Jesuit Social Services (JSS) in Australia has formed an International Jesuit Prison Network (IJPN) to facilitate collaboration and support among Jesuit organisations and individuals around the world who are working in prisons or with former prisoners.  Set up late last year, the network already has the support of all the Jesuit Conferences and various Jesuit organisations including Jesuit Networking, which has offered to assist in connecting interested people.

JSS project officer Carolyn Ryan said that there has been little collaboration or support between regions, and only ad hoc recording of the work being done in the prison ministry, and JSS saw an opportunity for collaboration in order to support the work of all who are active in this field.

The IJPN was established with a 3-fold aim. First, they hope to identify and map prison works being carried out by Jesuit organisations and individuals around the world, and connecting those involved. Second, they hope to provide a forum for sharing information, experiences and ideas, including ideas about models of practice and interventions. Third, they hope to enable collaboration on key issues and common concerns to address injustices through advocacy.

JSS chief executive Julie Edwards and JSS project officer Carolyn Ryan serve as the point persons for the Network, which recently distributed its first newsletter.

Within Asia Pacific, the Philippine Jesuit Prison Service Foundation, the Jesuit Foundation Prison Ministry in Thailand, and of course Jesuit Social Services, are members of the new network.  

The Jesuit Foundation Prison Ministry in Thailand recently released its annual report for 2013. Established in October 1991, it caters to roughly 1,560 prisoners and 150 patients in prison hospitals in the country. 

Read IJPN’s first newsletter here.

To find out more about the International Jesuit Prison Network, contact Carolyn at Carolyn.ryan@jss.org.au.

Read the 2013 annual report of the Jesuit Foundation Prison Ministry in Thailand here.