The French Bible Society and local prison chaplains have launched a project which plans to fund the purchase of Bibles for prisoners who request them. The Bible in Prison appeal asks customers at Christian bookshops in the Greater Paris region to offer donations to a special collection box. EUR5.00 can purchase one bible.

Launched in December, the appeal is a direct response to the difficulties that Protestant and Roman Catholic chaplains face often when providing Bible supplies for prisoners. To the frustration of the chaplains, they are not able to give Bibles to prisoners who are actively seeking guidance and comfort.

The Year of the Bible in 2003 had substantially raised the profile of the Bible in France. The organisers, including the Bible Society, were requested by many to promote the Bible more actively among prisoners, schoolchildren and other population groups.

Whilst the Year of the Bible was still running, a Catholic bookshop had collected donations for more than 150 Bibles for prisoners at Fleury-Mérogis detention centre in southern Paris, the largest institution of its kind in Europe.

Now the Bible Society and its partner chaplains have set up collection boxes in 15 bookshops to fund the purchase of Bibles for ten prisons. Donations will fund for a Parole de Vie ('Word of Life') Bible with the easily accessible français fondamental translation. This particular version has proved to be extremely popular among prisoners.

This project coincides with National Prisons Day (December 6), New Year celebrations and January’s Week of Prayer for Christian Unity.

The project had been limited in the Greater Paris region only, and it currently being designed so that it can be launched again at a nationwide scale. The collection boxes which come with an eye-catching design and explanatory posters, have removable labels so it can be used in churches in the future rather than only bookshops.