A Prison Chaplaincy Manual
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A Prison Chaplaincy Manual The Canadian Context by Donald Stoesz with Hank Dixon 1 Image on Front Cover of the book appears as the title page of Let’s Talk (Correctional Service Canada, Volume 24, No. 5, 1999). The explanation below appears on page 2 of the same magazine: A Portrait of What We Do We serve a society made up of women, of men, of children, of people of different ages, beliefs, abilities, and trades. We respect the dignity of individuals and the rights of all members of society. We believe in the importance of humanity and human relationships. We share our ideas, knowledge, values and experience with a spirit of openness. We are accountable to the public through a democratically elected gov- ernment. We assist those who have broken the law to become responsible and law- abiding citizens when they return to society. We help to maintain the peace and se- curity of communities in all we do. A new millennium is beginning. It is a time to reflect on how Canada has evolved and to celebrate our progress. At the same time, we must face a myriad of difficult challenges to ensure that our society continues to grow in a humane and peaceful manner. As Canada begins to embrace concepts such as alternatives to incarceration and restorative justice, the Correctional Service of Canada has created an image that illustrates the rich and diverse community that we serve. It is a pleasure to present it to you now. 2 Table of Contents Foreword . 3 Preface . 6 Acknowledgments . 8 Introduction . 10 Professionalization of Chaplaincy I. Criminal Justice Trends and Initiatives: 1960-2019 . 28 II. Canadian Federal Prison Chaplaincy: 1979-2019 . 47 III. Competencies and Job Descriptions . .. 52 IV. Chaplaincy: A Continuum of Care . 58 V. Assessment Tools for Chaplaincy . 65 VI. Chaplaincy Manuals, Books, Courses, and Programs . 68 Prison Dynamics VII. Prison Chaplain as Gate Keeper . 76 VIII. Dynamics of “Solid” and Sex Offenders in Jail . 80 IX. Role of Evangelization in Prison . 84 X. Three Examples of the Positive Use of Coercion . 87 Therapeutic Interventions XI. Purpose of a Pastoral Interview . 90 XII. Loss, Grief, and Mourning in Inmate Populations . 101 XIII. Authority, Peer Pressure, and Young Adults . 115 XIV. Unresolved Oedipal Issues in Incarcerated Men . 126 Programming Opportunities XV. Spiritually-Based Volunteer-Facilitated Programs . 133 XVI. Spiritually-Based Personal Development Courses . 144 XVII. Ascetical and Mystical Practises in a Prison Environment . 151 XVIII. Christian and Islamic Faith Formation Resources . 157 Ecumenism and Inter-Faith Dialogue XIX. Rationale for Religious Accommodation . 165 XX. Establishment of Wiccan Practices . 168 XXI. Value of Sociology in Comparing Religious Groups . 173 3 Establishment of Sacred Spaces XXII. How Post-Modern can a Prison Chapel Be? . .. 179 XXIII. Celebration of Spiritual Care Services at the Bowden Annex 187 Book Reviews XXIV. Inherent Goodness of Human Beings: Review of Two Books 204 XXV. Review of Correctional Chaplains, by Thomas Beckner . 208 Conclusion . 235 Job Description of Prison Chaplain Appendix 1: Statement of Work Identified by Interfaith Committee on Chaplaincy Commissioner’s Directive 750 Appendix 2: Correctional Service Canada: Chaplaincy Services Chaplaincy Courses Appendix 3: Chaplaincy Course, Booth University College, Winnipeg, Manitoba Appendix 4: Chaplaincy Course, Acadia Divinity School, Wolfville, Nova Scotia Appendix 5: Chaplaincy Course at Ambrose University, Calgary, Alberta Appendix 6: Chaplaincy program outlined in www.pastoralcounselling.org Appendix 7: Islamic Chaplaincy Program, Hartford Seminary, Connecticut. Appendix 8: Chaplaincy Program at Saint Michael’s College, in conjunction with Cardiff University, Wales, England Interview Questions Appendix 9: Excerpt of Interview Questions by Gary E. Berg Appendix 10: Description of Offences, Sentences Received, and Staff Responses Endnotes . 287 Bibliography . 304 4 Foreword Chaplain Donald Stoesz’ A Prison Chaplaincy Manual is a wonderful practical re- source for clergy, religious communities, volunteers, and correctional staff. While this manual outlines prison procedures, preventive measures, legal considerations, and religious interfaith requirements for incarcerated persons within a Canadian con- text, it speaks to international prison ministry best practices. This manual creates a quality framework for professional chaplaincy in terms of competences of leadership, spiritual care, and maintaining one’s own religious iden- tity while serving in an interfaith pluralistic prison environment: • The manual begins with a philosophical and theological rationale for correctional chaplaincy. • It provides a history of prison chaplaincy and wider criminal justice initiatives. • It outlines the importance of balancing one’s pastoral presence and emotional intelligence with strong correctional practices of quality law enforcement and public safety prison leadership. • The manual outlines faith-based programming and therapeutic opportunities for inmates. • It explores interfaith religious accommodations and how best to create sacred spaces across faith lines for inmates. • The manual concludes with a vision for the future of correctional chaplaincy and several reviews of other correctional chaplaincy resources for further reading. The prison chaplaincy passion, commitment, and experience are communicated ef- fectively and persuasively in this manual. It is clear to me after reading it and con- necting with the author that this manual will further inform policies, procedures, and best practices of correctional chaplaincy for years to come. It is thoughtful and well researched as well as contains years of practical field expertise. I commend it to all those involved in the field of corrections: from officers to executives, volunteers to chaplains, administrators to community stakeholders. On behalf of others who have made corrections and chaplaincy their life’s work, I thank Chaplain Stoesz for his faithful public service and the lasting legacy that this manual offers to professional correctional chaplaincy. Chaplain Heidi Kugler, Chaplaincy Administrator US Federal Bureau of Prisons December 2019 5 Preface This book on Canadian prison chaplaincy can be situated between legalities that arise when religious accommodation becomes paramount and private faith-based initia- tives that are a constant reality of prison ministries. Legal issues are the responsibility of the state, representing the backdrop of rules and policies that shape how chaplains conduct their ministry. Regional and national government managers of chaplains are responsible for setting policy and interpreting procedures when individual cases of religious accommodation in pris- ons are considered. The Commissioner’s Directive 750 within Correctional Service Canada represents the basis on which these decisions are made (Appendix 2). Literature on the relationship between law and religion as it relates to prison ministry is vast. Winnifred Sullivan has done the most work regarding this topic, outlining the parameters of chaplaincy within this debate. Her book, A Ministry of Presence,1 stands as a litmus test of what is possible. In her dual role as lawyer and scholar of religious studies, Sullivan is especially interested in what happens when religion and the law come into conflict. Her various books on the subject, Prison Religion,2 The Impossibility of Religious Freedom,3 and a recent manuscript, to be published as Church State Corporation,4 speak specifically to the American legal issues regarding religion. Private, faith-based initiatives stand on the other end of the spectrum between state obligations and evangelistic ventures. These voluntaristic programs are com- plementary to the work of chaplaincy in the sense that they help offenders come to terms with their offences, find meaning within the walls of incarceration, and suc- cessfully reintegrate into the community.5 Chaplaincy’s collaboration with these groups represents a continuum of care along which these faith-based initiatives can be situated. These faith-based initiatives sometimes come into conflict with the mandate of chaplaincy. While “the primary purpose of chaplaincy programs is to address the religious needs of incarcerated inmates, with neutrality and non-discrimination – and prohibiting indoctrination or compulsion – at the core of every prison chaplaincy program,”6 faith groups sometimes see evangelization as the heart of their ministries. The literature on private, faith-based ventures in prison is also burgeoning. Kent Kerley has done the most recent work on the subject. After publishing a book on the conversion experiences of inmates in 2014, entitled Religious Faith in Cor- rectional Contexts,7 he has edited a new volume, entitled Finding Freedom in Con- finement.8 The purpose of this book is to demonstrate on a more scientific basis the 6 role that faith and religion play in the lives of offenders. Kerley integrates the find- ings of others into this book, such as Byron Johnson’s More God, Less Crime9 and Michael Hallett et. al, The Angola Prison Seminary.10 These books are dedicated to showing how private, faith-based initiatives can help to reduce violence and crime. The focus of this chaplaincy manual is more specific than the two alternatives offered above. While legal issues are in a chaplain’s mind as they respond to the needs of an inmate, and resources of faith are part of what constitutes chaplaincy, law and religion form the framework rather than