The prison work of Day One Christian Ministries

Chaplains and Prisoners Comments

Here are a few videos

Video One

Video Two

Video Three

Video Four

Below are the voices of several chaplains from different HMP prisons. The thoughts that these chaplains present are just a few of many positive responses to the diaries.

Letter 1

I have been in the Prison Fellowship for over 30 years and attend prison meetings regularly. I endorse your diaries wholeheartedly. Recently a man told me he looks up the Bible verses and uses a Bible as well.

Thank you for your email and for all the years DayOne have faithfully supplied us with diaries.  They make a big difference to the men, especially because here at HMP Castle Huntly they are at the end of their sentences and are expected to take more responsibility.  They aren’t shouted for appointments and escorted to them.  They have to remember about them and get themselves there.  So the diaries are very useful.

We’d be glad to have 200 again

Hello, Thank you, thank you, thank you (x 1,000,000,000,000) for our diaries. You have no   idea how much it means to us.

           They are a great way of being able to offer a small practical and good quality gift to everyone, and of course they help us to make the gospel visible to everyone in an appropriate way.

I wanted to thank you for your kindness in sending us diaries for the 1300 people in our care who are resident with us. Every year, as we get into December, the whole chaplaincy team starts to be asked when the diaries will be available, & it is great to be able to tell people that they will be sent out a couple of days before Christmas Day. We are able to combine the diaries with a signed Christmas card provided by the Mothers’ Union, a selection of 15 or so chocolates provided by churches in the…area & a calendar provided by another Christian mission. Packing everything into an individually addressed envelope & then distributing them to each wing so that everybody gets their envelope at the right time is, as I am sure you can imagine, a bit of a challenge, but it’s one that is very worthwhile, as the response from our residents is always one of thanks, with people asking that their appreciation be passed on to those who supplied the items. So thank you from us all.

The majority of prisoners who take the diaries are not Christians, so it is an amazing way to put the word of God in front of them day by day.

Diaries are the most asked for item from prisoners and are always appreciated. We give one to every prisoner with a Christmas card and they are greatly anticipated. They are well used and upon visiting cells, they are often in sight and I can tell that they are full of notes. They are an effective tool in evangelism and a point of contact with the Chaplaincy.

Diaries are always very well received and very much sought after. Whenever we go on a Unit we are always besieged by prisoners wanting one! It is a very positive link with the Chaplaincy and one that has become part of prison tradition.

Importantly, the prisoners depend on them [diaries], and use them all the time, whether they are Christians or not. It is a real service and act of witness to them.

Thank you for this year’s diaries, they are going quicker than the mince pies.

As a minister who is new to the prison chaplaincy (4 months at the time of writing this) I have been amazed at the rate at which prisoners accept diaries. We always have a stock of diaries available with various leaflets at the chapel for prisoners to take one. But the real surprise for me has been with regard to the response from the first night guys. Once I have asked them how they are, told them about the various worship services on offer and told them that chaplains are good at listening, I then ask if they would like a diary. They are always eagerly received as being very useful for putting dates and phone numbers in. I have had one “no thank you” and have given out a few hundred. It is nice to be going round giving away something that is appreciated by the men. Many thanks to DayOne Christian Ministries for help and support.

The men really appreciate the diary and we’re glad to have this to give to them not just for its own usefulness but as a sign that Christian people on the outside care about them and pray for them.

The pictures are so well chosen and give the prisoners a connection to the world of nature that they are deprived of – and the verses encourage daily connection with God – giving support and encouragement.

Thank you and bless you for all you do for us; your diaries are so popular we seem to be getting through them this year. So can we have a few more for 2017?

We REALLY value them [the diaries] in this prison and are very grateful for the support for our ministry and the help and encouragement given to prisoners by this gift.

Thank you very much for what you do for us, and for the generosity of others who provide the means for the diaries to come to us each year.

They [the diaries] are eagerly awaited by the prisoners. I can tell you that the quality of the product and the helpful guidelines are so much appreciated by those of all faiths and none. They bring a useful diary with colourful pictures of scenes that no prisoner has a chance of seeing, in some cases for many years, if ever again. Please continue your faithful life changing ministry to the prison service.

The diaries are well asked for across the prison; in addition to giving them out at Christmas time, we give out a copy to all new Inductions through the course of the year – hence our high number. May God continue to richly bless you in all that you do.

Just a note to thank you for the diaries; people in prison are always looking for them, so if you have some extra ones, they would be very welcome. Thanking you in anticipation.

Men will often arrive at the Chapel and their first question is ‘Have you got any of those diaries?’! So yes please we would like our 3000 diaries…