He sent me to give the Good News to the poor; tell prisoners that they are prisoners no more...
Go Tell Everyone -
Fr. Alan Dale
Fr. Alan Dale
|
JG Joint Choir at the Commissioner's Retirement Concert |Courtesy UNTOLD Docuseries (2019)
|
A Call to Love
In his book, In Pursuit of Love, Vincent Genovesi writes, "Perhaps the hardest and strangest truth is that we can love God only to the extent that we learn to love others." Possibly nowhere is this philosophy more challenging than in the way we respond to those who commit crimes--those who are incarcerated.
For us at Jubilee, we have come to recognize the men and women we interact with at the prison as our brothers and sisters. |
We are not naive. We know what each has done — some crimes more horrific than others. And yet they are still our brothers and sisters, and, as Christians, believers in Christ, we are still required to be our brothers' keepers.
If we follow Christ's example, then we know that needing love has little to do with what is normally meant by deserving love. It is the sinner who is most in need of God's love, though it is the sinner who least deserves it. But in the Gospel, no one is more assured of God's love than a sinner. Which sinner, you ask? You. Me. Them. Truthfully, ALL of us!
If we follow Christ's example, then we know that needing love has little to do with what is normally meant by deserving love. It is the sinner who is most in need of God's love, though it is the sinner who least deserves it. But in the Gospel, no one is more assured of God's love than a sinner. Which sinner, you ask? You. Me. Them. Truthfully, ALL of us!
Our Journey - From Mass to Movement
|
2012: The Beginning
Our collaboration with the Trinidad & Tobago Prison Service began with music ministry for Palm Sunday and Holy Thursday masses at the Port of Spain Prison. In those early days, we simply showed up—bringing worship, song, and the presence of a community that refused to forget those behind bars. 2019: Building the First Choir
We formed our first joint choir, bringing together Jubilee Generation members and 25 male inmates at the Port of Spain Prison. Music became the bridge between two worlds—a space where broken voices found harmony, where forgotten men discovered they still had something valuable to contribute. Expanding the Vision
Our ministry grew to include Golden Grove Prison, and in partnership with former Acting Commissioner of Prisons - Programmes and Industry, Charmaine Johnson, we created something unprecedented: The Trinidad and Tobago Prison System's first mixed choir, bringing together inmates from Remand, Women's, and Maximum Security prisons. |
Joint choir rehearsal at the POS Prison (2019)
|
Jubilee Generation Prison Ministry at the Living Water Community Telethon (2019)
Hope for the Future
2026: A Milestone Moment
Our mixed prison choir recently qualified for the finals of Divine Harmonies, a national gospel choir competition scheduled for March 28, 2026—a powerful demonstration that excellence, artistry, and redemption can flourish even in the most challenging circumstances.
Our mixed prison choir recently qualified for the finals of Divine Harmonies, a national gospel choir competition scheduled for March 28, 2026—a powerful demonstration that excellence, artistry, and redemption can flourish even in the most challenging circumstances.
Jubilee Generation Prison Ministry Choir's performance to qualify for the Divine Harmonies competition (2025)
"I was in prison and you came to visit me." (Matthew 25:36)
Why This Ministry Matters
We believe that for a society to be strong, all individuals must be strong, and that means developing the skills to make decisions that benefit society rather than harm it. That cannot occur if our institutions that deal with society's so-called disenfranchised and marginalized are institutions that focus on punishment exclusively and at the expense of development, empowerment, and rehabilitation.
And it cannot occur if, as Christians, our 'works of charity' only require us to give of our surplus and not our substance (Luke 21:1-4). That kind of response distracts from the effort needed to truly address the social, economic, and human rights issues in our society. Each of us is called to do more. Our baptismal call demands no less.
And it cannot occur if, as Christians, our 'works of charity' only require us to give of our surplus and not our substance (Luke 21:1-4). That kind of response distracts from the effort needed to truly address the social, economic, and human rights issues in our society. Each of us is called to do more. Our baptismal call demands no less.
|
The Theology of Second Chances Our work is rooted in the Gospel message that no one is beyond redemption. Jesus spent his ministry with those society rejected—tax collectors, prostitutes, and criminals. On the cross, his final act was to offer paradise to a thief hanging beside him. This isn't optional work for followers of Christ—it's central to our identity. When we minister to those in prison, we encounter Christ himself. When we offer dignity to the forgotten, we live out the Gospel in its most radical form. The Catechism teaches us that punishment must have a constructive and redemptive purpose. It's not enough to simply confine—we must also rehabilitate, restore, and reintegrate. This is the core of restorative justice and the foundation of our prison ministry. We hope and pray for two things for our brothers and sisters behind bars: First, on their behalf, we seek simply what God wishes for them: that they be friends of God and members of God's people, courageous and free enough not only to accept God's love for them but also to love God in return and to offer love to others. |
Holy Thursday Mass - Golden Grove Prison (Apr. 2025)
|
Inmate Mass - Maximum Security Prison (2024)
|
Second, we hope they are adequately equipped with the life skills and training that give them the best possible chance to realize their full potential. We want each inmate, each person, to come to understand his or her worth and purpose as a human being, a member of a family, community, and society.
We know that the odds are stacked against them. For many of us, the war begins in the home; for others, it begins in the mind. And for these men and women, it is lived out daily behind bars. We also know that it can be excruciatingly difficult to face reality and to do the work to climb out of the holes we find ourselves in, especially without support and encouragement. That is true for all of us. But it is not impossible. And so we are determined to operate in God's "all things are possible" realm. |
The Way Forward
Prisoners No More: Music as Ministry
Prisoners No More: Music as Ministry
Learn more about our Prisoners No More Ministry
|
Outside of sport, we know that NOTHING unites like music! We are committed to using our skills to support rehabilitation, empowerment, and reintegration efforts.
Music is one of the ways we preach the Gospel and share God's love with all his people, but we also have other skills and networks that enable us to engage and support our brothers and sisters in their human development. Our music is only the beginning. "I thank God for your willingness to serve in uncommon places. Blessings."
Lynette Noel |
Through our new Prisoners No More Rehabilitation and Reintegration Programme, we're creating new neural pathways and equipping individuals with both marketable skills and internal transformation
Collaborating for Success
We are prepared to work with like-minded people and organizations to advance our mission of empowerment. The prison system is where God asked us to begin, but he has also created other opportunities for us to use music education, along with other interventions, as tools for human development. We are now, in collaboration with music and other specialists and in partnership with the Prison Ministry of the Archdiocese of Port of Spain, developing a series of pilot programmes to achieve this objective. Our flagship initiative is the Prisoners No More 18-month rehabilitation programme, officially approved by the Commissioner of Prisons for launch in 2026.
Learn more about the Prisoners No More Programme →
Learn more about the Prisoners No More Programme →
Jubilee Generation Music Ministry appears in the funding promotion for The Forgotten Boys,
a documentary by Alexandra Warner. Courtesy UNTOLD Docuseries
a documentary by Alexandra Warner. Courtesy UNTOLD Docuseries
A Vision for the Future
We envision a Trinidad & Tobago where:
Join Us in This Mission
We are not alone. Young and old, many people have come forward in support of our mission to lend time, talent, and treasure. We are grateful.
We ask two things of you:
Please Support Us
Whether through volunteer time, professional expertise, financial contributions, or attending our events, your involvement ensures this work continues and expands. Every act of support—no matter how small—makes transformation possible.
Please Pray for Us
Lift up the inmates we serve, the prison staff we partner with, and our ministry team. Pray for the success of the Prisoners No More program. Pray for society's heart to soften toward those who have made mistakes. Transformation begins with prayer.
Get Involved
Attend Prisoners No More: Kirk Franklin Live in Concert
Saturday, March 21, 2026 | 6 PM | Port of Spain
Proceeds support our prison ministry programs
Get Tickets →
Learn About the Prisoners No More Programme
Our comprehensive 18-month rehabilitation and reintegration initiative
Read More →
Contact Us
To volunteer, partner with us, or learn more about our prison ministry work
Get in Touch →
- Prison is a place of transformation, not just punishment
- Rehabilitation addresses the whole person—mind, body, and spirit
- Communities welcome returning citizens with open arms rather than closed doors
- Faith communities lead the way in restoration and reconciliation
- Every individual has the opportunity to write a new chapter in their story
Join Us in This Mission
We are not alone. Young and old, many people have come forward in support of our mission to lend time, talent, and treasure. We are grateful.
We ask two things of you:
Please Support Us
Whether through volunteer time, professional expertise, financial contributions, or attending our events, your involvement ensures this work continues and expands. Every act of support—no matter how small—makes transformation possible.
Please Pray for Us
Lift up the inmates we serve, the prison staff we partner with, and our ministry team. Pray for the success of the Prisoners No More program. Pray for society's heart to soften toward those who have made mistakes. Transformation begins with prayer.
Get Involved
Attend Prisoners No More: Kirk Franklin Live in Concert
Saturday, March 21, 2026 | 6 PM | Port of Spain
Proceeds support our prison ministry programs
Get Tickets →
Learn About the Prisoners No More Programme
Our comprehensive 18-month rehabilitation and reintegration initiative
Read More →
Contact Us
To volunteer, partner with us, or learn more about our prison ministry work
Get in Touch →