Prisons Week Takes Centre Stage

This week in mid October is Prisons Week

Sunday, 10 October 2021, marked the beginning of Prisons Week. Prisons Week is a prayer and awareness campaign, which Mothers’ Union members are supporting from all over Britain and Ireland. 

Covid-19 has affected every corner of society. Isolation faced by prisoners has been made acute by the pandemic, confined to cells for 23 hours a day without visitors. Many prisons are still not open to MU volunteers owing to restrictions but, as a movement, we are finding ways to engage.

Mothers' Union In Action

MU members around the UK have been in contact with prison chaplaincies and have supported them remotely through prayer and through providing practical assistance, such as:

•        Bringing warmth by working with others to knit beanie hats for prisoners. Many of the prisons are very old and therefore very cold in winter. Extended confinement to cells makes this even more miserable.
•        Making memories by providing baby boxes containing practical items for those in prison mother and baby units – these boxes can then be used as memory boxes for the mothers when the children leave.
•        Providing resources by supplying clothes and toiletries to those leaving prison, in some cases after decades of imprisonment.
•        Keeping seasons special by sending cards and gifts for Christmas and Easter. One branch has partnered with another project which funds Christmas presents for volunteers to wrap and send to prisoners’ children on their behalf.
•        Raising awareness and encouraging prayer by sharing with others the difficulties faced by prison residents.

Mothers’ Union is currently gearing up to get inside prisons again in various ways – running tea bars, crèches and play areas, offering parenting courses, helping in craft sessions and book making. It’s all about thinking creatively about how we can help! Your prayers make a real difference, so let’s use this week to focus our prayers on this area of need.
 

Find out more:

Prisons Week 2021 runs from 10 to 16 October. More resources for the 2021 campaign can be found on their website.