Prison chaplaincy a rewarding labour of love for Alison
Within the fabric of society, few places elicit emotions as potent as a prison. But what unfolds within the restrictive walls? Salvos Online journalist LERISSE SMITH gained special access to Melbourne’s female maximum security prison to meet with Salvation Army Prison Chaplain Major Alison Platt. Alison’s mission transcends the mere confines of incarceration – it is illuminating pathways to hope, healing, forgiveness and renewal. And through her fervent commitment to supporting women in jail, Alison uplifts spirits and reinstates dignity in a place no one wishes to dwell.
Waking up each morning and heading off to prison is pure joy for Alison.
“I absolutely love it,” she says with a big smile while enjoying a cuppa.
“It is the favourite ministry I have ever had. I just love being with the women and talking with them and seeing if there is a way I can help them because the women will come to me, or the prison workers will come to me and say, ‘What can we do about this?’, and often I have a solution. It is about being real and effecting positive change.”
Working with prisoners at the Dame Phyllis Frost Centre, a female maximum-security prison in Melbourne’s outer west, has been a labour of love for Alison during the past nine years, both in a full-time and reliever capacity. It has provided a unique opportunity to pour hope and help into the lives of women who often feel hopeless, helpless, rejected and despised.
Meet Alison in person, and she’s friendly, personable and shines bright amongst the prisoners with her beloved red Salvos cardigan representing a warm welcome.
While countless people have asked the chaplain why she would work in such an environment, she is adamant prison is where she is meant to be. And dispelling preconceived notions about incarcerated women is important when talking about her work.
“People think prison is like the television shows Prisoner or Wentworth,” Alison reflected. “They think it is all these tough women shaving other women’s heads and all that sort of thing, and that they are all in rooms with bars, and it is all very institutionalised. But it is just not correct. Prison is a grim place indeed, but not like the concrete blocks and bars seen on TV.”
So, what is the main reason women go to prison?
“A huge percentage have been sexually abused, coerced and been victims of family violence,” Alison said. “Some of them have been through such horrific stuff. They have been beaten, coerced, and so, in retaliation against these situations, they have found themselves incarcerated. In the first month that I was at the prison, I would come home and say, ‘Bloody men!’ Everybody seemed to have a man at the base of why they were there for some reason.”
Path to prison
The path to becoming a prison chaplain was simple – the Salvos specifically sought her out for the role. A friend worked in the prison sector and suggested to Alison that she would excel in the role, and the rest, as they say, is history.
Her foray into being a chaplain began in 2007 after being a corps officer for 10 years with her husband. Alison mostly served at the Melbourne Magistrates Court in the custody centre, apart from two years at The Bridge Alcohol and Other Drugs (AOD) Centre in St Kilda, before arriving at the Dame Phyllis Frost Centre.
Journeying with the women in prison as opposed to just being with them before and after a court appearance had great appeal.
“I can work with the prisoners and help them in a positive way and often see real change,” Alison said. “What has shaped my work with the women includes my own life experiences, growing up in a working family, becoming a single mother, as well as my education, including being a teacher and having a Master’s in Counselling. I find it all helps when working with the prisoners, including issues such as grief and anger.”
Her role as chaplain has two key components – chaplaincy and welfare. A key element of her chaplaincy work is the coffee, tea and chat group she runs each Tuesday morning from 9.30am to 11am. Alison convenes an informal group for any prisoner to meet in the prison chapel on the facility grounds.
With tea and coffee-making facilities and a private semi-circular courtyard garden, the key to the group is women feeling comfortable in the space to be themselves and accepted without judgement.
One activity that leads to a myriad of conversations is Pass the Salt, a card game that prompts the group to chat about life topics such as people, relationships, ideas, justice and the environment.
Sometimes, the conversations are serious; other times, there are laughs. And while being a chaplain does not include leading church services, Bible verses are shared, and prayers are offered anytime they are requested.
Also drawing much attention and comfort for the women is a poster on the chapel wall depicting a picture of Jesus with an accompanying verse from Matthew 24:40: “Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.”
Positive Lifestyle Program
Alison’s welfare work encompasses many tasks, from linking the prisoners with other Salvation Army services, corps and welfare organisations for practical and material aid to working with their case managers.
Effecting positive change for the prisoners amidst often their personal pain, loneliness and isolation is also a top priority. Running The Salvation Army’s Positive Lifestyle Program (PLP) for those prisoners who want to participate has been a great success for Alison, with the course covering eight key topics, including self-awareness, anger, depression and loneliness, stress, grief and loss, assertiveness, self-esteem, and future direction.
The course covers topics the prisoners often have not explored previously and gives the chaplain the ideal opportunity to nurture their emotional wellbeing and speak hope into their future.
“The vast majority come from extremely difficult backgrounds,” Alison said. “They did not set out to commit a crime – it is generally generational poverty, or abuse, or desperation, or knowing no other … some women will say they ran off with a bad crowd and didn’t know how to get away from that. Some even go back to the bad crowd because they would rather be with people they know than alone. Others will also find themselves in desperate circumstances, maybe not knowing how to pay off a debt, so will run drugs for someone.”
A big priority for the chaplaincy work is also talking with the prisoners about choices – for them to stop and think before they do something and to think through their actions.
Forgiveness is always a main challenge.
“Forgiving themselves for mistakes they have made is huge,” Alison reflected. “I will say to them, ‘You are being punished for what you did wrong, but not for who you are – you need to let it go’. They keep beating themselves up day after day after day. The guilt is awful. They will say, ‘How could God forgive me?’ Well, can you forgive yourself? Because God has already forgiven you.”
Alison’s faith and spiritual beliefs influence her approach to work.
“I always think that, in looking at the women, I’m looking into the eyes of Jesus,” she said. “And that came from when I worked in the courts. I was in the custody centre, and you would look at mainly men through a small letterbox opening. They would come down and tell you what they needed. My predecessor used to talk about serving the weak, wounded, and weary.”
Special events
A key highlight and source of joy for Alison is remembering the children of the prisoners. She delights in giving these children (aged 12 and under) birthday presents with the gifts donated from the annual Salvation Army Christmas Appeal.
Her trips to Sunshine Salvos in Melbourne’s west to pick up a birthday present, which she will post or hand deliver, is extra special. The prison undertakes all the checks to ensure there are no orders preventing contact, and the mothers will write their own messages on cards Alison provides to them.
Other memorable moments have been commemorating special events with the prisoners.
Alison recalled watching a special funeral service with someone whose brother had passed away. She lit a special candle to remember him and served a special cup of tea.
On another occasion, the chaplain organised bedding for a grandmother caring for her three grandchildren under six while mum was in prison. The grandmother and children all slept in one bed before receiving the assistance.
Loneliness a big issue
Witnessing prisoners endure hardships is an inherent aspect of the chaplain's duties. For those leaving prison, the biggest issue is housing and leaving with no possessions or suitable clothing. It presents an ethical and moral dilemma for Alison.
“When you know that people are being released into homelessness, it’s really difficult,” Alison said. “There are many who often go into homelessness; they may go into emergency shelters or couch surfing. Others have nowhere to go … only about 50 per cent of prisoners have support from family and friends. The great challenge is loneliness. It is huge. That is why some people come back to prison because they have a community. I know that when I worked at the custody centre, people would try to get arrested near Christmas because they would have family (fellow prisoners) and Christmas food.
“Now, people want to come here (the prison) because it’s warm, and they have a bed, a roof over their head. It is just the reality.”
With Alison preparing to retire in the coming months to enjoy the much-awaited birth of her grandchild, the women won’t be far from her mind.
“I just love it when they give me a hug,” she said. “And I look forward to a cuppa with ex-prisoners if they want to make contact.”
And Alison remains a firm believer in hope for all incarcerated women.
“Hope is a hard thing to have, and a hard thing to keep, especially when you are being released with nothing and no set place to go,” Alison said. “But I passionately believe there is hope and a future for each woman because Jeremiah 29:11 inspires me and is my favourite verse. It says, ‘For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future’.
“The ultimate value of being a chaplain is showing that you care, and through that, that God cares.”
Clothing appeal for female prisoners on release, click here
Ex-prisoner finds ‘freedom’ in chaplaincy support, click here
