ARTIST PROJECT
Prisoner Mural Project – Pentonville Prison
Reverend Jonathan Aitken
Artists' House Calls with Jonathan Aitken & Dan Brown
Reverend Jonathan Aitken (born 1942) is currently a prison chaplain at Pentonville, London’s largest prison. He has had one of the most high profile and colorful careers in British public life. His career has spanned the worlds of books, newspapers, television, business, politics, Parliament, prison, theology, charitable service, prison reform, and offender rehabilitation. Jonathan Aitken is an author, broadcaster, columnist, lecturer, and campaigner for prison reform. He is a former Cabinet Mi
HMP Pentonville is London’s oldest and most overcrowded prison containing 1300 inmates with over 60% of them awaiting their trials on Remand. Due to the Covid pandemic waiting times for trial dates have soared from 3-6 months in 2019 to 18 months–2 years today. The frustrations caused by these delays are intense and frequently cause mental health problems. These mental health problems, particularly depression and anxiety, are estimated to affect at least half the prisoners. They are kept in their cells for 23 hours a day and have little or nothing to occupy their time. The charity Chance to Change, and its subsidiary Friends of Pentonville, have been in discussion with the prison authorities and are ready to implement the Murals Project. The murals will raise awareness of mental health issues in prisons, benefit the mental health of the prisoners