Jail Bird: The inside story of the Glam Vicar

by Sharon Grenham-Thompson

Overview

Written with passion and understanding, Jail Bird explores how it is possible to reach out to those vilified in the press and by society at large, and to work for the good of all, recognising the humanity in those who commit crimes. Sharon Grenham-Thompson is an Anglican minister and former prison chaplain at Bedford Jail in the UK, where she was responsible for running a large multi-faith team. Jailbird explores her motivation to help those who are the least in society. "Totally gripping and extremely personal, this fluid biography comes gushing down the mountain like a raging floodwater. I literally couldn't put it down. In fact I read the whole thing in one session." Chris Evans - BBC Radio 2 Presenter

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780745968773
Publisher:	SPCK (Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge)
Publication date:	07/22/2016
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	208
Product dimensions:	5.12(w) x 7.80(h) x (d)

About the Author

The Reverend Sharon Grenham-Thompson is an Anglican minister, and former prison chaplain, a radio presenter and one-time solicitor. She has been scriptwriting and broadcasting for BBC Radio 2 since 2004 and on BBC Radio 4 since 2005. Sharon served as a prison chaplain from 2004 to early 2016, working with some of the most challenging people in our society. She is also a patron of the criminal justice network 'No Offence'.

Table of Contents

Foreword Chris Evans 9

Introduction 11

Chapter 1 To be a Pilgrim 15

Chapter 2 Family (Mis)Fortunes 25

Chapter 3 Saving Graces 35

Chapter 4 Highway to Hope 51

Chapter 5 From High Heels to Hymnbooks 67

Chapter 6 Losing the Plot 85

Chapter 7 Into The Jungle 107

Chapter 8 Parallel Lines 125

Chapter 9 Carrot or Stick? 147

Chapter 10 Face to Face 163

Chapter 11 Land Ahoy 183

Chapter 12 Hearts to Hold 197

Postscript 203

Acknowledgments 205

Editorial Reviews

What led a glamorous radio presenter, Sharon Grenham-Thompson, to get involved with working with some of the most despised in society - prisoners?

What led a glamourous radio presenter, Sharon Grenham-Thompson, to get involved with working with some of the most despised in society - prisoners? As an Anglican priest, Sharon could have stayed well outside the prison walls - but in fact she felt herself drawn to working in Bedford jail, where she managed a large multi-faith team. Recognising that those who commit crimes, even the most horrible ones, are still human, she drew on years of feeling that she didn't fit in either, and was able to understand and reach out to those vilified by the press and society at large. It may be a far cry from appearing on BBC Radio 2, but she managed to integrate her two very different worlds, and in this fascinating book, she invites her readers to join her.

From the Publisher