Simeon receives a commendation for his chaplaincy work from Princess Anne

The chaplain who’s setting prisoners free

When women leave prison, their first hour of freedom can be the most challenging. That’s where Simeon Sturney makes a vital difference. 

The woman had just been released from prison. Disoriented, she was glad of the fellow former inmate beside her who was offering a place to stay.

But her dream of a new beginning turned into a nightmare when the landlord demanded sex in return for her new home.

Refusing, she was soon homeless, then she was viciously attacked on the streets. Before she knew it, she was back behind bars.

This is the kind of brutal reality prison chaplain Simeon Sturney sees far too often, and is the subject of his new book ‘Gate Happy’ – which is all about leaving prison.

“Many people presume that when somebody leaves prison everything goes back to normal, so the aim of my book is to share the more challenging side, give insight into the stigma and difficulties ex-offenders face, and also to encourage more people to get involved with prison work,” he says.

Simeon, who is a member of Elim’s Kingdom Living Church in Staines, has been involved in prison work for 18 years. Working in western Europe’s largest women’s prison, HMP Bronzefield in Ashford, Middlesex, he began as a probation officer and has since held various roles with the chaplaincy service. Today, he supports newly released female prisoners.

“For the past five years I’ve met women from all sorts of backgrounds, cultures and countries in the holding cell prior to their release and walked the mile to the train station with them,” he explains. “My role is to support, steer and guide them at a moment where they may be tempted to abort reasonable plans because they don’t think they’ll work or are tempted by a ‘better offer’. At this dramatic time, they can be anxious, scared, or they may not know where they’re going next.

“As I meet them, I will usher them through the gates and we can go to a coffee shop for a chat, or I can walk to the station with them if they don’t have anyone meeting them.”

Sometimes Simeon’s role involves carrying bags, helping with lost tickets or worries about upcoming appointments. At other times it can involve trying to steer women away from a nearby off-licence, protecting them when an unwelcome visitor is waiting at the gates, or placating an irate boyfriend who has deliberately been given the wrong release date.

In saucier moments, Simeon is also on hand to step in when a member of station staff or the public gets propositioned.

But often, he says, it is just about listening as women tell their heart-breaking stories.

“A lot of women have nowhere safe to go, they’re being met by manipulative or coercive partners or families, or they’ve been told to go to the council for accommodation but instead choose to go to a drugs den because they know the rules there. Other women have been offered a room but feel unable to take it because their boyfriend will cuckoo it to sell drugs. They, not him, will be the one convicted if it’s raided because it’s in their name.

“You hear stories that are very real, very earthy, and it’s not for me to tell them they shouldn’t drink or take drugs. They know that already. Instead, it’s my job to offer them dignity and respect, to support them, steer them to safety where I can offer to pray with them.”

It is heart warming, Simeon says, when a woman opens up and then asks for prayer. “I will pray on the platform as we wait – for protection, healing and safety for them and their families.” While some of Simeon’s work is with ‘revolving door women’ who he has seen repeatedly over the years, he sometimes gets to hear more positive stories of women who have broken free of their pasts.

“I was a guest speaker at a conference and a woman introduced herself and reminded me that I had encouraged her with the story of Jesus in the boat during the storm. She had come deliberately that day because I was speaking and wanted to say thank you. She’s doing really well now.”

Simeon’s work was recognised last year when he was awarded a commendation from the Butler Trust, which celebrates good work in prisons, the probation service and youth services.

Today, he is glad to continue his work supporting women.

“As a chaplain, it’s my job to journey with them, to love practically and to support them at this vulnerable time when they hope all will be well, but the reality is often something different.”

Housing the homeless

In a role associated with his prison chaplaincy work, Simeon also helps to provide accommodation for people who are homeless.

“It’s a three-way project. It involves a local church, St Hilda’s in Ashford , a charity – Hope in Action – which works with churches to house homeless people, especially those with a history of being imprisoned, and HMP Bronzefield,” he says.

The church has provided a former curate’s house to accommodate two women for two years after their release, and Simeon works as the empowerment officer to support them.

“Running the house has been interesting. We’ve had the police come looking for people, for example. Just because they want to go straight doesn’t mean they always do. However, we’ve also had people who have resettled well, linking back with their families and even finding employment.

“We work with the church to provide befrienders for the women and really engage the local community to support them.”

Rugby fan

When Simeon isn’t working with prisons, he also finds time to support the Cook Islands’ rugby league teams.

Having been born there, he was invited to act as chaplain for the men’s team in 2013 during the Rugby League World Cup. Since then, he prays with the team before games and has befriended the women’s team too.

But do his prayers spark a win? Only when the team plays against Wales, Simeon jokes.

“We were drawn against them in 2013, I prayed and we won our first ever finals match. We were drawn against them again in 2022 and won again, but when we played against Tonga we got thrashed, and we didn’t do very well against Papua New Guinea either! I have had to do some explaining to some of my family who live in Wales!”

This article first appeared in the March 2023 edition of Direction Magazine. For further details, please click here.

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