An activity of the Church, especially a pastoral activity ...

Humane Detention: Blind Spot or Hot Spot for Prison Chaplaincy?
Workshop IPCA 2012 / Ryan van Eijk / Centre Prison Pastoral Studies / Tilburg University

An activity of the Church, especially a pastoral activity, betrays the Gospel
when its results are only uncomplaining and system stabilizing.

Leading questions:

1. Why is humane detention an issue for Christian Pastoral Prison Care
(CPPC)?

2. What is Humane detention?

3. How to realize Humane detention?

1. Why is humane detention an issue for CPPC?

Christian Prison Pastoral Care (CPPC) concerns the spiritual, mental, physical
and social aspects of detainees.

Its foundation is mercy and justice, and this is also its focus. CPPC starts from
the fundamental belief that God is concerned a- with this world which is
believed is his creation and b- with us, his people. That is why the Christian
God is a personal God, a God of Covenant.

CPPC is about passion: the passion to be touched and moved by the needs
and misery of others. This passion is the starting point of all pastoral
speaking and acting, but this passion is not obvious (cfr the story of the
merciful Samaritan).

Jesus as the incarnation of God’s love for us shows what this passion means:
to look after our neighbor, who is -just as we are- a little, vulnerable sinner,
whether detained or not.

This other, our neighbor, our fellow (wo)man is created as imago dei, image
of God, with an inherent dignity. (cfr Ps 8:5-7 and Gen 1:27)

CPPC and Christian ethics start with facts and reality –the here and now- but
at the end tries to bring nearer God’s Kingdom, which is but not yet. CPPC
and Christian ethics invite to move in that direction, to change our life. In

Humane Detention: Blind Spot or Hot Spot for Prison Chaplaincy?
Workshop IPCA 2012 / Ryan van Eijk / Centre Prison Pastoral Studies / Tilburg University

this way CPPC is an invitation, or should I say a provocation (to call
forward?), a provocation for metanoia.

When we really believe that our God is concerned about us and when we
say that we are concerned, we have to do something when noticing
injustice or disrespectful treatment or punishment. But this is difficult for
the situation in a prison is difficult and as chaplains/ministers we can be
double bounded:

Prison chaplain vs civil servant

state vs God’s creation

citizen vs human being

safety vs sanctify

law vs Christian ethics

2. Human dignity is about many things and has many definitions. Here I
want to reduce it to 3 keywords Treatment, Limitation of limitations,
and Prespective

a- Treatment: al human needs: spiritual, mental, physical, social

b- Limitation of the limitations: not more limitations than strictly
necessary for a safe detention

c- Perspective: a future of belonging to expressed in opportunity for
rehabilitation, metanoia, change of life

Article 1 UN Declaration HR
“All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights.”
Article 7 Convention political and civil rights
No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading
treatment or punishment.
Art 10 section 1. All persons deprived of their liberty shall be treated with
humanity and with respect for the inherent dignity of the human person.
Article 3 ECHR

Humane Detention: Blind Spot or Hot Spot for Prison Chaplaincy?
Workshop IPCA 2012 / Ryan van Eijk / Centre Prison Pastoral Studies / Tilburg University

“No one shall be subjected to torture or to inhuman or degrading treatment or
punishment.”

3. Humane detention: How to realize?

Legal Complain Procedure
Consulting (Ethical Commission)
Training of staff
Monitoring of actions
Informing CPT etc.

Questions for Exchange

1- In which way is in your country the human dignity of detainees guaranteed?
If it is guaranteed, in which way? If not, what would be necessary?

2- Describe the current role of pc concerning humane detention in your
country/prison ? What could or should be improved?