The position of the prison chaplain is a complex one. For every hour of religious instruction or counseling, there are several hours dedicated to performing basic administrative duties, and the necessary restrictions and regulations that come with serving prisoners produce a unique set of challenges that are unknown to the traditional pastor serving outside the prison walls.
“People think that chaplains are ministers who go into the prisons to save souls and whatnot,” says Gary Friedman, spokesman for the American Correctional Chaplains Association. “That’s not what chaplains do anymore. Chaplains are very frustrated about not having enough time to minister.”
An article by Elizabeth Stuart in the Deseret News (Salt Lake City, UT) examines the unique role (or, more accurately, roles) served by prison chaplains. Chaplains are part counselor, part event planner, and part procurement officer. They are asked to make accomodations for inmates of varying faiths, even when some of those inmates’ religious convictions are somewhat suspect. (One of the chaplains in the story recounts having an inmate request a kosher diet. The inmate soon sent a second request, asking the chaplain, “What do Jews believe?”)
Yet despite the many demands on a chaplain’s time, 75 percent of chaplains consider ministering to be the most important part of their job. The article cites the recent report by the Pew Research Center indicating that 73 percent of chaplains believe that religious programs in prison are essential to rehabilitation, with the majority of chaplains claiming that religious-based reentry programs have improved in quality over the last three years.
While the chaplain serves an invaluable role in the lives of prisoners, the growing demand on their time makes the work of prison volunteers all the more important in spreading the Gospel to inmates. Making Inside Journal – Prison Fellowship’s quarterly publication for prisoners – available to chaplains for use and distribution is a great way to assist these chaplains in meeting the needs of those they serve.
Circulation for Inside Journal recently topped 100,000, but there are still many prisons that do not yet have access to this resource. To find out how you can help expand the reach of this important and inspiring publication, click here.