Our Mission - To show Christ’s love to prisoners by coming alongside them and supporting them

Sep 1, 2026

Every life in prison transformed through a mission focused on showing Christ’s love to prisoners by coming alongside them and supporting them. The presentation sets out the urgent prison context in England and Wales, highlighting high reconviction, youth offending risks, self-harm, and harm to staff. It explains a biblical calling to serve “the least of these,” describes faith-rooted prayer as the foundation, and outlines programmes such as Sycamore Tree, Angel Tree, Letter Link, chaplaincy support, and Prayer Line—delivered through thousands of volunteers and local groups.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryPresentations

FormatPPTX

Pages19

Reading Time7 min

AccessFree to download

Why we exist

Prison context and needs

Our Biblical Calling

Matthew 25:37-40

How we work

Prayer

Programmes

Sycamore Tree

Angel Tree

Letter Link

Chaplaincy Support

Prayer Line

Covid-19 response

Join with us

Pray

Volunteer

Give

Every life in prison transformed. Our MissionTo show Christ’s love to prisoners by coming alongside them and supporting them. Why we exist Prison population in England & Wales is just under 85,000. The UK is the top incarcerator in Western Europe (145 prisoners per 100,000 population). 44% of adults are reconvicted within one year of release; for those serving sentences of less than 12 months this increases to 59%. 65% of boys with a convicted parent go on to offend. Rates of self-harm in prisons are at the highest level ever recorded (over 58,000 incidents in 2020), and assaults on staff remain at a record level and have more than tripled in 6 years. Why we exist (2) People in prison (adults): 24% were in foster care as a child 29% experienced abuse as a child 47% have no qualifications 68% were unemployed before custody 15% were homeless before custody 21% of men and 46% of women have attempted suicide at some point Our Biblical Calling “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’ The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’” Matthew 25: 37-40 How? Prison Fellowship E&W has been active for over 40 years. We have over 3,000 volunteers across England and Wales, connected in a network of Local Groups. We are currently involved with 98% of the prisons in England and Wales. Prayer Prayer is the basis for all that we do, and where it all started. Prison Fellowship Local Groups meet regularly to pray for prisons, prisoners, their families and prison staff. From prayer comes practical care to help and support. Programmes Sycamore Tree Sycamore Tree is a course about restorative justice and victim awareness that takes place in prisons over six sessions, using the biblical restorative story of Zacchaeus. The programme develops offenders’ understanding of the impact of their crime upon others and upon themselves. PF volunteers, motivated by their Christian faith, deliver the programme. The programme is accredited by Gateway Qualifications and Ofqual. “It’s made me look at myself, what kind of person I am. I want to change.” “Sycamore Tree has massively opened my eyes and I realise what pain and suffering I caused to other people. I won’t hurt people again.” - Sycamore Tree graduates Sycamore Tree Angel Tree It is estimated that around 312,000 children in England and Wales are affected by parental imprisonment each year. That means, more than double the number of children are affected by parental imprisonment than divorce in the family. Angel Tree supports prisoners in their family relationships by providing a way for them to give Christmas presents to their children. In 2020 we sent out over 4,400 gifts. On Mothers’ Day we also enable young offenders to send a card and gift to their mum. Angel Tree “My kids loved their presents, your programme is very special. Keep up the good work!” “I would like to thank you from the bottom of my heart. I am very close to my little girl. It has been very hard on us being parted and Angel Tree has made it a bit easier.” - Parents of Angel Tree gift recipients Letter Link Prisoners often feel extremely lonely and isolated, and many have lost touch with their family and friends on the outside. A letter might be the only communication a prisoner receives and can provide huge encouragement and a link to the outside world. Our letter writing programme enables prisoners to feel valued and supported while in custody. “You are keeping me in touch with the outside world which I miss very much… I look forward to when they call out the mail each day.” – Prisoner letter writer Chaplaincy Support Everything that we do in PF, works alongside the Chaplaincy. In addition to our programmes, PF volunteers a

FAQs

What is the mission of Prison Fellowship E&W?

To show Christ’s love to prisoners by coming alongside them and supporting them, rooted in prayer and practical care.

How is prayer connected to the organization’s work?

Prayer is the basis for everything they do; Local Groups regularly pray for prisons, prisoners, families, and prison staff, leading to practical support.

What programmes does Prison Fellowship offer to prisoners and families?

Key programmes include Sycamore Tree (restorative justice and victim awareness), Angel Tree (support with Christmas gifts and Mother’s Day cards), and Letter Link (letter writing to maintain connection with the outside world).

How did Prison Fellowship adapt during Covid-19 when prisons closed to volunteers?

They redirected efforts by sending additional Angel Tree presents, redesigning and relaunching Letter Link materials, progressing toward remote Prayer Line support, praying online every two weeks, and producing weekly Bible study resources for chaplaincy teams.

Sep 1, 2026

Upload by Taylor Morgan