Prison Apostolate Handbook

31 Pages·2014·1.27 MB·English

by  John Ketelaars

SOCIETY
 OF
 SAINT
 VINCENT
 DE
 PAUL

 PRISON
 APOSTOLATE

 JAIL
 MINISTRY
 HANDBOOK

MISSION
 STATEMENT

The Society of Saint Vincent de Paul is a lay Catholic organization whose mission is:
to live the Gospel message by serving Christ in the poor with love, respect, justice and joy.

VALUES

 The
 Mission
 of
 the
 Society
 of
 St.
 Vincent
 de
 Paul
 implies
 that
 as
 Vincentians,
 we:

 See
 Christ
 in
 anyone
 who
 suffers

 Come
 together
 as
 a
 family

 Have
 personal
 contact
 with
 the
 poor

 Help
 in
 all
 possible
 ways

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TABLE
 OF
 CONTENTS

 TITLE

 PAGE
 NO.

Introduction……...…………………………………………………………………
  4

Prison
 Ministry
 Prayer………………………………………………………….
  5

Part
 I
 –
 Starting
 A
 Prison
 Ministry………………………………………..
  6

The
 Mandate
 For
 Prison
 Ministry…………………………………………
  7

Why
 Prison
 Ministry................................................................
  7

Goals
 of
 Prison
 Ministry……………………………………………………….
  7

Have
 you
 Been
 Called………………………………………………………….
  8

Spiritual
 Qualifications…………………………………………………………
  8

Steps
 to
 Starting
 Your
 Ministry…………………………………………….
  10

Part
 II
 –
 Performing
 Jail
 Ministry………………………………………….
  13

What
 Is
 Your
 Role………………………………………………………………..
  14

Preparation………………………………………………………………………….
  14

Guidelines
 For
 Visiting
 Inmates……………………………………………
  15

Conducting
 A
 Group
 Program………………………………………………
  16

Inmate
 Characteristics…………………………………………………………
  18

General
 Safety
 Information…………………………………………………
  19

Part
 III-­‐
 Mentoring
 Ex-­‐Offenders………………………………………….
  20

Conclusion……………………………………………………………………………
  25

Appendix
 “A”
 –
 Communion
 Service…………………………………….
  26

Appendix
 “B”
 –
 Available
 Resources…………………………………….
  29

Appendix
 “C”
 –
 Suggested
 Reading………………………………………
  30

References…………………………………………………………………………..
  31

 HANDBOOK
 PREPARED
 DEC.
 2013
 BY

 THE
 PRISON
 APOSTOTLATE
 COMMITTEE
 OF
 THE
 ONTARIO
 REGIONAL
 COUNCIL

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St. Vincent de Paul visits the prisoners
(Bonnat)

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INTRODUCTION

Having
 adopted
 Saint
 Vincent
 de
 Paul
 as
 the
 Society’s
 patron,
 our
 prison
 ministry,
 historically,

can
 be
 traced
 back
 to
 the
 time
 of
 his
 appointment
 in
 1619
 as
 “Chaplain
 of
 prisons
 and
 of
 the

slaves
 rowing
 the
 galleys”
 by
 Count
 de
 Gondi.
 (SSVP
 The
 Rule
 and
 Statues
 5.2.)

In
 keeping
 with
 the
 logo
 of
 the
 Society
 of
 Saint
 Vincent
 de
 Paul,
 “Serviens
 in
 Spe”,
 translated
 as

“Serving
 in
 Hope”,
 the
 primary
 role
 of
 the
 Prison
 Apostolate
 ministry
 is
 to
 deliver
 that
 hope
 to

inmates
 incarcerated
 in
 local
 jails,
 provincial
 and
 federal
 correctional
 facilities
 and
 also
 to
 ex-­‐
offenders
 released
 into
 the
 community.

This
 manual
 is
 a
 training
 guide
 for
 jail
 and
 prison
 ministry
 volunteers.

• Visiting
 one-­‐on-­‐one
 with
 inmates,
 if
 permitted
 by
 the
 institution.

• Ministering
 in
 group
 services,
 special
 programs,
 or
 bible
 studies.

• Providing
 post-­‐prison
 ministry
 upon
 an
 inmate’s
 release
 into
 the
 community.

It
 includes
 instruction
 on
 safety
 codes,
 inmate
 characteristics
 and
 how
 to
 relate
 to
 inmates
 in

such
 a
 way
 that
 they
 will
 be
 attracted
 to
 the
 Gospel
 message.

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PRISON
 MINISTRY
 PRAYER

It
 is
 recommended
 that
 the
 following
 prayer
 be
 read
 immediately
 before
 visitation:

Lord, you fell three times under the cross, but You got
up three times; teach me to help prisoners rise up
again! I may never have been in prison, Lord, but I
often wonder what I have done to merit the freedom I
have. At least I have something in common with the
prisoners because I too have often yielded to
temptation. Give me the light to see the dignity in each
human being, even in those men and women who have
lost the esteem of others. Give me the wisdom to
comfort, to counsel and console without seeming self-
righteous or patronizing. Help me, Lord, to be genuine
and sincere, to be understanding and humble. If I can
help, show me how. If I cannot help, at least I can
befriend. If I cannot befriend, at least I can show I care.
No matter how I am received, even with cynicism and
resentment, give me the strength and courage to bring
You closer to those men and women who need You in
their loneliness. Amen.

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PART
 ONE

 STARTING
 A
 PRISON
 MINISTRY

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THE
 SCRIPTURAL
 MANDATE

 “I
 was
 in
 prison
 and
 you
 visited
 me.”

 Matthew
 25:36

This
 is
 a
 key
 directive
 from
 Christ
 to
 act
 with
 compassion
 and
 love
 for
 those
 incarcerated.
 The

bible
 refers
 to
 prison,
 prisoners,
 or
 imprisonment
 more
 than
 130
 times.
 Chaplains
 cannot
 do
 all

of
 the
 necessary
 work
 themselves,
 as
 there
 is
 just
 not
 enough
 time.
 For
 every
 person

incarcerated,
 there
 are
 three
 to
 five
 other
 people
 affected
 including
 partners,
 children,

parents,
 and
 friends.
 Inmates
 and
 their
 families
 represent
 a
 large
 segment
 of
 society
 in
 any

culture.

THE
 VINCENTIAN
 MANDATE

Prison
 Ministry
 is
 included
 in
 the
 list
 of
 the
 Special
 Works
 of
 the
 Society
 as
 we
 respond
 to
 the

needs
 of
 Social
 Justice.
 (Rule
 2.7.1)

 In
 cooperation
 with
 the
 prison
 authorities
 including
 the

prison
 chaplain,
 Vincentians
 may
 receive
 permission
 to
 visit
 jails.
 They
 arrange
 opportunities

for
 Eucharistic
 prayer
 services,
 the
 Sacrament
 of
 Reconciliation,
 and
 spiritual
 counseling.

Walking
 the
 hallways
 and
 ranges
 of
 the
 prison,
 and
 inquiring
 about
 the
 physical
 and
 spiritual

needs
 of
 the
 inmates
 as
 well
 as
 those
 of
 their
 loved
 ones
 is
 permitted
 in
 some
 institutions
 and

are
 some
 of
 the
 ways
 that
 Vincentians
 may
 serve.
 (Rule
 2.7.5)

GOALS
 OF
 PRISON
 MINISTRY

Spiritual
 Goals:

• To
 share
 the
 unconditional
 love
 of
 God.

• To
 present
 the
 Gospel
 of
 Jesus
 Christ
 in
 such
 a
 way
 that
 inmates
 will
 embrace
 it.

• To
 demonstrate
 the
 power
 of
 prayer
 and
 teach
 them
 to
 pray.

• To
 lead
 inmates
 to
 experience
 the
 life-­‐changing
 power
 and
 love
 of
 God
 that
 will
 free

them
 from
 guilt,
 shame,
 negative
 emotions,
 and
 addictions.

Social
 Goals:

• To
 help
 the
 inmate
 function
 more
 positively
 within
 the
 prison
 environment.

• To
 provide
 a
 link
 between
 the
 community
 and
 incarcerated
 persons.

• To
 prepare
 inmates
 mentally
 and
 spiritually
 for
 re-­‐entry
 into
 society.

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HAVE
 YOU
 BEEN
 CALLED?

Those
 who
 minister
 with
 inmates
 must
 be
 sure
 of
 their
 relationship
 with
 Christ.
 A
 suggestion
 to

anyone
 interested
 in
 prison
 ministry
 is
 to
 read
 the
 gospel
 sections
 which
 relate
 the
 story
 of

Jesus
 as
 a
 prisoner
 (Matt
 26-­‐28,
 Mark
 14-­‐16,
 Luke
 22-­‐24,
 and
 John
 17-­‐20).

As
 you
 discern
 if
 God
 has
 called
 you
 to
 Prison
 Ministry,
 it
 may
 be
 helpful
 to
 review
 the

expected
 qualifications
 below.

SPIRITUAL
 QUALIFICATIONS

COURAGE:

Entering
 a
 jail
 or
 prison
 to
 minister-­‐-­‐whether
 on
 a
 one-­‐to-­‐one
 or
 group
 basis-­‐-­‐is
 outside
 the

“comfort
 zone”
 for
 most
 believers.
 It
 is
 not
 unusual
 to
 feel
 a
 bit
 uneasy
 the
 first
 few
 times
 you

are
 in
 a
 penal
 facility-­‐-­‐-­‐but
 remember,
 God
 will
 take
 care
 of
 you
 whenever
 you
 are
 in
 His

service.

COOPERATION:

There
 are
 many
 different
 persons
 in
 a
 prison
 society.
 As
 a
 volunteer-­‐-­‐in
 addition
 to
 the

inmates-­‐-­‐you
 will
 primarily
 be
 involved
 with
 correctional
 officers
 (also
 called
 guards)
 and
 a

chaplain
 or
 supervisor.
 Most
 people
 you
 meet
 will
 probably
 treat
 you
 with
 courtesy
 and

respect.
 Be
 sure
 to
 treat
 them
 courteously,
 speaking
 to
 them
 and
 shaking
 hands
 with
 them

where
 appropriate,
 using
 their
 names
 when
 reasonably
 possible.

 It
 is
 important
 for
 volunteers

to
 maintain
 good
 relationships
 with
 the
 chaplain.
 It
 is
 a
 grave
 breach
 of
 trust
 to
 use
 your
 access

to
 the
 prison
 to
 undermine
 the
 chaplain's
 reputation
 or
 to
 discredit
 his
 programs.
 If
 there
 is
 a

problem,
 always
 talk
 with
 the
 chaplain
 first.

GENUINENESS:

Inmates
 and
 administration
 can
 quickly
 identify
 anyone
 who
 joined
 the
 team
 merely
 out
 of

curiosity.
 Also,
 selfish
 motives
 and
 "holier-­‐than-­‐thou"
 attitudes
 have
 no
 place
 in
 this
 ministry.

HUMILITY:

Maintain
 a
 humble
 spirit.
 Remember-­‐-­‐you
 are
 there
 to
 serve.
 Always
 defer
 to
 those
 in

authority
 (the
 chaplain,
 guards,
 warden).

FORGIVING:

Foster
 a
 forgiving
 spirit,
 recognizing
 that
 but
 for
 the
 grace
 of
 God,
 you
 could
 be
 in
 a
 similar

situation.
 Realize
 that
 God’s
 forgiveness
 extends
 to
 all.

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PERSEVERANCE:

Society,
 friends,
 and
 family
 have
 given
 up
 on
 many
 inmates.
 They
 don’t
 need
 someone
 else
 to

reject
 them.
 Be
 patient.
 Volunteers
 who
 start
 and
 then
 quit
 demoralize
 the
 inmates
 and

disappoint
 the
 chaplain
 and
 the
 prison
 staff.

FAITHFULNESS:

Be
 faithful,
 constant,
 and
 trustworthy
 in
 the
 performance
 of
 your
 duties,
 especially
 in
 keeping

promises
 and
 being
 on
 time
 for
 appointments
 or
 services.
 Don’t
 disappoint
 them.
 Be
 faithful
 to

this
 great
 privilege
 with
 which
 God
 has
 entrusted
 you.

SPIRITUAL
 GROWTH:

You
 must
 not
 only
 lead
 inmates
 to
 new
 spiritual
 growth,
 but
 you
 yourself
 also
 must
 be
 willing

and
 anxious
 to
 undergo
 a
 spiritual
 and
 personal
 transformation.

EMOTIONAL
 MATURITY:

It
 is
 important
 that
 you
 can
 handle
 your
 own
 emotions:
 Anger,
 depression,
 up
 one
 day
 and

down
 the
 next.
 Prison
 is
 a
 depressing
 place
 and
 inmates
 don’t
 need
 more
 gloom
 and
 doom.

LOVE:

The
 greatest
 motivating
 force
 behind
 any
 ministry-­‐-­‐and
 especially
 prison
 ministry-­‐-­‐is
 love….love

for
 God,
 unconditional
 love
 for
 the
 inmate,
 love
 for
 the
 mission
 to
 which
 God
 has
 called
 you.

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STEPS
 TO
 STARTING
 YOUR
 MINISTRY

STEP
 ONE:
 Pray

All
 things
 are
 fueled
 by
 prayer.
 Pray
 about
 what
 God
 wants
 for
 the
 specific
 institution
 and
 your

individual
 role
 in
 it.
 Lay
 a
 foundation
 of
 prayer
 before
 you
 begin
 your
 ministry.

STEP
 TWO:
 Contact
 the
 local
 Society
 of
 Saint
 Vincent
 de
 Paul

Try
 to
 gain
 the
 interest
 and
 support
 of
 all
 members
 of
 the
 appropriate
 conference
 or
 council
 in

which
 you
 are
 serving.
 This
 support
 is
 vital
 to
 obtaining
 volunteers
 to
 staff
 the
 program.
 The

key
 will
 be
 in
 showing
 your
 members
 how
 this
 ministry
 works
 cooperatively
 with
 other

programs,
 ministries,
 and
 services
 of
 the
 church.
 Members
 should
 be
 prepared
 to
 work
 and

cooperate
 with
 other
 organizations
 both
 inside
 and
 outside
 the
 institution.

STEP
 THREE:
 Do
 an
 analysis

Here
 are
 some
 questions
 to
 answer
 in
 your
 analysis:

• What
 jails
 and
 prisons
 are
 in
 your
 immediate
 area?
 Consult
 with
 the
 chaplains
 of
 these

institutions?

• Are
 there
 other
 faith-­‐based
 organizations
 currently
 providing
 jail/prison
 ministry?

If
 they
 already
 have
 a
 program
 and
 have
 gained
 access
 to
 local
 institutions,
 perhaps

you
 can
 cooperate
 with
 them.

• Who
 is
 in
 charge
 of
 volunteers
 at
 the
 institution?
 Contact
 them
 and
 find
 out:

How
 do
 you
 get
 cleared
 for
 ministry
 inside
 the
 institution?

-­‐ Are
 there
 forms
 you
 need
 to
 fill
 out?

-­‐ Is
 there
 special
 training
 you
 must
 take?

-­‐ What
 identification
 do
 you
 need
 for
 clearance?

 What
 needs
 exist
 in
 their
 institution?

-­‐ What
 needs
 can
 you
 and/or
 your
 group
 fulfill?
 Try
 not
 to
 duplicate

efforts
 of
 other
 Christian
 organizations.
 We
 should
 complement,
 not

compete
 with
 one
 another.

-­‐ Familiarize
 yourself
 with
 all
 the
 rehabilitation
 programs
 before

requesting
 permission
 to
 provide
 services
 and/or
 programs.
 If
 you

know
 administrators,
 officers,
 or
 former
 inmates,
 talk
 to
 them
 about

the
 needs
 and
 conditions.

Possible
 activities
 and
 services
 you
 can
 provide
 to
 an
 institution
 include:

-­‐ Regular
 church
 services.

-­‐ Christmas
 gift
 bags,
 Easter
 treats,
 refreshments,
 snacks,
 etc.

-­‐ Programs
 to
 address
 specific
 needs.
 Ex:
 female
 population,
 mental

health,
 protective
 custody,
 education.

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