The Catholic Bishop of Darwin says chaplains have been unable to deliver church services since November at the Northern Territory’s largest prison. Bishop Charles Gauci has written to the NT government on behalf of the territory Catholic clergy, calling for greater access to help prisoner rehabilitation.
In a letter to Chief Minister Lia Finocchiaro and Corrections Minister Gerard Maley, on behalf of the NT Catholic clergy, Bishop Charles Gauci said Catholic chaplains were facing “significant obstacles” reaching prisoners.
“While we understand the pressure within the justice system, we believe the current lack of accessibility for chaplaincy services is both a practical and moral concern,” he said.
Father Dan Benedetti said his team of volunteers had been unable to provide church services at Darwin Correctional Centre in Holtze since November.
“This for me is quite distressing and heartbreaking, because it’s highly valued — the opportunity for men and women to come together, to share their issues and their problems, to pray for their families, to pray for their futures,” he said.
The territory’s prison population has risen by more than 500 since the Country Liberal Party was elected at last year’s territory election, with a record 2,768 people incarcerated as of Friday.
To accommodate the rising incarceration rate, prisoners have been kept in police watch houses, while the government has also expanded capacity at Alice Springs Correctional Centre and reopened a second adult prison in the Darwin suburb of Berrimah.
Corrections Commissioner Matthew Varley said the increase in prisoners, lockdowns and staff shortages had impacted the delivery of several programs at the territory’s correctional centres.
“We’ve been persistently under pressure … and that has resulted in disruptions to not only the chaplaincy program but to other rehabilitation programs, our education and training programs, and also our employment [programs],” he said.
“We know that the prison needs to be reactivated, re-engaged and unlocked again, that’s what we’re working hard to do.”
Bishop Gauci said the pastoral care provided by chaplains was “a vital element in the path toward rehabilitation and healing”.
Photo shows PMC watch house interior 2PMC watch house interior 2
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“The absence of this care can have serious implications — not just for the individuals in custody, but for their families, communities and ultimately for the long-term safety and wellbeing of our society,” he said.
“This is about building safer and more compassionate communities, and about offering the opportunity for transformation to those who are ready to receive it.
“A necessary step in this is restoring reliable access for chaplains and pastoral teams to visit prisoners and for church services.”
Religious freedoms of prisoners were also being restricted by the chaplain lockout, Bishop Gauci said.
“I don’t think it’s intentional or deliberate, but certainly it is doing that,” he said.
Mr Maley said the lack of access for chaplains was “not ideal, but being in prison is not an ideal place”.
