Prisoners’ Sunday in 2025 falls on Sunday 12th October, and marks the start of Prisons Week, a national week of prayer for those affected by imprisonment. The event is observed by Catholic and other Christian communities to raise awareness and provide support for prisoners, their families, and victims of crime. On Prisoners’ Sunday, the Catholic Church encourages everyone to reflect on and pray for prisoners and their families.
Prisoners’ Sunday is an opportunity to think about how we, as individuals, as a Church, and as communities, serve our brothers and sisters affected by imprisonment. Prisoners, people with convictions, and their children and families can find themselves on the margins of our society. Yet Jesus challenges us: “I was in prison, and you came to me…”
Our prisons are in crisis. There are record numbers of people behind bars. Inspectors regularly report instances of vermin, violence, self-harm and people languishing in cells with nothing to do. At the same time, too many people are released with no home, no job, no family and no hope.
The ripple effects of this crisis are felt well beyond the prison walls. The lives of hundreds of thousands of families and children are affected as they, too, serve a hidden sentence. Having a mother, father, husband or wife in prison can have a devastating impact – more than half of families tell us they are struggling to afford the basics for themselves and their children.
Pact – the national Catholic prison charity
As the leading Catholic charity in prisons, PACT have been helping people in need for more than 125 years. PACT supports prisoners, their families and their children, offering them hope and the chance to turn their lives around. The work at Pact draws on the values of our faith: dignity, solidarity, and subsidiarity. PACT believe that everyone can make a fresh start, whatever they may have done.
Last year, PACT’s dedicated staff and volunteers supported 565,000 prison visits and helped nearly 600 people with emergency welfare grants. Their work is a lifeline for many thousands of people struggling to stay afloat or to make a fresh start. Donate now
“Lord, you offer freedom to all people. We pray for those in prison. Break the bonds of fear and isolation that exist. Support with your love: prisoners, their families and friends, prison staff and all who care. Heal those who have been wounded by the activities of others, especially the victims of crime. Help us to forgive one another. To act justly. To love mercy. And walk humbly together with Christ. In His strength and in His Spirit. Now and every day. Amen.”