Corrections_Today_Winter_2024-2025_Vol.86_No.4

CORRECTIONAL CHAPLAIN PERSPECTIVES

without consistent programming that challenges their criminogenic thinking, transformative change is beyond the reach of most who stood up for Christ. The groundbreaking research and writing of Michelle Alexander gave America and the Church the nudge they needed to come out of their com placency about the prison pipeline. Cornell West writing the forward of her book stated, “The New Jim Crow is a grand wake-up call amid a long slumber of indifference to the poor and vulnerable.” 5 Following the suc cess of The New Jim Crow, on talk radio and television, preachers, and churches were forced to struggle with the questions of why America incar cerates so many of its citizens, and what ministry response should the Christian Churches mount. Therein lies the crux of the problem of what is effective prison ministry and the challenges facing prison Chaplains. The lack of understanding and lack of strategies to create solutions that will provide off-ramps in the prison pipeline continue to stymie prison ministries. The origin of American prison ministry grew out of the prison experiences of incarcerated Quak ers in England. Margaret Fox, wife of George Fox, was viewed by many as the mother of Quakerism. Her home in Swarthmore became the headquarters for his preachers, as approximately 3,179 of his follow ers were imprisoned. About four hundred of his followers met their deaths in prison and many were Driving transformative change in a prison setting

ruined financially by hefty fines imposed upon them by their in carceration. 6 The full weight of the English government was imposed against the Religious Society of Friends as they sought to quell the growth of any religious group outside of the Anglican Church of England and Puritans. The Quak ers were constantly monitored and imprisoned. Margaret Fox was ar rested for refusing to take an oath of allegiance to the King and allow ing Quaker meetings in her home. She was sentenced to life imprison ment and forfeiture of her property. She remained in prison for four years and spent her time in prison writing religious pamphlets and epistles. Margaret also wrote letters to Judges regarding the inhumane conditions of Lancaster prison, and appearing before the Judge, spoke of the horrible environment pris oners were forced to live in. Once released from prison Margaret Fox travelled to England’s’ prisons pro viding for “incarcerated sufferers” who needed support. 7 Margaret Fox outlived her husband, she contin ued to agitate for the end of capital punishment and improved condi tions in England’s prisons. After her husband’s death, Margaret Fox increased her and her Friend’s sup port with material substance for incarcerated Friends, imprisoned debtors, their families detained with them, degraded women, as well as individuals incarcerated under penalty of death. 8 The goal of the Friends was a total trans formation of the entire system of incarceration in England. The goal of the 21st-century church should be no less.

The legacy of the Friends lives on in our churches which provide ser vices to the incarcerated. However, we must embrace the full legacy of total transformation. The Christian Church and the religious commu nity need a spiritual transformative program that will restore the lives of incarcerated and formerly incar cerated individuals and result in desistance. The National Institute of Justice (NIJ) defines desistance in their report, on the part of return ing citizens as “ continued absence of criminal activity and requires reinte gration into society .” 9 Transformative programs will focus on assisting the IP in recasting their self-identity. The transformative process is a deep-level change in self-identity characterized by recognizing and being receptive to the idea of change. Secondly, the individual must perceive visible desirable, and attain able advantages to change. Thirdly, cognitive transformation is possible when the incarcerated individual can envision an appealing replacement self. Finally, cognitive transforma tion transpires when the deviant criminal behavior and lifestyle are no longer perceived as positive or viable. There is a growing body of research on identity change and re ligiously motivated desistance that supports the position that religious beliefs and lifestyle create a new social identity to replace the label of prisoner or criminal. According to the study conducted at Angola Prison, they found religious study and lifestyle: Imbues the experience of

imprisonment with purpose and meaning, empowers the powerless prisoner by turning

Winter 2024-2025 | Corrections Today

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