every second week (weather and other circumstances permitting), and do ritual and lessons with the Pagan inmates over a two-hour period.In some places, day-long celebrations are held twice a year, generally for Beltane and Samhain, at which time we share a lunch-time feast.We also make special trips on request to see individuals in need.

At three of the prisons the Pagan inmates have flower gardens near the chapel where we do ritual.In most of the other prisons there is green space where we can meet.

What We Do

  1. We cooperate with the staff chaplains and try to keep them fully informed of our activities.(The chaplains are very supportive and open-minded.)
  2. PPO is not a denomination but comprises various kinds of Pagans; therefore we usually teach and do ritual in a generic way.Within this framework we have established the Green Man tradition for Pagan inmates.When there are prisoners of a specific kind of Paganism, we try to accommodate them, e.g. we have arranged for an Asatruar to visit co-religionists.
  3. We encourage the prisoners to participate in the rituals and speak their own words (as opposed to following a script).
  4. We encourage democratic structure in the Pagan groups, with no inmate as 'priest' or 'teacher' — we encourage sharing of knowledge and ideas among everyone.
  5. We bring into the prisons only pre-approved items, and make sure both the guards and the chaplains inspect them.
  6. The regional prison committee meets regularly and keeps in touch by e-mail and phone to discuss recent visits and make plans for the future.The committee consults with outside resources on occasion.
  7. The regional prison committee makes regular reports to the PPO Elders.
  8. The regional committee takes care of normal visitation matters; however, whenever a question of substance arises it is taken to the PPO Elders for direction.

What We Do Not Do
  1. We do not proselytize.The prisoners we visit were Pagan before incarceration or became Pagan afterwards by themselves or through their friends in prison.
  2. Visitors do not visit the prisons alone (if at all possible), but in teams of two or more.
  3. We do not accept as visitors anyone without Pagan experience and a thoroughly down-to-earth attitude.
  4. We do not initiate prisoners.(Initiation is a ceremony making a person a Wiccan priest/ess.)
  5. We do not counsel prisoners on matters beyond the realm of Wiccan/Pagan practice in any formal way, but encourage them to use the counselling and programs offered by the institution.
  6. We do not call ourselves absolute authorities in religious matters, only people with more Pagan experience and opportunities.
  7. We do not encourage prisoners in their tendency to think that the Pagan community outside is large, cohesive and has the resources to be extensively supportive upon their release.We try to give them realistic expectations.
  8. We do not encourage close personal friendships (and certainly not romance!) between prisoners and visitors.We do not give out our addresses or phone numbers and any correspondence is conducted through the PPO addresses.

We welcome suggestions and inquiries about volunteering for this program.Please read the Administration - Organization and Policies pages and then contact us.We also welcome donations of Pagan books and magazines.
Blessed Be