About Prison Chaplaincy

It may surprise everyone that there are 11 government run prisons in Victoria and two private prisons.  There is a small number Buddhist Chaplains that cover these prisons including Christine Thompson, the Senior Buddhist Chaplain working under the auspices of the Buddhist Council of Victoria, the Chaplaincy Advisory Committee, and Corrections Victoria.  We are mostly lay Chaplains from different Buddhist backgrounds who are committed to bringing our love of the Dharma and pastoral care to those who seek us out.

As there are a number of Vietnamese inmates across the prison system, we would like to offer Vietnamese services a few times a year particularly. Please contact us if you would like to get involved.

The BCV has been coordinating Buddhist prison chaplaincy work in Victoria since 2002, when it was approached by Corrections Victoria.

Prisoners from the Buddhist faith constitute only a small percentage of the total prison population, less than 5%, or in numerical terms a little over 200 prisoners.

There are volunteer chaplains from several different Buddhist communities and traditions visiting prisoners on a regular and ‘as-needs’ basis.

If you are interested in learning more about prison chaplaincy, or becoming involved yourself, please contact , BCV Prison Chaplaincy Coordinator

Contact:  Prison Chaplaincy Coordinator

Hōjun Futen,  Senior Chaplain
Buddhist Council of Victoria

Email: hojun.futen@bcv.org.au