ENDING MASS INCARCERATION
From the blog of Frances Crook of the Howard League for Penal Reform
The great prison experiment in the United States that started in the 1970s and saw the number of men, women and children in various forms of incarceration explode to more than 1.5 million by 2010 is, finally, coming to an end. There are lessons we in the UK can learn here about ending our obsession with jailing people. While we do not have mass incarceration on the scale of the US, we have experienced a similar pattern of growth from the 1970s when there was a prison population of around 42,000 in England and Wales. By 2015 this had to almost 86,000 men, women and children behind bars. In the US the cost of mass incarceration has sucked funding away from schools, transport, health and social justice. The criminal justice system became the social welfare agency of choice for many states. As such, it has been a spectacular failure. The reluctance of political leaders in the UK to address the relentless increase in incarceration means we cannot put an end to it. The first step to ending an addiction is admitting you have it. The Americans have learned that they have to put an end to building more prisons because they simply cannot afford it and it feeds the crime problem rather than solving it. States that have significantly reduced prison use have also seen drops in crime. There is no simple correlation between prison numbers and crime rates, and it is naïve to think that prison numbers can be reduced by reducing crime and offending. Indeed, the opposite is the case: reoffending will go down if we reduce the unnecessary use of prison.
This meeting was held on Thursday 19th May at the Central Quaker Meeting House. The arguments affirming or denying that question were put before the audience together with a more objective overview of the causes of conflict. The speakers were the Rev, Tracey Lewis of Henleaze United Reformed Church,, Don Cameron of Cameron Balloons, who is a member of Bristol Humanist Society and Dr David Leech of the Department of Religion and Philosophy at Bristol University. Each spoke for 20 minutes and questions and discussion followed. All three seemed to argue that it was difficult to affirm one way or the other. Often religion was used to stir up conflict but equally religious faith caused people to love their neighbours of different faiths or beliefs. It was a most interesting meeting, chaired by Bernard Omar.
SUBMITTED BY PAUL WHEELER
BRISTOL INTER FAITH GROUP
“Does Religion Cause Conflict?
This meeting was held on Thursday 19th May at the Central Quaker Meeting House. The arguments affirming or denying that question were put before the audience together with a more objective overview of the causes of conflict. The speakers were the Rev, Tracey Lewis of Henleaze United Reformed Church,, Don Cameron of Cameron Balloons, who is a member of Bristol Humanist Society and Dr David Leech of the Department of Religion and Philosophy at Bristol University. Each spoke for 20 minutes and questions and discussion followed. All three seemed to argue that it was difficult to affirm one way or the other. Often religion was used to stir up conflict but equally religious faith caused people to love their neighbours of different faiths or beliefs. It was a most interesting meeting, chaired by Bernard Omar.
SUSAN WILDMAN
FRENCHAY LIFE
Frenchay had a really enjoyable morning eating sausage and bacon sandwiches on Wednesday 18th May in Christian Aid week and we were able to give £22 to Christian Aid. On the same day we had our Craft session and used washi tape to make some coasters. Marie's quiz on Friday 20th was well supported and we made a profit of £167 which we are putting towards our Windows Fund. See below for some of the trickier questions and answers. We had the meeting re: forming a Book Club at Frenchay on Monday 23rd May with Bernard organising this.DIANE ROBERTS FRENCHAY QUIZ
About 24 people attended Frenchay chapel on 20th May for another of our popular fund raising quizzes. A number of local residents attended as well as Fenchay and UMB members. Teams of four people were presented with 50 questions gathered form radio and television programmes. After the questions the teams enjoyed tea, coffee and refreshments. Then the answer papers exchanged between teams for marking. The winning team was ʻThe Hereticsʼ who were presented with a large box of chocolates which they shared with the rest of the company. Over £150 was raised for the Frenchay Window Fund.
MARIE EASTMAN
Here are some of the trickier questions so ably compiled by Marie (Ed) .
1) What if the most commonly eaten meat in the world?
2) In the natural world what is Christmas island renowned for?
3) What is the largest island in Britain?
4) What to Copper and Zinc combine to make?
5) What do mountaineers eat to give them energy?
6) Where is the oldest living vine in the world?
7) What is the largest British mammal?
8) Which is the highest motorway in England?
9) Where is the Taj Mahal?
10) What is the fastest growing type of bone?
(Answers on Page 7)
WOMENʼS LEAGUE
The National Womenʼs League AGM was held on 31st March at the Birmingham Metropole Hilton, Joy Foster handed the Presidentʼs Chain of Office to the new President Janet Poole. A cheque for £6,000 was handed to Rev. Alex Bradley for Unitarian College Manchester. It was announced that the Project for 2016/17 is to be The National Deaf Childrens Society (NDCS). Louisa Moorhouse from the NDCS gave an interesting talk about the work of the Society. She was accompanied by a young mother who told us how the Society supports her and her deaf child. Our Bristol members have so far raised £100 by selling children's books. Please help with our future fundraising efforts.
SUSAN WILDMAN
DIARY FOR JUNE AND JULY 2016
UMB - Unitarian Meeting Bristol, Brunswick Square, WL - Women’s League,, IM - In Memoriam, tba - to be arranged, tbc - to be confirmed
JUNE
Wed 1st Frenchay 7.00 pm. Kundalini Movement Meditation
SUN 5th FRENCHAY 10.30 am - Mr BERNARD OMAR UMB
6.00 pm - Mr KARL STEWART
Sat 11th UMB - WESTERN UNION ANNUAL ASSEMBLY.
ATTENDED BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY, DOROTHY HEWERDINE.
Communion at 10.30 am followed by coffee and welcome.
Assembly at 11.15 am. See page 6 for programme.
SUN 12th FRENCHAY 10.30 am - Mr JOHN WILKINSON
NO CONGREGATIONAL MEETING or SERVICE AT UMB
Mon 13th Avon Council of Christians and Jews. Talk by David Arnold, ‘The Elephant in the Room’. A discussion of the Israel-Palestine conflict. Details from Bernard Omar.
SUN 19th FRENCHAY 10 am Mr WADE MILLER-KNIGHT
Service to be followed by Extraordinary Congregational Meeting. Please make every effort to attend UMB
6.00 pm SUMMER SOLSTICE SERVICE - Mr MARK STEWART
Mon 20th Group Meditation - person centred, relax into peacefulness
SUN 26th FRENCHAY 10.30 am Mr KARL STEWART
UMB 5.45 pm 4th Sunday Discussion Group: TOPIC: What happens when we die?
JULY
SUN 3rd FRENCHAY 10.30 am - Mr BERNARD OMAR
UMB 6.00 pm - Mr KARL STEWART
Wed 6th Frenchay 7.00 pm. Kundalini Movement Meditation
SUN 10th FRENCHAY 10.30 am - tba
UMB 4.00 pm - Congregational meeting NO SERVICE AT UMB
Sat 16th Frenchay Flower show. Frenchay chapel open selling tea, coffee and cakes. Tombola by Charlotte Bryant.
SUN 17th FRENCHAY 10.30 am - tba
UMB 6.00 pm - Mr WADE MILLER-KNIGHT
Mon 18th Group Meditation - person centred, relax into peacefulness
Sat 23rd UMB 2.30 pm ‘Percussion afternoon’ with Matthew Taylor’- followed by a tea. Details from Susan Wildman
SUN 24th FRENCHAY 10.30 am - tba UMB
5.45 pm 4th Sunday Discussion Group: TOPIC: What shall we do about climate change?
SUN 31st FRENCHAY 10.30 am - tba
UMB 6.00 pm - CONGREGATIONAL SERVICE
DATES FOR AUGUST
Wed 3rd Frenchay 7.00 pm. Kundalini Movement Meditation
SUN 7th FRENCHAY 10.30 am -
UMB 6.00 pm -
Mon 8th Grace Cooper’s 90th birthday
Mon 15th Group Meditation - person centred, relax into peacefulness
Sat 20th - Sat 27th. Unitarian Summer School at Hucklow, Derbyshire
PLEASE NOTE The next ʻCatch upʼ sheet covering July and August 2016 will be issued on 3rd July. Please send articles, details and dates of events and services and where possible, who will be providing the music, to both Karl and myself by Wednesday 29th June - at the latest!
PETER WILDMAN
WESTERN UNION ASSEMBLY UMB - 11th JUNE 2016
After a break of several years the Western Union Annual Assembly is returning to Bristol on 11th June. Please attend if you can and meet some of the West of England Unitarian family. After lunch the proceedings will be handed over to Dot Hewerdine, the 2016/17 GA President, who was installed at the General Assembly in Birmingham in April.
PROGRAMME 10.00 am Doors open 10.30 Communion service, led by Rev Lindy Latham
11.00 Tea/coffee
11.15 Welcome
11.30 Business meeting
1.00 pm Lunch *
2.00 Talk/Workshop by Dot Hewerdine
3.30 Service led by Dot Hewerdine,
4.00 Tea * Please bring a packed lunch
ALL AGE EVENT
Saturday 23rd July there will be an all age ʻPercussion Afternoonʼ and tea at UMB led by Matthew Richards and starting at 2.30 pm. There will a raffle and Bring and Buy table in aid of the National Deaf Childrenʼs Society. Please inform Susan if you are coming. SUSAN WILDMAN
NEWS of FRIENDS
A few weeks ago Peter and I called in on Glen Williamson and her two lovely cats. Glen has moved form her park home to a house in Harwell near Didcot where she has created a pleasant garden where she can sit.. Glenʼs medical condition has not been diagnosed but she has an adapted car and so is able to travel around. We have also visited Grace Cooper who is very comfortable in her care home, Edgecombe House at Oldland Common. Grace will be 90 on 8th August. Angela Godwin is finally walking again following a bad accident after Christmas. Angelaʼs Mother Ros Pratt will be 93 on 23rd June. I recently spoke to Sylvia Bartlett. As a Trustee she continues to take an interest in UMB and misses the ʻActionʼ but health problems make it difficult for her to attend the chapel.
SUSAN WILDMAN
ANSWERS TO MARIEʼS QUIZ QUESTIONS
1 - Goat 2 - 45 million Red Crab 3 - The Isle of Wight 4 - Brass 5 - Kendal Mint Cake 6 - Hampton Court Palace 7 - Red Deer 8 - The M62 9 - Agra, India 10 - Antler
SOCIAL ISOLATION
On Friday 26th May I attended a meeting organised by Bristol City Council (BCC) at the Future Inn, Cabot Circus to examine existing and possible contributions by faith groups to reducing social isolation. Many people, especially old people, are lonely and BCC is investigating activities which might alleviate this. There were three speakers, Mohammed El Sharif of BCC spoke on local initiatives and public health issues, Rev. Tracey Lewis of Henleaze United Reform Church spoke on faith groups and community and Adam Rees of ʻBristol Ageing Betterʼ (BAB) spoke on issues for older people and opportunities available. After each talk we discussed these issues in groups and answered questions. There will be feedback which I shall report on later. There were about 45 representatives from a variety of faith groups - and we were served a very nice buffet lunch!
SUSAN WILDMAN
ʻRITES OF PASSAGEʼ - TRAINING FOR CELEBRANTS
This is a further invitation to join this course which has already enrolled a number of Western Union members. There is a need for lay people in congregations to be trained as celebrants for Rites of Passage and the Revs Lindy Latham and Liz Birtles will be leading a course of four training sessions starting in September. Financial assistance with the cost of this course may be possible from your congregation, the Stokes Croft Educational Foundation or from The Western Union itself. Since the course was first announced two venues have been changed.
There will now be no sessions in Plymouth:
Saturday September 24 Unitarian Meeting Bristol
Saturday October 29 Venue tbc (Probably Cullompton)
Saturday November 26 Unitarian Meeting Bristol
Saturday 28 January 2017 Venue tbc (Probably Cullompton)
For full details please contact Lindy.
