Corrections_Today_Summer_2025_Vol.87_No.2

News&Views

CORRECTIONAL CHAPLAIN PERSPECTIVES

How a community can adopt a local state prison By Hans Hallundbaek F or many, the idea of a commu nity adopting its prison may at first sound contradictory.

However, we routinely embrace ideas of adopting neglected children, un wanted dogs and cats, town parks and state highways, so why not a prison? When community members are given an opportunity to tour a prison, it inevitably leads to wakeup calls for the visitors to see opportunities, e.g., the teacher sees chances for learning, the therapist for healing, the artist for creativity, the accountant for cost savings, the minister for spiritual growth, while the pragmatist may see the opportu nity for a meaningful job, awarded in the end with a pension. Inspired to find ways to improve prisons and build community, Interfaith Prison Partnership (IPP), a local non-profit organization in Westchester County, New York, ap proached the Town of Bedford with a proposal for the community to adopt its two prisons, Bedford Hills, and Taconic NYS Prisons, with a combined population of about 850 women. When the town supervisor accepted the idea, meetings were arranged with the superintendents

Photo courtesy Angela James Photography

Daniel F. Martuscello III, Commissioner of the Department of Corrections and Community Supervisions (DOCCS), together with Sharon Griest Ballen, Chair of the Prison Relations Advisory Committee (PRAC) to the Town of Bedford.

of the two prisons. After a couple of rounds of conversations, the propos al was approved by New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision (DOCCS), and the Town Board established a vehicle, the Prison Relations Adviso ry Committee (PRAC), to organize and implement this first in the coun try Adopt-A-Prison program (AAP) in a maximum-security facility.

Sharon Griest Ballen was appointed as chair of PRAC, based upon years of experience as IPP program director, in addition to a solid MSW and years of social engagement and criminal justice involvement.

Building consensus

The first concern for PRAC was to ensure all stakeholders for

Corrections Today | Summer 2025

10