Page 15 - pcsanz annual report 2020
P. 15
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Safety And Relationships
Becoming a volunteer is quite a process. Every person is not only vetted by PCSANZ, with commendations from their respective church or faith-based community, but there are extensive requirements from the Department of Corrections and Serco to gain access to the prison.
When organising the volunteers’ activities at prisons, the chaplains are constantly aware of the need to be prepared for disruptions – the main ones being sudden prison or unit lockdown, or there being too few prison staff on-site at a given time to facilitate the volunteers’ activities and/or ensure their safety.
Being a PCSANZ volunteer is different to being a personal visitor to a prisoner. As a member of the public, you may be able to become a visitor to a prisoner. However, this relationship is initiated
by the prisoner and must be approved by prison management (Corrections or Serco). Generally, PCSANZ does not allow its volunteers to also be a personal visitor to any prisoner.
