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Chaplaincy staff at Long Lartin prison will attend a service at Worcester Cathedral on Sunday to mark the start of Prisons’ Week.

Prisons’ Week is an annual event organised by the Christian community to encourage prayer for prisoners, their families, victims and those who care for them.

The special service will take place in the Cathedral on Sunday 16 November at 6.30pm. A new hymn, written by England’s foremost hymn writer, Bishop Timothy Dudley-Smith, will be performed for the first time during this service. Prayers and testimonies from prisoners at Long Lartin will also be read out.

The event will be a chance to remember those who are imprisoned around the world, and pray for their rehabilitation. It is also an occasion to pay tribute to the chaplaincy staff and community volunteers of all faiths, who provide support to offenders across the prison estate.

Managing Chaplain at Long Lartin prison, Kevin Downham, said:

I’m delighted that we have the opportunity to raise the profile of the work that prison chaplains are doing around the country to support prisoners. I also want to pay tribute to the tremendous support we get from volunteers in the Worcester and Hereford area, who are giving up their time to help these offenders turn their lives around.

A spokesperson for the Ministry of Justice (MOJ) said:

Chaplaincy teams have a key role to play in educating prisoners about faith. Prison Chaplaincy is, and will continue to be, inclusive and multi faith, and all prisons have a team of chaplains from a wide range of traditions to meet the needs of their population.

Notes to editors

1. Prisons’ Week began in England and Wales in 1975. Originally it began as a Roman Catholic initiative before gaining ecumenical support. Prisons’ Week 2014 begins Sunday 16 November.
2. Long Lartin is a Category A prison in Evesham, Worcestershire.
3. For more information on the announcement contact the MOJ press office on 020 3334 3546 or Kevin Downham, Managing Chaplain at HMP Long Lartin on 07799 768097.