National Prisons Week 2026 : Prison Chaplaincy Testimonies
National Prisons Week (11–17 October) is a time to pray for people across the criminal justice system. This year’s theme, ‘All Are Invited’, takes its inspiration from Matthew 22:1–14, which describes how “the servants went out into the streets and gathered all the people they could find, the bad as well as the good, and the wedding hall was filled with guests”.
To mark the week, we’ve gathered three encouraging stories from one of our Anglican chaplains serving at a prison in Nottinghamshire. As you read them, please take a moment to pray for the prisons in our diocese and the chaplains serving them, asking that both prisoners and staff would encounter more of God’s Living Hope.
A life transformed by faith
“About a year ago, I was introduced to a man in the segregation unit – a highly secure area where prisoners are separated from others because of their behaviour or for their own protection. He had first entered custody at just 12 years old and was now 38.
Soon after his time in segregation, he returned to the wing, and I heard that he had become a Christian. My chaplaincy colleagues and I worked closely with him, helping him lay the foundations of his new life following Jesus.
After a couple of months, it was a delight to hear officers on his wing say to me, ‘We can’t believe what’s happened with him – he’s SO different!’
I’m delighted to say that he was moved to a wing for the best-behaved inmates, where prisoners have additional privileges. He was released from prison two weeks ago and plans to be baptised at a church whose weekly small group he had been joining remotely while in custody.
There’s so much hope in his story.”
Finding peace through prayer
“One prisoner I’ve befriended chooses to keep himself apart from the wider prison population to avoid negative influences while serving his sentence. He studies the Bible and regularly completes distance-learning courses.
On one occasion, he asked for prayer because he was struggling with anxiety and guilt. I invited another prisoner to pray with us, and there was a very clear sense of God at work as we prayed for peace to fill his heart.
As I gently laid my hand over his chest, I could physically feel something shifting as we prayed. I didn’t mention what I’d felt, but when I finished praying, he was full of questions: ‘What was that?’ ‘Did you feel anything then?’ ‘What just happened?’
We talked about God shifting something deep within him, and I encouraged him to notice whether he felt different, particularly when trying to sleep.
A week later, I was pleased to hear that his sleep had improved dramatically. He had also shared what happened with his family, who had turned their attention towards Jesus after hearing his story.”
Bringing hope into the darkness
“Every prisoner in the segregation unit must have access to a prison chaplain each day, and our chaplaincy team shares this responsibility on a rota.
On one occasion, when I was the duty chaplain, I met a prisoner who had made a very serious attempt to take his own life earlier that week. Because he remained at risk, he had been placed on ‘constant watch’, meaning an officer had to observe him around the clock from outside his cell.
As I approached his cell, I realised how precious this moment was. He might not hear God’s words of hope from anyone else, and I felt the urgency of sharing that hope with him.
I discovered that faith was an important part of his life. I told him that, no matter how dark things might seem, God speaks a better word and always brings hope.
As we talked, I could sense the light returning amid the darkness he was experiencing. He seemed increasingly brighter in himself, and we ended our conversation with him asking me to pray for him. What a delight!
I think we all experience moments in prayer when God seems especially close, and we sense his presence in a particular way. For me, there’s often a weight I feel deep inside, but I had never felt it so powerfully as I did that day.
It seemed so clear to me that God deeply cared for this man and was powerfully meeting him with love, peace and fresh hope. He thanked me, and I was pleased to see a real improvement in him when I returned on duty a week later.
There’s another part of this story that I love. The officer sitting behind me during our conversation was clearly not a follower of Jesus, but later that day he came to find me. He asked if I could come and ‘do that thing I did’ with another prisoner in segregation whom the officers were struggling to reach.
I love that he had witnessed God at work that day and wanted others to experience it too!”
Please join us in praying that prisoners, their families and those who work within the criminal justice system will encounter God’s love and discover the hope he offers.
Use the button below to find out more about Prisons Week, access resources, and discover how you or your church can get involved.