Preventing the “Neutral” Chaplain?

Abstract

The value and contribution of prison chaplaincy is investigated in seven prisons in England and Wales. The “neutral” chaplain is identified as a key element of the narrative of contemporary chaplaincy co-constructed by chaplains, prisoners and staff. It is argued that the “neutrality” of the chaplain is, in part, aligned with contemporary norms of respecting diversity and offering equality of opportunity. The relationship between the “neutrality” of the prison chaplain and a second public policy frame – preventing “extremism” and “radicalisation” as part of a wider response to terrorism is examined. It is argued that the “Prevent Strategy” is in danger of compromising the perceived “neutrality” of the chaplain, which offers the wrong kind of “security” – confidential “safe” space in which people can be human; rather than the very different desired “safety” of identifying, assessing and minimising the risk of “extremism.”

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