RESIDENTS from HMP Castle Huntly were recently invited to share their prison experiences as part of a series of events run by the Archdiocese of St. Andrews and Edinburgh Caritas, Justice and Peace Commission.
The ‘View From Within’ conference was organised by Canon Brian Gowans, former Chaplaincy Adviser to the SPS, as a way of supporting prisoners and their families.
Three men from Castle Huntly, Alastair, Ian and David, were invited to speak about how they had found life in prison, what their hopes were for the future, and what help they may need from the community.
They each recounted their experiences in front of over 40 parishioners from churches across the Archdiocese and gave honest, thoughtful and articulate accounts of their journeys.
Fellow speakers included Prof. Nancy Louckes, Director of Families Outside, Rev Kenny McGeachie, SPS National Chaplaincy Advisor (Roman Catholic) and Canon Brian Gowans, Head of the Justice and Peace Commission on behalf of the Archbishop.
Following their presentations, the men joined all the speakers for a question and answer session and accounted for themselves exceptionally well.
After the event, Rev Kenny McGeachie said: “The men were all really articulate and thoughtful in the way they expressed themselves, without being critical or disapproving. They each spoke eloquently and from their hearts about how prison has affected them, and especially their family lives.
“They were appreciative of what the prison is trying to do, and appreciative of the efforts made for them by prison staff in difficult circumstances. They spoke with understanding and wisdom about the realities of prison life."
The men themselves were grateful for the opportunity to talk about their prison experiences and the support they received from officers.
One said: “It was heartening to be so welcomed and gratifying to be appreciated by a non-judgemental audience.”
HMP Castle Huntly Chaplain, Anne Stewart, said: “After the event each man came separately to thank me at great length in person. I explained to them all that it was them that were doing US a favour and we were thanking THEM, not the other way around. They all felt heard.”