Prison Break-Through 2017

December 2017

One thing I can say about prison ministry in 2017 is that it was challenging. Not so much with the men I work with as much as the company I work for. The prison where I work is privately owned and operated but still has to adhere to Florida Department of Corrections (FDOC) standards plus their own…which makes things doubly stressful! 

When I started as a Substance Abuse Counselor in August of 2016, we were a Preventative program and I was the only counselor with oversite of about 50 men. By the time December of that year rolled around, I was responsible for over 160! 60 guys twice a day in one big room plus, at the same time, 20 guys twice a day in a smaller room…and I had to bounce back and forth to teach and take attendance. The prison was planning to transition to an “Intensive Outpatient Program” that is clinical in nature and is basically an evidence based Cognitive Behavioral Change program. Well…in April of this year we finally transitioned, hired 4 additional counselors, one supervisor who lasted two months and recently brought on a new supervisor who is doing an outstanding job. The new pressures come with the extraordinary amount of paperwork and follow-up materials. All a part of the job.

I have two 90 minute classes in the mornings and the afternoons are designed for one-on-one psychosocial interviews, follow-up monthly reviews, and administrative catch-up. I love teaching these men! God uses me to allow them to “escape” prison for 90 minutes a day. About ½ of both of my classes don’t want to graduate even when they are finished with their 6-month commitment. When we started the classes, most of these guys didn’t know one another and it was difficult for them to open up. Now, I can’t shut them up! (In a good way!) It’s like God has built a community and these guys know that I genuinely love and care for them with the love of Jesus. (Many still call me “Chap” from when I was the Assistant Chaplain.) We laugh together, share life together, talk sports, and most of all learn how to overcome addictions.

One of the most difficult things about working in the prison is how security trumps everything. And it ought to. Staff and inmate safety is top priority. Twice during our work day, the compound stops for “count.” Count is when every inmate is counted and must be accounted for. There is no movement, men are locked in their bunks, and students cannot leave their classrooms. Unfortunately, most days, there needs to be a recount and that could take a total of two and a half to three hours! So, oftentimes my second class pays for it as we hardly have time to meet while my first class (after the lesson is complete) waits around until count clears. Those times of waiting are actually some of the best times to get to know these men. They’re always asking me questions about God, life, religion, Jesus…real deep life stuff.

Anyway, one day I felt like I needed to apologize to my 2^nd class for the lack of time they have for meaningful lessons. One guy, let’s call him Harvey, shot up from his seat and said, “Are you kidding me? You have no idea how much you have been teaching us! You teachin’ us ‘bout life Chap! You teachin’ us enough so that when we get on the other side of these walls, we can overcome anything…if we were really listening and interacting with you.” I was stunned. As I looked around almost the whole class was nodding in agreement and a few even threw in some “amens” for good measure. It was a very humbling experience.

Since the program change, one of the highlights has been the regular one-on-one interviews I have with the men in my case load. This is an amazing opportunity to get to know the guys on a deeper level. We talk about their fears, successes, failures, dreams, family, friends, and life in general. To hear some of these stories is heartbreaking. Being in the “underbelly” of a prison changes an outsider like me who had preconceived notions about those incarcerated.
 

I’ve had the privilege of doing more “chaplain stuff” now than I did when I was the Assistant Chaplain! Guys come into my office for prayer. I’m getting them connected with Christian groups on the outside when they are released. It’s been amazing to see how God is working to change the hearts of some of these men. Yes, some are hard-core criminals who are paying for their crimes, but they are still human beings who do deserve to be treated with dignity and respect. Others are lesser-core criminals who have maybe one conviction and sincerely desire to change and never want to get back in blue once released.

So many times I hear from these guys that if, God forbid, something like a riot ever broke out on the compound they would “have my back.” That can be pretty comforting since there’re a lot more inmates than Correction Officers! I praise God that He has allowed me to earn their trust.

The bottom line is that these guys know I don’t judge them and I don’t condemn them (the system has already done that!). I love them as they are, not as they should be…with the unconditional love of Jesus. And they know the Author of that love is Jesus.

Psalm 107:14-16 

He led them from the darkness and deepest gloom; he snapped their chains. Let them praise the Lord for his great love and for the wonderful things he has done for them. For he broke down their prison gates of bronze; he cut apart their bars of iron.

Please pray for prisoners. I sense that for 90 minutes a day, 5 days a week, God is using me to metaphorically lead them out of darkness and gloom and break down their prison gates and cut their bars of iron…with life, laughter, and lessons.