There’s another ‘Big Jesus’
July 16, 2025
Plum it up!
July 16, 2025
By Kaelanne Jordan
mediarelations.camsel@catholictt.org
In a bold act of mercy and social justice, the St Theresa’s RC Parish in Barataria, in collaboration with Our Lady of Perpetual Help, El Socorro, launched the Freedom Project, aimed at freeing non-violent offenders held in prison simply because they can’t afford to pay their fines.
Inspired by the Church’s Jubilee 2025 theme Pilgrims of Hope, the initiative was spearheaded by parish priest Fr Godfrey Stoute, who proposed the idea during a parish council meeting at the start of the year.
“The Holy Spirit would have moved him to come up with the Freedom Project idea,” said Anton James, Head of the Hospitality Ministry. “It’s about giving non-violent offenders a second chance… people who found themselves in difficulty within the system.”
On June 12, two individuals were released from the Remand Yard after the parish paid their fines—$11,600 in total, raised through monthly second collections, donations, and fundraising efforts.
One of the men had been in jail since December 2023 for larceny and the other, April 2025 without insurance and a license. Neither had been formally sentenced but remained incarcerated due to financial inability. Their earliest possible release dates were December and August 2025, respectively.
The project includes interviews and screening, done in collaboration with Joel Roberts, a prison officer with the Trinidad and Tobago Prison Service.
The project intentionally excludes those convicted of violent crimes. “I mean, we’re not judging anybody but that doesn’t fall within the programme,” James explained.
“The second criteria, especially during the interview process, you get a sense of, yes it’s non-violent, but is this somebody who is a repeat offender, are they someone with addiction….so the interview turns into a bit conversational to get to elicit who are you, what got you here,” James said. He shared that some of the responses thus far have been “really heart-wrenching.”
From prison to pews
While it’s not a formal or enforceable requirement, the team gently encourages recipients to attend church at least once after their release.
“I mean we would love you to fellowship with us…but we’d like you to come with us at least one Sunday,” James said.
The project is not limited to Catholics—it is open to individuals of any faith background. One of the recipients is Spiritual Baptist and the other, a Roman Catholic. One attended Mass on Father’s day and was quietly welcomed by parishioners as he took his first step toward reintegration.
“We didn’t ask him to stand, but he was appreciative,” James said. “He got a token and Mr Roberts took him to breakfast. We try to do what we can with what we have,” he said.
But reintegration hasn’t been easy. One of the men spent a night in a hospital compound due to having nowhere else to go.
“And it tells you the difficulties in our own system because he felt nobody don’t really pay attention to you….we had to get in contact with Vision on Mission for him to be able to get somewhere to sleep,” James said.
“As we got into this, we said we’d pay the fines and give people a second chance—but there’s a whole other aspect of reintegrating into society: where you’re going to rest your head? Where you’re gonna work?” James explained.
Looking ahead, he said the next phase of the project should focus on supporting individuals after their release. “…not necessarily having to rebuild the whole wheel but reintegrating….So I think it’s more about strategic partnerships,” he said.
James, who visited Maximum Security Prison (MSP), recalled how emotionally taxing the experience was—even for a few hours.
“It was depressing. Imagine being in there six months for a traffic ticket you couldn’t afford to pay. That changes you. Then the Freedom Project pays your fine, and suddenly you have a second chance.”
He continued, “So the Freedom Project also raises awareness to our civilians outside that sometimes you can find yourself in difficulty for the littlest of things….and it’s important to meet people where they are, just as Christ meets us where we are,” James said.
What’s next
The parish plans to conduct another round of interviews in August 2025, depending on available funds. They hope to help two or three more individuals and are calling on the wider Catholic community to support the mission.
“One of things coming out of the experience in getting to meet the superintendents …one of the things they struggle for is toiletries: toilet paper, toothbrush, toothpaste…so it’s so easy to get involved and we need to raise awareness. And this is a project to do just that,” James said.
