Registered as a National Body in the year 1995 under Societies Registration Act No. ER 375.
We have a network of around 6000 volunteers who have very enthusiastically committed their expertise and energy into bringing about hope and quality of life in to the lives of so many hopeless and helpless prisoners in our society.
PMI has grown widely over 850 branches all over India. There are hundreds of well-wishers fully or partially involved in this noble task
On 8th December 1981, our founders named Varghese Karippery and Francis Kodiyan, (Philosophy Students in St Thomas apostolic Seminary, Vadavathoor, Kottayam), had been entrusted with the weekly office for attending the phone calls.
October 1991 PMI purchased 11 acres of land for the rehabilitation centre.
First National Gathering for Catholic prison volunteers at Bangalore on 13th to 15thAugust, 1994. In the meeting a unanimous decision had been taken to extend the ministry far and wide in view of its National panorama, and further to change the title as Prison Ministry India (PMI).
Fr. Varghese Karippery was elected as the first National Co-ordinatorand initiated a National Office in Koramangala, Bangalore.
The second National Gathering of Prison Ministry India was conducted in the year 1995 at 'Navintha', Delhi.
The third National Gathering was held at Trichur in Kerala in 1997.
The fourth National Gathering was at Mumbai in the year 1998.
Fr. Sebastian Theckanath was elected as the 2nd National Co-coordinator.
The Fifth National Gathering was in the year 1999 in Calcutta.
Sixth National Gathering was at Hyderabad in the year 2000.
On 24th August, 2000, Prison Ministry India was officially recognized by CBCI (Catholic Bishops Conference of India).
On 12th February 2002, Fr. Sebastian Vadakumpadan had taken over charge as National Coordinator followed by the Seventh National Convention conducted at Chennai in 2002.
In the year 2002 PMI received the Spirit of Assisi National Award.
Reformative Research and Documentation Centre has been running since the year 2003 in Trichur, Kerala.
A Sunday was officially given to PMI as PMI Sunday on 17th August 2003 for propagating values of love of our brethren irrespective of which category of life they belong.
On 18th July 2003, the North Regional Office was inaugurated and Fr. Joseph Kavalakkat became the first Regional Co-ordinator.
In 2004, the eighth national gathering was conducted at Bhopal, M.P.
In December 2004, Prison Voice, the national monthly, a registered magazine was started.
The year 2005 was a blessed year for PMI, new programs were introduced such as, Full timers Ministry, 10th Anniversary of PMI, the Inauguration of project for the welfare of Indian nationals in foreign prisons, releasing of PMI Flag and inauguration of PMI National Anthem.
In the year 2005, we started the North East regional office and
19th rehabilitation centre for women and children namely 'Ashadham' 8th September 2005, by Bhopal Archdiocese.
The 20th rehabilitation centre, a home for released women prisoners was started by congregation of Ursuline of Mary Immaculate at Vasai, Maharashtra on 17th February, 2006.
FrJosekuttyKalayil MST took up the charge as the national co-ordinatorin the year 2007. The 9th National convention was conducted in the same year in Mysore.
In 2009 we purchased a new building for the national office of Prison Ministry India, in Carmelaram in Bangalore and shifted our office to Carmelaram in the same year.
In the year of 2010, 10th national convention and Silver Jubilee of Prison Mninstry India was celebrated from 11th to 14th October, 2010 at St. Thomas Apostoic Seminary in Vadavathoor, Kottayam, Kerala.
Fr. Sebastian Vadakumpadan from the Archdiocese of ErnakulamAngamally was again appointed as the national Coordinator of Prison Ministry India as suggested by the national executive body of Prison Ministry India.
On 21rst of May,2011 Fr. Sebastian Vadakumpadan was appointed as the national coordinator of Prison Ministry India by Bishop Peter Remigius, Patron Prison Ministry India.
On August, 2011 Fr. Sebastian Vadakumpadan was invited for the international conference of international commission of Prison Pastoral Care at Cameroon. He was elected as the Asian Delegate of ICCPPC on 30th of August, 2011.
To accelerate the work of prison ministry there was a major gathering all the coordinators in national level from 15th to 17th of November, 2011 at Archbishop’shouse, Nagpur, Maharashtra.
The office of Central region was reopened with a new office in new office complex on the occasion of Coordinators’ meet. The new regional coordinator, Fr. Clement HGN was appointed for the central region and has given the residence at Archbishop’s house, Nagpur.
On 25th of May 2012 we revived the research centre with a name Kolbe reformative Research Department with Fr. Rajeshekhar as the director of the department and Sr. Maria DC as Secretary.
The quarters at prison compound was reoccupied by prison ministry volunteers on 2nd of July, 2012.
Inorder to make the activities of prison ministry a two days workshop was conducted on 23 and 24th of January, 2013 for the executive body members along with a few members of long lasting service experience in prison ministry. We try to make the ministry more systematic, steady, and ever moving without loosing its mission and vision of organization who ever may be at various post of Prison Ministry India.
On 1st of October 2014 Prison Ministry India was made as a separate desk under Justice Peace and Development Commission in Catholic Bishops Conference of India (CBCI) and appointed Fr. Sebastian Vadakumpadan as the first Secretary to the desk of Prison Ministry India.
Prison Ministry India conducted its 11th national conference from 22nd to the 25 of October 2014 at Faridabad, Haryana (Delhi).
International board meeting of International Commission of Catholic Prison Pastoral Care (ICCPPC) was conducted in India from 18th to 26th of October 2014, along with the national conference of Prison Ministry India.
