Corrections_Today_July-August_2022_Vol.84_No.4

Correctional Chaplain Perspectives

separation, lowers recidivism, and is the single most important factor in determining whether a family will reunify after a prison term.” 5 Supporting family connections Programs like Angel Tree™ can be vehicles for correctional chaplains to proactively support the family connections of those they serve. Angel Tree ® has been partnering with chaplains since 1982 to help incarcerated parents send Christ mas gifts to their children on their behalf, by way of local churches and volunteers. During Christmas 2021, more than 236,000 children were signed up to receive gifts. Angel Tree goes beyond Christmas as it offers additional opportunities like camping scholarships and encour ages year-round church support of families with an incarcerated loved one. Recently, Angel Tree has been adding to its impact through new initiatives and by expanding the longer-standing components. At the front lines of this expan sion is the newly created chaplain liaison role. There are six dedicated Prison Fellowship staff serving as resources to chaplains in state and local departments of corrections. In addition, there is one staff member — a former Federal Correctional Officer — whose role is to work with Federal Bureau of Prisons chaplains. Patti Hammonds, director of Angel Tree chaplain relations, states, “The goal of the new Angel Tree chaplain liaison team is to come alongside the chaplains in the prisons and help them in their role of ‘shep herd of their flock’ in prison. To make their job easier.”

to affirm the important role of incarcerated parents, give them an opportunity to sign up their children for Angel Tree and let them know about the opportunities available to their children throughout the year. A calendar containing key dates for Angel Tree is available at many in prison events. Calendars also include a verse of the month and questions to encourage the parent’s spiritual growth. As COVID-19 restrictions on visitations are lifted, hopefully 100–150 Parent Day events can be held nationwide in 2022. The ongoing evolution of the An gel Tree program is prompted in part by the recognition parental incar ceration is considered a particularly stigmatizing “adverse childhood experience.” Often, children of prisoners have additional ACEs that affect not only their relation ships with the absent parent but can have negative impacts on academic performance, educational outcomes and future physical, emotional and mental health. Programs that seek to have a positive impact on such chil dren should be trauma-informed and holistic. 6 This is the main impetus of two new initiatives, the Opportunity Kids Collaborative and Angel Tree Every Day. In its pilot phase, Opportunity Kids Collaborative is “connecting families in need to those who can help, thanks to corporations who care.” Seed funding has been pro vided by Walmart, allowing launches in the following five cities in 2022: Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Houston and Baltimore. In the first phase of the pilot, families are introduced to churches and organizations that can meet real needs, supporting and

“The goal of the new Angel Tree chaplain liaison team is to come alongside the

Over the phone and through email, chaplain liaisons help correc tional chaplains access and deploy the Angel Tree program in their prisons. Chaplain liaisons also point chaplains and correctional staff to other resources that can benefit the population they serve. Two examples are (a) Floodlight™, which offers in spirational original and partner video content geared toward an incarcerat ed audience, and (b) The Storehouse, where chaplains can request Bibles, educational materials and books at no charge. Chaplains can also receive a monthly e-newsletter, The Frontliner, with links to additional key resources. Expansion and outreach Angel Tree program expansion includes Angel Tree Parent Days. These in-prison events are designed chaplains in the prisons and help them in their role of ‘shepherd of their flock’ in prison. To make their job easier.”

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