Corrections_Today_Spring_2025_Vol.87_No.1

News&Views

Becoming part of the solution The main goal for chaplains is to be part of the solution in an incar cerated person’s journey toward healing. This means moving beyond surface-level interactions to un derstanding the deep wounds that many of the incarcerated carry. The following key directives are how chaplains can contribute to healing: – Practice unconditional love: Radical acceptance involves embracing people as they are, without conditions or limitations. The incarcerated population can be weighed down by shame and guilt, but chaplains can model love and compassion by accepting them fully, showing them, they are not defined by their past mis takes or the trauma they have endured. trauma recovery. Incarcerated persons who have experienced abandonment or betrayal need to know that someone cares and will stay with them, even when their behavior is difficult or when healing seems slow. – Help them process their trauma: Offering spiritual direction that acknowledges – Provide constant and consis tent care: Consistency is key in the reality of trauma. Chap lains can guide incarcerated persons in exploring how their experiences have shaped their perceptions of themselves, God, others, and their world view. Being available, prayer, reflection, and counseling can provide avenues for the incar cerated to process their trauma in the context of faith.

healing. Trauma often iso lates, and chaplains can help the incarcerated rediscover the power of healthy com munity, especially within faith-based settings. 4. Collaboration and Mutuality: Forming a partnership where both the chaplain and incar cerated individual actively participate in spiritual care values the individual’s input and autonomy. Focusing on shared humanity, rather than from an authority position, aims to reduce any power dynamics and build respect. 5. Empowerment, Voice, and Choice: Trauma survivors of ten feel powerless, victimized,

and don’t have a voice. Chap lains can restore a sense of control by offering incarcerat ed person’s choices—whether it’s deciding how they wish to engage in spiritual practices, or simply being given the chance to participate in shap ing their journey. Gender Considerations: In a diverse prison population, chaplains must be sensitive to how cultural backgrounds, gender, and personal history shape an inmate’s experience of trauma. A one-size-fits all approach doesn’t work. Understanding these layers of identity helps chaplains minister more effectively.

6. Cultural, Historical, and

Photo courtesy Geri Simpkins Photography

Corrections Today | Spring 2025

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