Re-invocation or metamorphosis: the role of chaplains in a young offenders' institution

The aim of the paper is to re-examine the role of Prison Chaplain in the contemporary prison regime and specifically their work with young offenders. One type of prison chaplains’ re-invocation or is it metamorphosis? known as Community Chaplaincy is evaluated; and the claims that services provided in this form enables resettlement; is restorative and in particular, leads to young offenders desisting from crime are assesses from an evaluation of one such community chaplaincy project The paper provides a short reappraisal of the role of prison chaplains in Prisons. It also traces its involvement and contribution to the new ‘Community Chaplaincy’. One such project that operates in a Young Offenders Institution (YOI) provides a case study to discuss the main aims of Community Chaplaincy in Britain. Data gathered from a three month evaluation of this one community chaplaincy project is utilised to identify services and outputs of the project. Additionally, transcripts from interviews with young people who have used the service, a focus group of volunteers and observations during the evaluation contribute to determining how far ‘community chaplaincy’ satisfies the criteria for desistence as outlined by Maruna (2000) and others. The conclusions thus far are that ‘faith’ as agency in resettlement is present but desistance remains unproven