Prison Ministry India is a National Voluntary Organization, recognized by the CBCI to work for the release, renewal and rehabilitation of prisoners.
About : From their Website :
“Be a love Bomb, Let it be exploded, not to kill, But to heal the broken hearts”
This small sentence is the seed of Prison Ministry India. On 8th December 1981, our founders named Varghese Karippery and Francis Kodiyan, (Philosophy Students in St Thomas apostolic Seminary, Vadavathoor, Kottayam), had been entrusted with the weekly office for attending the phone calls.
While they had been on duty, they encountered a special intervention of God, who bestows them with a special gift to work for the least, the last and the lost; followed by a powerful message from the crucifix that invites every person to become a Love-bomb to heal the broken hearts. On Calvary, the death of Jesus was really an explosion of a super dynamic Love Bomb. The person who dropped the Love bomb has been broken in to pieces but won life for others. If Jesus is a Super-Dynamic Love Bomb, we should at least become a dynamic Love Bomb. This powerful insight began to pester our every movements and thoughts. Bro. Francis asked himself “How can I become a Love Bomb to explode love in to the lives of several broken hearted? Subsequently, they formed a group and began to raise their hearts to God through the intercessory prayers, for the least, the last and lost. Every afternoon, as it is reported, they used to sit before the Blessed Sacrament and pray for the different groups of dejected and despondent people such as alcoholics, prisoners, sick, drug-addicts, slum dwellers, and others.
On 1st of July 1985, when they had been given an opportunity for field-experience, Bro. Francis pinpointed an apt title for the presuming board named ‘Prison Fellowship India’. Consequently they entered the office of Prison Fellowship and Mr. John Kurian explained about the Prison ministry.
They came back to the seminary and shared Prison Ministry experiences. After their inspirational sharing, Bro. Jose Kochuparambil suggested to immediately animate a Jail ministry program during summer holidays. For the same prison pilgrimage, they formed a group of eight brothers and three Fathers. With the inception of chain prayer and fasting for six months began on September 1985, the ministry started to leave a legacy of abrupt change in the lives of several convicted and under trials.Each one took up responsibly for four jails among the thirty-nine jails of Kerala for special prayer. March 1st, 1986, has left an indelible mark in the history of the Prison ministry India with inception of a prison pilgrimage to the Kerala prisons accompanied by a small-orchestrated program, which conveyed the powerful message of Jesus. This same pilgrimage encouraged the prisoners to develop a new vision and mission in their life. Many of them had reportedly experienced great peace and joy. They could clearly understand the great need and the relevance of this ministry in today’s world.
Usually it is said ‘once in jail, always in jail’. A released prisoner can be trapped at any time under suspicious circumstances therefore their life is still at risk and insecure in spite of their release.
Prison pilgrimage was really an eye-opener for them, for they learnt to rely on the providence of God as the only resource for an effective Jail ministry. And that was exactly the reason why this movement bore the name ‘Jesus Fraternity’. Whenever we go in Jesus name, prison gates are getting opened for us because only Jesus can work miracles among the prisoners. During the Christmas season on 1985, they had collected some addresses of prisoners and sent Christmas greeting cards to them. And they too have received reply cards from the prisoners in time. Interestingly one person among them had posted the biggest Christmas card which read as follows; “Dear loving Brother, I have been living here in this prison for the last six years. Nobody has written a single letter to me ever since my entry inside. And today I realize that there is somebody who loves me and prays for me.”
The group continued to pray for the construction of a renewal and rehabilitation centre for the effective prison apostolate. This dream came true on October 1991 with the purchase of 11 acres of land for the rehabilitation centre, earned laboriously out of begging from several philanthropic people all over Kerala. We accept the released prisoners whole-heartedly irrespective of what caste and creed they belong. No recommendation is required, and they have the freedom to move in and move out. If someone stays there for six months for mental adjustment, they are being helped in various ways such as, re-integration with the family, society, seeking jobs for them from other activities.
Vision 2023
We shall release, renew, rehabilitate prisoners and reform prisons, facilitate social re-integration, ensure congruent function of government systems and structures for the amelioration of victims, offenders, society, government authorities, families of victims and offenders; which we shall attain by having committed volunteers, priests, religious and laity, conducting need based training, creating sensitivity in government authorities, facilitating empowerment, appropriately using philanthropic people, praying, using scientific research tools, follow up programmes, creating social awareness, planning and executing meticulous preventive measures, conducting regular and holistic counselling, providing legal assistance and use networking to ensure that the prisons are renamed as repentance retreat centres, prisoners are empowered and called repentance retreat citizens, government officials become welcoming and government systems and structures are streamlined and efficient to attain the restoration of complete human dignity in society.
Mission – 2016
We shall be present in all prisons, create awareness in priests, religious and laity, ensure full cooperation and support from government and other related organisations, increase the ratio of Prison Ministry Indiastaff to prisoners and establish rehabilitation centres in all states to ensure the amelioration of victims, offenders, government authorities, families of victims and offenders, priest, religious, laity, public relationship officers of PMI, seminarians and formation house; which we shall attain by orientating them, optimal use of media, creating awareness of Prison Ministry Indiaand its efforts, conducting need based training, creating sensitivity in government authorities, facilitating empowerment, using scientific research tools, conducting regular and holistic counselling and using networking and social media to ensure increased and quantified efficiency and effectiveness for Prison Ministry India such that Prison Ministry India becomes a brand.
Values
– Congruent
– Creativeness
– Endurance
– Expertise
– Zeal
– Be present
– Celebrate
Departments – http://prisonministryindia.org/departments.php
How are we different?
We are different in the way we approach.
Our core intent is to transform each prison into a resource centre and be able to use the collective pool of knowledge. This in turn will facilitate others to take the first step in treating them with respect.
Once a person is behind bars he is in an ecosystem of its own, we intend to facilitate this ecosystem into becoming a place where one can truly understand ones self and work on becoming one with self.
On 1st of July 1985, when they had been given an opportunity for field-experience, Bro. Francis pinpointed an apt title for the presuming board named ‘Prison Fellowship India’. Consequently they entered the office of Prison Fellowship and Mr. John Kurian explained about the Prison ministry. To attain the above we have undertaken a 5 integrated silos module.
– Prisoners (under trial and convicted, juvenile and adult, Men, women and transgender)
– Prisoners family
– Victims family
– Prison ecosystem and officials
– Community
All the 5 modules facilitate in the reformation of the prisoner and the environment surrounding the crime.
Milestones:
Year 1986 :
– It had its first roots paved in the year 1986
– Registered as a National Body in the year 1995 under Societies Registration Act No. ER 375.
– We have a network of around 6000 volunteers who have very enthusiastically committed their expertise and energy into bringing about hope and quality of life in to the lives of so many hopeless and helpless prisoners in our society.
– PMI has grown widely over 850 branches all over India. There are hundreds of well-wishers fully or partially involved in this noble task
– On 8th December 1981, our founders named Varghese Karippery and Francis Kodiyan, (Philosophy Students in St Thomas apostolic Seminary, Vadavathoor, Kottayam), had been entrusted with the weekly office for attending the phone calls.
Year 2012 –
– On 25th of May 2012 we revived the research centre with a name Kolbe reformative Research Department with Fr. Rajeshekhar as the director of the department and Sr. Maria DC as Secretary.
– The quarters at prison compound was reoccupied by prison ministry volunteers on 2nd of July, 2012.
– Inorder to make the activities of prison ministry a two days workshop was conducted on 23 and 24th of January, 2013 for the executive body members along with a few members of long lasting service experience in prison ministry. We try to make the ministry more systematic, steady, and ever moving without loosing its mission and vision of organization who ever may be at various post of Prison Ministry India.
– On 1st of October 2014 Prison Ministry India was made as a separate desk under Justice Peace and Development Commission in Catholic Bishops Conference of India (CBCI) and appointed Fr. –
Sebastian Vadakumpadan as the first Secretary to the desk of Prison Ministry India.
– Prison Ministry India conducted its 11th national conference from 22nd to the 25 of October 2014 at Faridabad, Haryana (Delhi).
– International board meeting of International Commission of Catholic Prison Pastoral Care (ICCPPC) was conducted in India from 18th to 26th of October 2014, along with the national conference of Prison Ministry India.
The history never ends…………
