Through the office of Global Mission and Service, the Church of the Brethren is renewing its partnership of grant support to the organization Prisoner Visitation and Support (PVS). In addition to the denomination\u2019s grant support, which began in 1985, PVS has benefited from Brethren serving as prison visitors and as representatives on PVS\u2019 board of directors.<\/p>\n
Global Mission and Service recently provided a grant of $1,000 to PVS, which previously received annual grants from the Church of the Brethren.<\/p>\n
PVS is described as \u201cthe only nationwide, interfaith visitation program with access to all federal and military prisons and prisoners in the United States,\u201d according to a background document relating the history of the organization. PVS was founded in 1968 by Bob Horton, a retired Methodist minister, and Fay Honey Knopp, a Quaker activist, to visit imprisoned conscientious objectors.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn its first five years of service, PVS volunteers visited over 2,000 conscientious objectors,\u201d the document said. \u201cPVS was encouraged by the war resisters to visit other prisoners and, today, PVS visits any federal or military prisoner wanting a visit. Today, PVS has 350 volunteers who visit at more than 97 federal and military prisons across the country.<\/p>\n
It is sponsored by 35 national religious bodies and socially-concerned agencies including Protestant, Catholic, Jewish, Muslim, and secular organizations. \u201cPVS seeks to meet the needs of prisoners through an alternative ministry that is separate from official prison structures,\u201d the description said.<\/p>\n