Ministry to the Imprisoned

General information: The Call; The Need; Prison vs Jail; How to Begin; Things to Consider

Ideas for Ministering to the Imprisoned

A Night Prayer Service

The Lord's Prayer in Spanish

> Quotes from Prison Ministers We Have Known

New Jersey Prison Contact Information

FAQ

Recently a member of the Committee to the Imprisoned visited a state prison for the first time.  Here are his thoughtful reflections about this most enlightening visit.
CLANK! The iron gate closes behind me and I stand there waiting for the next gate to open. I begin thinking — what has brought me to this place? I’m sure there are many who have gone before me into this prison, some for short visits and others for a longer stay. But this is different for me, I am a first time visitor hoping to bring some hope, peace and God to those who are inside for an extended period of time. The time is a cold and damp February day in 2010.

I realized that I have wanted for many years to give back to society some of what my friends, family and acquaintances have given to me. The pressures of life — work, family, home, etc. — had until recently limited what I could do to give back to society. When I retired a few years ago I made a promise to myself that I would try to give back some of my indebtedness by volunteering. My first effort was to work with the Samaritan Hospice by offering my time to those who had a need. Samaritan would give me the name of an individual who needed help and I would set up a schedule to be with that person. It would involve anything from sitting with a patient while their primary caregiver went out to do errands to taking a patient to the store to do some shopping.

Approximately two years ago the priest at my church, the Church of the Good Shepherd in Pitman, Rev. Patricia Pierce, Mother Pat, asked if I would be interested in serving on the Diocesan committee for Prison Ministry. She was aware of my volunteer efforts with the Hospice. I was very conflicted about my answer to her and took a few weeks before giving her my answer. I had decided that here was a group who I knew little about and they had a need to know God and learn of his compassion. Although I was not a Bible scholar or a LEM, I decided I could perhaps contribute to this ministry.

By the time I had hurriedly gone through the thought process, the first gate had clanked shut and the second was opening. My mentor, Fred, and I were then walking down the cement and concrete block corridor toward what is known as the “Turnpike” (the main thoroughfare in the prison). I was learning a great deal about prison life and the roles of various individuals charged with the care of the inmates. As we approached the Turnpike there was another set of gates staffed by a correctional officer. Here the first gate clanked open and we were allowed to stand between the gates while the guard checked for activity in the turnpike. We were not allowed into the Turnpike when prisoners were using it. It was lunch time and we were told that we could not go to our meeting place, a room off the fourth floor auditorium, until the lunch hour was finished. We were escorted to the Correctional Officer’s Cafeteria to await the conclusion of lunch.

While waiting between the gates and again in the cafeteria I thought some more about my experiences over the past year. The Diocesan Prison Ministry Committee did not actually form until nearly a year after Mother Pat had talked to me. Our first meeting had been in Mastori’s Diner in Bordentown in January 2009. We met on a monthly basis and I learned a great deal about prisons and Prison Ministry during these sessions and through reading. I felt somewhat out of place, since most of the committee members were either Deacons or Priests in the Diocese and had been doing Prison Ministry on their own for several years. I was assured that my input as a lay person would add a balance to the committee. It was not until December 2009 that with Johnine’s and Fred’s encouragement, I decided to make a prison visit. Fred, a deacon in Beverly, had been doing Prison Ministry for many years. He had an ongoing program of Bible study at Albert C. Wagner Youth Correctional Facility in Bordentown that met twice a month. He invited me to accompany him on this day in February 2010. Several weeks ahead of this visit I had to submit my personal information to the prison staff, so that a background check could be made. I apparently passed that test, since when we reported at the front desk my visitor’s pass was ready. It also helped that the Christian Chaplin at Albert Wagner was Rev. Emmanuel Bourjoulay, a member of our committee. CLANK I was brought back to the present and we moved across the Turnpike.

As we sat in the Correctional Officer’s Cafeteria, I could feel my stomach start to tighten up. I was not sure what to expect in the next couple of hours. Shortly, one of the officers came for us and said the prisoners’ lunch was over and we could proceed to the auditorium. Fred knew his way and led me past the inmate’s cafeteria, a much colder and utilitarian room. It had steel tables and benches all bolted tightly to the floor, plain concrete for the floor and wire panels for the walls. There was a big difference from the Officer’s Cafeteria with tiled floors, painted walls with murals; formica topped tables and “comfortable” plastic chairs. It truly highlighted the difference between an inmate’s life and those on the outside. Fred and I then climbed four flights of stairs to the auditorium at the top of tower “B.” We entered a small room off of the auditorium which Fred said was used for Muslim services. There we set up chairs in a circle in anticipation of the inmates arriving for the Bible Study that Fred would be conducting. A guard was sitting not far from the door.

A few minutes later some prisoners started to trickle in. Fred introduced me to each and I was welcomed with a warm handshake. After about five minutes we had greeted about 15 inmates and Fred started with a prayer. I was impressed that each inmate had arrived with his own Bible, which was well marked with highlighter. It was obvious they had spent time reading and studying it. They also had a highlighter, notebook and pen with them, all supplied by the prison chaplain.

The Bible study consisted of each of the attendees having an opportunity to read a passage of the selected text as assigned by Fred. Fred would then lead a discussion of the meaning and relevance of the passage. Input from the inmates was sought and accepted. I was truly surprised by their insight and knowledge of the Bible. One or more would give us references to other verses that were related to the passage we were studying. The uneasiness that I experienced in the cafeteria was subsiding as I felt more comfortable in my unfamiliar surroundings. I found that I was learning more than I was sharing. It was an interesting circumstance. I began to think, in the back of my head, more about how these could be individuals you might meet in everyday life who just wanted to learn more about Jesus and reconnect with their earlier selves. Fred later pointed out to me that many of these young men had grown up in a religious setting where Bible study was a common part of their life, especially in their younger years. It made me wonder what had turned them onto the path that had brought them here.

After about an hour and half the Public Address system announced that prison activity time was at a close so it was time for us to leave. Each of the young men warmly thanked me for having given up a part of my day to be with them and shook my hand. They then filed out and returned to their cells. I felt a mixture of emotions — gratefulness that the Bible study had gone so well, sorry that it was already over, relief that my uneasiness was past and looking forward to sharing the experience with others. Fred and I returned the room to the way we had found it and retraced our steps out of the facility. CLANK, we were free. We spent some time reviewing the experience and then left for our respective homes.

Overall it was a rewarding and eye opening experience and should be the goal of anyone interested in Prison Ministry. I would suggest that your first visit should be with someone who has an ongoing program. It helps to have someone show you the “ropes”. A prison visit is not for everyone interested in Prison Ministry, but I recommend one as part of your introduction to the Ministry and to then continue if you so desire. There are many ways you can fulfill the command of Jesus when He said “I was in prison and you visited me”.

Johnine said, "Over the years, you have heard me tell many stories about the men and women I visit in jail and prison. Well, you might be wondering what is it that keeps me going back week after week, year after year to be a presence to these men and women. I feel that today’s letter from the imprisoned Paul to the Ephesians and to us mirrors the message of inspiration and encouragement that he so eloquently wrote many, many years ago.

The men and women I visit realize that the life that they have led so far has not worked out as they had planned; they now find themselves incarcerated. This time allows them an opportunity to seriously reflect on their life so far. Recently one man, Mike spoke for himself and others when he said that he has made a conscious decision to make a U-TURN in his life. This U-TURN means that each individual has decided to put on the full armour of God and all that it entails. With this choice, they have decided to fully rely on God. They have also decided to surrender and trust in God’s will. They realize that it is a daily fight. They realize that they are not alone. They realize that they must pray to God daily so that they will be able to continue their transformation. They know that they are in the fight of their lives.

For me being a weekly witness to this overwhelming power of God working in someone’s life is an awesome and humbling experience. The experience has been life changing for me."

Janet said, “Going into Edna Mahan to be with the women in prayer and bible study has been a real eye-opener in so many ways. Some bullet points:

• The women we've met cease to be anonymous and forgotten (how can you forget their stories, their prayers, their voices raised in song, their visible faith?). There is a great deal of satisfaction in knowing that, however small; we're making a difference.
• I feel appreciated by the women; they are always thankful for our visits, pray for us when we travel, and we are building relationships with them. Where there is friendship and love, then we are doing Christ's work.
• Study and prayer with them has increased my knowledge of the bible, given me more confidence to pray out loud and allowed me to laugh, sing, and relax. When I leave at the end of our visit, I feel very upbeat and enthusiastic about the time we have had with them.
  I appreciate those gifts I have been given — good health, a loving family and the freedom to do what I want without boundaries. I am more grateful than ever for what God has given me, but also for what God has allowed me to experience through our relationships with the Edna Mahan women.
• I am impressed by the level of knowledge the women have and, overall, their intellect. They've made mistakes that have landed them in prison, but they are intelligent human beings and I think my impression before going to Edna Mahan was that prisoners must be there because they aren't very bright. Not true!”
  

Arden said, “The most wonderful thing to me is to listen to people whose hearts and lives have been truly transformed by the power of the Holy Spirit and the saving Grace of Jesus Christ. These are people who are not "PC" about saying who they are and have become in Christ and not afraid to proclaim the Gospel by word and deed. No fainting violets these but powerful witnesses. Who wouldn't want to come back as often as possible?”

Mark said, “With the Prison Ministry I have been able to see the power of Christ in action.

• Men’s lives have been fundamentally changed. Men who continue to use the experience and words of Christ to modify their thoughts and behaviors. Men who experience real (sometimes physical) challenges to their faith, and who respond in Love as they learned through Christ; are not into violence, as they learned on the streets. Men who unite as Christian brothers and support each other in their faith and the challenges they face in prison.
• Seeing real faith in action, seeing it transform other peoples lives (as it did mine), renews and restores me every time I go.”
  

Hal said, “I go to Somerset County Jail (SCJ) because I have been told to in Matt. 25:35-40. “. . . I was in prison and you came to visit me.'

• The men at the SCJ have much to tell me about things in my life, they see some things ever so clearly.
• I have learned the power of presence — this is a power we all have, but often do not realize how important it can be.
• The men at SCJ remind me about the simple pleasures and the importance of simple things in our lives. Take the simple act of bringing in one leaf per person during the fall of the year — what a huge impact. Take the act of bringing in two or three small chocolates for each man — food for the body perhaps, but in this context I believe it feeds the soul as well.”