Chaplaincy Services to the Incarcerated

The incarcerated people are usually held in jails, prisons or correctional centers world over for security purposes. Chaplaincy services to the incarcerated simply means the services of chaplains in the closed walls; for jails, prisons and correctional centers are closed systems and a separate world.

How Do Chaplains Get to the Prison or Correctional Centers to Offer Chaplaincy Services?

Chaplaincy ministry or service requires a sure calling, as prison ministry and chaplaincy is a vocation and occupation. Correctional center or prison chaplains are usually hired chaplains who are also called staff chaplains, working in the correctional centers and prison system alongside with prison or correctional service officers as they are now called.

Although there are so many volunteer pastors that go to minister to inmates from time to time, they are not prison or correctional chaplains as they cannot be trusted with the life and security of the inmates as well as the staff of the correctional centers.

What Specialized Training Do Prison or Correctional Chaplains require?

Apart from the general chaplaincy training and education courses offered by chaplaincy colleges or seminaries with chaplaincy concentrations with ordination, because of the closed nature of the prison system, there are specialized course hired prison chaplains are made to undergo making the prison or correctional chaplaincy a field of study.

These courses are not made available to pastors and thus the knowledge is beyond volunteer pastors who claim to have prison ministry as opposed to prison or correctional chaplaincy services.

NB: I need to say it loud and clear that because of the level of security in the prison system or area, nobody is trusted until you are able to prove yourself over the years.

What Other Professional Trainings or Education Do Prison Chaplains Need or Require?

Prison or correctional chaplains require CPE or CCPE studies for at least for them to earn 1 or 2 units in addition to the specialized in-house prison or correctional trainings.

NB: I have a good news for you all that because of the usefulness of the CPE or CCPE programme the National Association of Catholic Chaplains (NACC) contemplating on establishing a CPE like study programme specially for prison chaplains to enhance the development of prison chaplaincy as well as that of prison or correctional chaplains, what a courageous move?

Kinds of Services Chaplains Offer in Prison or Correctional Centers: Prison or correctional chaplains offer various services to inmates, their families, the staff of the correctional facilities and the management:

Services to Staff:

1.     Prison officers, warders etc. spend every day of their lives within the closed doors of prison or correctional facilities; they sometimes become overwhelmed, develop compassion fatigue and become frustrated because of injustices they see daily in the performance of their legitimate duties and sometimes some may think of committing suicide requiring the support of trained qualified prison chaplains to assist them in dealing with the situation.

2.     Sometimes the experience of inmates that attempted committing suicide which may cause the officers to be traumatized requiring the services of trained prison or correctional chaplain to minister and care for them in other to cope and perform optimally.

3.     Prison or correctional chaplains offer religious ritual to prison staff and relations during various celebration such as, promotions, retirement, marriage ceremony, burials and funeral or memorial services who request for such.

4.     Sometimes prison staff do seek or want meaning in life because of difficulties or challenges they encounter in life such as separation, divorce, heart breaking relationships, family issues etc. which require services of professional chaplains.

Services to Inmates: Chaplaincy services offered by prison or correctional chaplains to inmates also called the incarcerated vary as you will find as detailed below:

a.     Pastoral and Spiritual care services. Many times, inmates may be seeking for forgiveness for wrong doings, healing and reconciliation with source of life, qualified trained chaplains are best suited to direct them to connect with the Divine.

b.     Some inmates may become completely depressed wanting to commit suicide; professional prison chaplains are best suited to assist them overcome such temptations.

c.      Sometimes inmates may require ritualistic service of their religions; interfaith prison chaplains are best suited to offer these religious services.

d.     Terminally Ill Inmates and Services: Sometimes inmates develop terminal disease and illness requiring hospitalization and care. Such inmates are usually taken to hospitals with warders attached to them in specialized rooms of the hospitals where they are taken to because of the security of the inmates and the general public. Prison chaplains are expected to collaborate with hospital chaplains to offer needed chaplaincy services to terminally ill inmates.

e.     Services During Pandemic: For instance, during covid 19 surge, prison chaplains should be able to collaborate with their counterparts (hospital chaplains) to offer needed services to the inmates who may be taken to ICU centers or isolation centers.

NB: The prison warder or officers who have accompany inmates to hospitals must also be cared for and protected alongside with prison chaplains. I am happy to let you know that what is presented to you here is global best practices.

Comparison With African Prison Chaplaincy: If we compare the practices in Nigeria where there is no hired chaplains in any prison or correctional centers but only pastors and untrained chaplains from various chaplaincy organization who claim to have prison ministry will reverse the absurdity associated with it.

Professional chaplains who are interested in prison chaplaincy, must arise to seek recruitment into Nigeria Correctional Service as cadets, specifying chaplaincy options.

Chaplaincy leadership should know what to do to make sure people are adequately provided for such positions, especially graduate youths. There is a saying that nobody can give what he/she does not have; unqualified chaplaincy educators will never be able to grow and produce qualified chaplains who can offer chaplaincy care and services to the incarcerated.

Chaplaincy educators are very scarce in continent of Africa. C.G. ranking is no qualification for chaplaincy educators nor a substitute for such. Untrained chaplains will never be able to present themselves to established institutions for employments.

Even though there are available certified chaplaincy educators in Africa, they must give themselves to further training and programmes to enable them prepare well equipped professional chaplains for every sector of the economy as well as produce more chaplaincy educators to take charge of teaching and educating chaplains.

Chaplaincy Care and Services to the Incarcerated: Rightly speaking, the incarcerated is not limited to the inmates in prison or correctional centers and facilities across the world, as that include the prison officers and staff chaplains who are expected to work in such facilities, which are closed world because of the type security required.

These crop of professional chaplains who are serving in correctional centers and all people serving there when they are overwhelmed and face some challenges which make them vulnerable as well needing chaplaincy care, attention and services from prison chaplains.

1.     The fact that chaplains themselves are human beings who can also be traumatized, stressed and experiencing burnout. Because of this, chaplains serving in prison or correctional facilities, must maintain self-care even though they are called to care for others, they must care for themselves as well.

2.     Resting, relaxing, sleeping and eating healthy meals or food. I recommend that at least one day weekly. Chaplains are allowed to take a rest from works.

3.     Chaplains are expected to maintain connection with the Divine for spiritual connection and renewal.

4.     Chaplains will also be able to renew connections with God and their personal religious beliefs and meditation.

 

Are you interested in online professional chaplaincy training to enable you offer beneficial chaplaincy care and services, get registered at the prestigious chaplaincy institute – Prodam-J Chaplaincy Institute for adequate and proper professional chaplaincy education and training to make you outstanding among your equals? Call 08033072375; 07055287861; 08035092416 or WhatsApp – +2349050323309

Chap. David Mike-Jacobs CPC, CPST, BCC.

Professor of Anthropology, Certified Chaplaincy Educator & Trainer.

Blog: thechaplain1.blogspot.com

15^th Oct, AD2022