Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- List of figures
- List of tables
- Abbreviations
- Preface
- 1 Equal opportunities and multiculturalism in prisons
- 2 Chaplaincy, chaplains, chapels and other faiths
- 3 Church of England prison chaplains
- 4 Visiting Ministers of other faiths
- 5 ‘Facilitation’ or ‘dependence’?
- 6 Inclusion and exclusion
- 7 Prison chaplaincy in the United States
- 8 Conclusions: state, church and diversity
- Notes
- Appendix
- References
- Index
4 - Visiting Ministers of other faiths
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 22 August 2009
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- List of figures
- List of tables
- Abbreviations
- Preface
- 1 Equal opportunities and multiculturalism in prisons
- 2 Chaplaincy, chaplains, chapels and other faiths
- 3 Church of England prison chaplains
- 4 Visiting Ministers of other faiths
- 5 ‘Facilitation’ or ‘dependence’?
- 6 Inclusion and exclusion
- 7 Prison chaplaincy in the United States
- 8 Conclusions: state, church and diversity
- Notes
- Appendix
- References
- Index
Summary
Neither the Prison Act 1952 nor the Prison Rules 1964 accords to prisoners in England and Wales the right to practise any religion while in custody. This is an odd situation and may be at odds with European legislation (Loucks 1994). It is certainly different from the provisions of much more recent legislation for Scotland where statute now recognises that ‘Every prisoner shall be allowed to observe the requirements of his religious and moral beliefs’ subject to various conditions. The thrust of the law in England and Wales is towards establishing the framework within which ministers of religion may visit prisoners and perform various religious tasks. Nevertheless, it is widely assumed that prisoners do have the right to practise their religion; and the Prison Service aspires to uphold the rights of all prisoners to equality of opportunity to practise their religion. For example, ‘Members of non-Christian religions have the same right to practise their faith as Christians and they should be given the same opportunity to do so, whenever practicable in prison circumstances’. It is worth commenting in passing on the fact that this quotation seems to take for granted that Christian prisoners have the right to practise their faith. There may also be an underlying implication that non-Christian prisoners have the right to practise their faith only because the Christians already have the same right. Otherwise, it would have been simpler to state that all prisoners had the right to practise their faith.
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- Religion in Prison'Equal Rites' in a Multi-Faith Society, pp. 89 - 115Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 1998
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