Nga rongo o te whareherehere

Tu Tangata, Issue 23, 1 April 1985, Unnumbered Page

Nga rongo o te whareherehere

New Zealand prison inmates now have their own radio programme. A two and a half hour show of requests, poetry and news items is going out from Radio Rhema in Christchurch and being relayed in Wellington and Auckland. It’s called ‘Someone Cares’ and broadcasts 8.30 p.m. to 11 p.m. every Saturday night. Presenter, Anita Wilkinson says many people wanted the show lengthened from its 8.30 p.m. to 9 p.m. original slot. She says the programme aims to bring prison inmates into the community, bring the community into the prisons and above all bring Christ to the prisoners.

“If we can get Christ into the prisons, it’s going to get crime off the streets.” The programme has requests from families, sweethearts and friends, poetry by the prisoners and testimonies of prisoners who’ve become Christians. Mrs Wilkinson says the nonChristian prisoners appear to be showing as much interest as Christian inmates. As well she says ‘Someone Cares’ has received an enthusiastic reception from the public. For the first time a lot of them are finding someone really cares about them. ‘Someone Cares’ can be heard in Paparua, Rolleston, Addington, Mt Crawford, Witako, Arohata, Kaitoke, National Park prison, Mt Eden, and Paremoremo prisons.