New humanist pastoral carer appointed at HMP Highpoint

HMP Highpoint has appointed a paid humanist pastoral carer, making them the third paid humanist pastoral carer in a prison in the UK. Tony Carter, a trained and accredited member of the Non-Religious Pastoral Support Network (NRPSN), has been hired to provide sessional pastoral care as part of the chaplaincy team. 

This means that non-religious prisoners at HMP Highpoint can now request and be provided with a non-religious pastoral carer, in the same way that a religious prisoner can access care from a chaplain. Pastoral care provides prisoners with support when they are facing difficulties such as bereavement, family issues, worries about life in or out of prison, or when they just need a compassionate listening ear. 

Non-religious pastoral care is support that encompasses the emotional, moral, ethical, and existential aspects of life. It is grounded in a non-religious outlook and non-religious pastoral carers provide support to people in hospitals, hospices, prisons, and universities. As part of its support of the expanding NRPSN, Humanists UK works to increase provision across all sectors, and in every part of the UK.

Director of Humanist Care Clare Elcombe Webber commented:

‘I am delighted to be able to congratulate Tony on his new role as a paid pastoral carer at HMP Highpoint. Our network of carers do incredibly important work helping prisoners, family, and their staff in challenging circumstances. His appointment is a reflection of his hard work and dedication’

It is unfortunately the case however that the vast majority of prisons are still without any form of non-religious pastoral care, discriminating against the non-religious in prisons. We at Humanists UK are continuing to work on ensuring that every prison is able to provide non-religious pastoral support to its prisoners.’

Tony Carter commented:

‘In doing this work, we acknowledge that, although prisoners may have made mistakes, they are still people like us and deserve to be treated with kindness and respect. Many need support to help them cope with their time inside. So I find it fulfilling when they are grateful for a listening ear, feel better for sharing their worries or when we can have a laugh together. In my day and a half per week at the prison, I work with any prisoner or specifically with non-religious prisoners when they ask me for help. I also run a monthly group for them. It is very heart-warming to be working within a team of dedicated chaplains at HMP Highpoint, who are supportive and we all get on well together.’

About non-religious pastoral care in prisons

Non-religious prisoners can be isolated by the lack of like minded support available to them, choosing not to engage with the religious provision on offer. Often they have issues which are designated as legal or health related but are often also in need of supplementary pastoral care, especially in cases involving bereavement or other personal difficulties. Similar to the provision in hospitals, family members of prisoners and prison staff are able to access our service and receive support.

Unfortunately, research has shown that the non-religious are being discriminated against in UK prisons in terms of pastoral care. Non-religious prisoners do not have the same access to pastoral services as religious prisoners. Currently, only approximately 10% of prisons have non-religious pastoral carers, with only three paid carers in UK prisons and the rest volunteers. Volunteers are inherently at a disadvantage compared to paid carers due to their lack of pay. This is exacerbated as many managing chaplains act as ‘gatekeepers’ controlling volunteer access to prisoners.

Humanists UK campaign to make non-religious pastoral care available in all prisons. In January, it welcomed the UK Government’s announcement that it intends to launch a new Chaplaincy Faith and Belief Forum to replace His Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS)’s Chaplaincy Council, which will include humanists from the outset.