Home->How We Serve->Prison Chaplaincy
June 2010
The decrease in the number of chapel services and programs held within the month of June is directly related to a faulty air conditioning unit. This caused the chapel to become intensely hot, creating safety and security issues for volunteers, inmates and chapel staff. Services and programs that could not be accommodated in another part of the jail were cancelled or shortened. We extend our gratitude to administrative, custody and treatment staff who were extremely helpful during this time as we scrambled to find alternative space for office work and services. We understand that the unit will be fixed by July, and we look forward to a return to our normal schedule.
During this month, we were asked to provide an opportunity for a group to come to the jail to present information on the topic of Human/Sex Trafficking. Fortunately, we were able to obtain the Roll Call room for this event. A number of personnel from the treatment, education and chapel departments participated. Bob Morrison, the founder of the organization “Freedom and Restoration for Everyone Enslaved” (F*R*E*E), and other professionals, presented this program. They are committed to obliterating this modern-day slavery by providing education and assistance. Through the use of videos, handouts, and discussions, preconceived ideas regarding this issue were dispelled. We learned that, in addition to its being a widespread problem throughout the United States, it is also the second largest criminal industry in the world after drug dealing. The presenters provided tips to assist in identifying possible victims within the jail, and specific questions to ask in these cases. We learned that one of the tactics used to gain control of the victim, is to force the person to become addicted to drugs. This fact, among many others, should lead us to “look beneath the surface” of those entering the jail system in order to avoid the pitfall of blaming the victim.
May 2010
On May 5, 2010, the 14th Annual Memorial Service was held to honor our fallen officers, as well as family members and friends of jail staff. This 14th year was marked by a unique addition to the program. Tina Andrews, from the Administration Department, kindly agreed to sing a solo before the retiring of the guard. The song she selected to share was titled, “Serenaded by Angels.” As the beauty of her voice penetrated the stillness and silence of those gathered together in that moment, it seemed that something profound, and possibly life-altering, was being gently offered. We’re often presented with subtle invitations to change direction in life, or to simply stop, look and listen to the reality of the moment in which we find ourselves. Slowing down in order to absorb such opportunities is a challenge in itself. Like the rest of us, the inmate population is faced with a myriad of seemingly mundane or earth-shattering experiences that can rouse them out of their inertia. One of these experiences was recounted to the chaplain after his encounter with a male inmate.
The inmate lamented a situation that occurred during a visit with his wife and one of his two sons. When he asked his wife why the other child had not come, she replied that it is too hard for his son to see him in jail. After each visit, he leaves in tears, and often cries into the evening. When his wife asked if he wanted to come for this visit, the child said, “No Mommy, I just can’t stand to see Daddy in that awful place.” As the inmate related this to the chaplain, he wept, and said that he wished he could turn back time, and have a second chance. He realized that wrong choices made in an instant, can affect those he loves, and as well as himself, for a long time to come. How the inmate assimilates this experience, and whether or not it will influence future choices, no one knows. Allowing himself to be brought to tears by an awareness of how his child is carrying the consequences of his actions, made him stop, look and listen, if only for a moment.
March 2010
Around the beginning of last year, a female inmate in her early 30’s stood out from among the others. She seemed lost, fearful and hopeless, allowing life’s circumstances to just push her along. But there were occasional sparks of life that shot out from her, and could not be ignored. One day, she bounded into my office, insisting that I tell her about a program she had just heard about – the Lazarus Project. What was it? How can she get into it? Why is it called that? Her enthusiasm was overwhelming, and simple answers could abort what was about to be born. So, I put on the brakes, told her to sit, and tell me about “Sue” (not her real name).
She spoke of the death of her parents, and other tragedies in her life that left her to fend for herself. She had no one to call “family,” and no one to care whether she lived or died. There was a great sadness that hovered over her like a cloud; her sense of self-worth was nil, and she envisioned no future for herself. Her only plan was to do her time, leave and let the pieces fall where they may. A religious volunteer, who met with her on a weekly basis during the professional clergy visits in the chapel, had suggested, after a few meetings, that Sue might be a good candidate for the Lazarus Project, but Sue needed to ask for it herself. It was important that she see it, not as a way out of her dead end street, but a way into a world of difficult choices, and a narrow road that could lead to transformation.
One of the requirements of the Lazarus Project is to read certain books that speak directly to growth in character. One of these, Hinds Feet On High Places, was sitting on my desk. She asked to read it. This was the first of many that she “devoured,” reporting back on how each challenged her status quo. Her exceptional intelligence and potential were becoming more and more evident. Finally, the time when she could be released was approaching. As I met with inmates on the unit one night, she came to tell me that someone was picking her up the next day, courtesy of another inmate on her block! We talked it over, she promised not to go, and I immediately contacted a program that reluctantly agreed to take her.
Almost a year has passed since then. Whenever one of us contacts this same program, they immediately thank us for sending Sue to them. Her growth has been phenomenal; she is happy, healthy, an asset to the community, and has finally found the “family” she lacked. Participation in her journey has greatly benefited each of us in the Chaplain Department, as well as the volunteers who generously worked and prayed with her.
The Berks County Prison/Jail System is under contract with the Reading Berks Conference of Churches for the provision of jail chaplains and chapel staff for the provision of religious services and programs for the entire inmate community. Approximately 400 congregations work cooperatively with the chapel staff to assure that the religious needs of the inmates are met.
The following supportive services are also provided by chaplain staff and approximately 200 volunteers to connect inmates with the outside community for rehabilitation and continued growth:
- Weekly one on one chapel visits between inmates and clergy, or designated religious representatives
- The weekly “Halfway Church” ministry provides a sense of community around a shared meal, along with support, prayer and fellowship for released inmates
- The Lazarus Project Team Mentoring program provides a healthy support system for inmates nearing release, and for eligible individuals who were recently released into the community
During the winter holidays, congregations and other organizations often place a greater emphasis on reaching out to prisoners. There is an awareness of the heaviness weighing on inmates because of the separation from family and friends. Each year staff and volunteers tour the jail, going from cell to cell with gifts of warm socks and chocolate candies. This year a volunteer remarked that he was astounded at the gratitude and joy exhibited by so many of the inmates who received these items. He expressed his wish that we had more to give, but realized that what was given was not nearly as important as how it was given! The real gift was to look into the eyes of the inmate, acknowledging him as a brother.
Jesus said, “You are the light of the world.” (Matthew 5:14) These words are not spoken to angels, but to sinful, broken, wounded human beings who are challenged to become all that we were created to be. In the same chapter of this account, we hear, “You are the salt of the earth.” Salt was a symbol of God’s indissoluble covenant with humanity and all creation. Looking into the eyes of another, and exclaiming (aloud or silently) the words, “You are the light of the world, the salt of the earth” is one very empowering act! Some of us were empowered by the inmates that day, and we trust that they too were empowered by us. Unlike material gifts, these are clearly the exchanges that set captives free; the exchanges that loose the chains that bind.
Each of us is continuously called out of our comfort zone, to uncover the reality of God’s Presence, God’s Kingdom in and among us. Laborers are called by name into the vineyard of this jail. If and when you hear your name, you may call Chaplain Eileen McKeown at 610-208-4800 x4375.
