Daylight Christian Prison Trust is calling for more letter-writing volunteers in response to a growing request from UK prisoners for pen pals.
Daylight currently has 50 letter-writers but it is no longer enough to keep up with prisoner demand. The surge in requests follows a wider rebrand last year.
CEO Gaius Phillingham (pictured below) explained: ‘We gave out new cards [about the pen pal scheme] at one prison and we had eight prisoners sign up. It was the same response at other prisons around the country. Our refreshed brand – a refreshed opportunity – suddenly produced greater need; and our supply of letter writers dried up.’
He added that prison chaplains report a demand across the board, including from ‘younger guys who don’t have parental figures’.
Some of the prisoners requesting a pen pal are Christians, while others know nothing about the Bible. Gaius said many prisoners’ families abandoned them at the start of their prison terms.
With prayer, and what he called ‘careful research’, Daylight matches letter-writing volunteers with prisoners who have asked for a pen pal. Often, little is known about the prisoner and their offending.
Gaius said: ‘It’s sometimes better not to know what they’ve done (there are restrictions on what can be disclosed, for example, depending on the type of offence). We allow the relationship to develop.’
Letters from prisoners are checked by the Daylight office, following the prison authority requirements. Volunteers’ letters are also read for their protection. Letter-writers can use a pseudonym and their personal details are not included.
Gaius commented: ‘There is such an immediate need, and this is a great gospel opportunity, whether you are encouraging a believer or sharing the glorious gospel of Jesus.’ For more information about the pen pal scheme, contact hannah@daylightcpt.org.
Daylight is also celebrating its 20th year this month and is marking it by sending anniversary gift boxes to every prison in the UK. Gaius said: ‘We want to encourage chaplaincies and enable them to take the gospel into prisons.’
Each box includes Daylight mugs, chocolate biscuits, bookmarks, pens and tea bags – along with information about current resources, the cards for pen pals and printed copies of Bible messages.
