Adopt-a-cell

The ‘Adopt-a-cell’ project is being run by the Prison Chaplaincy Service of Aotearoa New Zealand (PCSANZ) in conjunction with Caritas.

The Salvation Army’s representative on the PSCANZ Board is Major Graham Rattray. ‘Prison visitation and court ministries have been significant parts of The Salvation Army’s work since our beginnings,’ he says. ‘The recent growth explosion of our prison populations calls for an even greater response—and the Adopt-a-cell prayer project is an excellent way to do something.

The Power of Prayer

‘Remember the power of 24/7 Prayer, how Salvationists from corps and social programmes were galvanised through a shared commitment to prayer? 24/7 Prayer must surely be seen as a turning point for The Salvation Army as we sought God’s will and power for our movement. We know prayer works, and so I’d encourage Salvationists to sign up for Adopt-a-cell. Pray that New Zealand prison cells become a source of grace, conversion and redemption for prisoners.’

Kilian de Lacy is the PCSANZ spokesperson for Adopt-a-cell. She says, ‘Many of us are familiar with Matthew chapter 25, where Jesus says unequivocally: “I was in prison and you visited me.” Most Christians are not able to “visit” a prison in the physical sense, but we can all pray!’

Those who get involved in Adopt-a-cell receive a prayer card naming a particular cell in a specific unit of a New Zealand prison. While the identities of prisoners are not shared, Jesus, who knows what it is like to be in prison, knows each individual by name—and loves them with an undying love.

As well as praying for present and past occupants of their assigned cell, people are asked to pray for the families and victims of prisoners, the chaplains who minister to prisoners, and all who staff New Zealand prisons.

The Financial and Social Cost

Says Kilian, ‘In this country, we are constantly being told that, in the interests of our safety, we must lock up those who break the law for longer and longer periods and, preferably, “throw away the key”. The result is huge numbers of people housed in more and more prisons at immense cost—financially and socially—to all of us.

‘It is not enough for us as Christians to simply shake our heads at the ever-increasing levels of violence in our society. It is not enough to consign those who commit the violence to prison and forget about them. In due course, most prisoners will have served their time and be released. Do we want them just to pick up where they left off and go back to jail, or do we want them to find redemption during their time in custody?

‘We are in a position to help this come about. Prayer is stronger than chains and prison bars. So let’s do it! Let’s reform our prison population by prayer.’

• To join the Adopt-a-cell prayer team, contact Kilian de Lacy, p: (04) 381 3340; PO Box 9, Wellington 6140; or e: Kilian