SPIRITUAL AND RELIGIOUS DIVERSITY IN PRISONS: Focusing on How Chaplaincy Assists in Prison Management 0398083002, 9780398083007

Table of contents :
THE NEED FOR PRISON MINISTRY AND BASIC COUNSELING ESSENTIALS ..............3
CRIME AND DELINQUENCY AND OTHER PERSPECTIVES ..............35
PROVIDING A WHOLESOMEHEALING MINISTRY ..............79
DEALING WITH SUCCESSFUL PARENTING ISSUES ..............97
THE NEED FOR PASTORAL SUPPORT MINISTER OF RECORD ..............115

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SPIRITUAL AND RELIGIOUS DIVERSITY IN PRISONS

SPIRITUAL AND RELIGIOUS DIVERSITY IN PRISONS Focusing on How Chaplaincy Assists in Prison Management

By

REV. JOSIAH N. OPATA

Charles CThomas PUB LIS HER

•

LTD.

SPRINGFIELD· ILLINOIS· U.S.A.

Published and Distributed Throughout the World by CHARLES C THOMAS· PUBLISHER, LTD. 2600 South First Street Springfield, Illinois 62704

This book is protected by copyright. No part of it may be reproduced in any manner without written permission from the publisher.

© 2001 by CHARLES C THOMAS· PUBLISHER, LTD.

ISBN 0-398-07179-9 (hard) ISBN 0-398-07180-2 (paper) Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 00-054394

With THOMAS BOOKS carefol attention is given to all details of manufacturing and design. It is the Publisher's desire to present books that are satisfactory as to their physical qualities and artistic possibilities and appropriate for their particular use. THOMAS BOOKS will be true to those laws of quality that assure a good name and good will.

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Opata,Josiah N. Spiritual and religious diversity in prisons : focusing on how chaplaincy assists in prison management / by Josiah N. Opata. p.cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 0-398-07179-9 -- ISBN 0-398-07180-2 (pbk.) l. Chaplains, Prison--United States. 2. Religious work with prisoners--United States. 3. Criminals--Rehabilitation--United States. I. Title. HV8867 .063 2001 365'.66--dc21

00-054394

FOREWORD When Reverend Josiah Opata writes about the role of chaplains in prisons, he writes with a total context in view. This is because he sees not only the prisoner but all other parties involved-correctional staff, prison volunteers, chaplains, prisoners' families, victims and their families, courts, and parole administrators-as part of a social system. The inmate's crime, their chances of reform and rehabilitation, and the kinds of attitudes and values that they will develop as they go through prison are greatly affected by systemic features such as family of origin, their interactions among prisoners and with correctional staff while incarcerated, and their experience with their communities and the wider society after leaving prison. But Rev. Opata in no way excuses inmates' crimes and their behaviors in prison by "blaming the system." Rather, he gently but firmly reveals to each party the important responsibilities he or she has and the crucial roles played to not only make the reform and restoration of prisoners more effective but how critical this is for making society better and safer. Starting with prisoners themselves, he illustrates the important and delicate role that the prison chaplain has in helping inmates accept the responsibility for their wrongdoings and the penalties incurred for them; he then points them towards hope by encouraging them to become involved in appropriate treatment and skill-learning programs. Rev. Opata also laments the reduction of financial, educational, therapeutic and skill-building resources that are fundamental to a prisoner's hope of rehabilitation and being able to function as a productive citizen after parole. According to him, it is not a mere matter of giving away tax dollars to prisons. Rather, it is a matter of bringing human resources from society into the prisons to facilitate rehabilitation and for the after-care needs of paroled prisoners; they need assistance in getting settled into local communities again where they can rebuild their families, find adequate support services and employment and become constructive members of society, never again to return to prison. Tragically, this is not often the case. The recidivism rate is very high because of the lack of resources for rehabilitation programs in prison and during the after-care phase. Additionally, Rev. Opata highlights the crucial roles of religious organizations, outside volunteers, correctional staff, clergy, inmates' families, and victims in the treatment and rehabilitative process of prisoners. He describes v

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the negative atmosphere of most prisons, characterized by fear, violence, and duplicity, as something that volunteers and even professionally trained correctional personnel are sometimes inadequately prepared to encounter. Inadequate training leaves well-meaning workers in prisons vulnerable to manipulation and the power struggles between inmates that are so much a part of prison life. While a primary objective of the book is to inform those connected with our correctional system about the important and sometimes misunderstood roles of the prison chaplain, this book is appropriate for anyone interested in doing work of any kind in prisons, whether professionally or more informally. Writing as a devout minister, Rev. Opata emphasizes repeatedly the spiritual needs of prisoners and the unique power of the Christian Gospel to deliver them from sin and into a right relationship with God through Jesus Christ. This is so crucial for healing and reconciliation between prisoners, victims, and society as a whole. However, as a chaplain he also believes firmly in the freedom for prisoners to choose their religious resources as protected by the Religious Freedom and Restoration Act (RFRA) passed in 1993 by the U.S. Congress. He notes that one of his roles as chaplain is to make prisoners aware of these resources and to encourage them to utilize these in connection with treatment and educational programs. While acknowledging some of the problematic issues that have arisen in allowing prisoners freedom of religious choice, he resolutely (and rightly in my view) defends RFRA as crucial to successful prison reform. We live in a day of increasing violence in our jails. Because many misinformed people are advocating overly simplistic approaches to prison reform, either of the "get tough" or soft-headed variety, this is a timely and important book. B. KENNARD, PH.D. Assistant Professor of Sociology, Mount Vernon Nazarene College Mount Vernon, Ohio June 2000 DOUGLAS

INTRODUCTION

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haplaincy has always played a vital role in Corrections, ever since penology was established to correct people having problems in living or obeying society's established laws. But, with the passage of the Religious Freedom and Restoration Act of 1993, this role has become the vital advocate in interpreting the implications, the meaning, and the core elements of religions, including the traditional and non-traditional religions. This work will deal with several of the programs being used by chaplains, case managers, and other correctional staff at the Madison Correctional Institution in London, Ohio, in aiding the rehabilitation of the inmates to be responsible and productive citizens in their various communities. At Madison Correctional, we serve three to four types of offenders, namely: sex offenders, juveniles, substance abusers, and the mentally ill. In this work, we are going to take a look at some of the programs that work, that are necessary and perhaps needed in building moral, spiritual, civic responsibility and are currently being used to educate, motivate, and challenge the current residents and past residents to normalcy and into becoming productive citizens, after a life in the fast lane. Our position description for Correctional Chaplains in the order of important job duties states the following: Conducts regular worship services on Sundays and for special religious observances for all inmates who wish to participate; provides spiritual guidance and counseling regarding problems in adjusting to confinement of personal and/or family problems (sixty percent of the time); coordinates all activities involving different religious denominations who provide services for the inmates; supervises all volunteers participating in various church-related activities for the inmates (thirty percent of the time); attends pertinent conferences; participates in community organizations and activities which would be beneficial in dealing with incarcerated individuals (five percent of the time); assists in training correctional employees or inmates of the institution; attends classes relevant to position at the institution and other facilities; maintains qualifications in unarmed self-defense; performs related duties as directed by the institution superintendent or designee. The minimum qualification for this job is the master of divinity degree with ordination or ecclesiastical endorsement by religious denomination and three years pastoral experience. vii

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This is just the beginning of a long journey, because creativity is called into action by the chaplain to transform these guidelines into classes, seminars, educational goals and ministry, to guide people with problems in living and incarcerated to learn and master skills, and self-discipline in order to return to society and be responsible, courageous, respectful and cooperating members of society, i.e., the goals of parenting, which is missed by families, are to be reinforced, cultivated and regained by these individuals. It is a difficult, stressful, and demanding job, but there are several citizens from all walks of life, including church and library resources, waiting to be asked and to assist. I love being a chaplain and I am very grateful to have been hired by the Ohio Department of Corrections, especially Dr. David Schwartz and Warden Arthur Tate, Jr., for giving me this opportunity to contribute my God-given talents for the rehabilitation of inmates throughout Ohio and the world in general. I am also grateful to my current Warden, Mr. Curtis Wingard, for giving me the freedom to write, as well as being my mentor. I also appreciate some of the feedback I receive from my supervisor, Mr. Mark Saunders. In no way do I claim that only the programs outlined in this book work. Because I am a believer in comprehensive programs treatment for the whole person, physical, emotional, and spiritual, including life skills, jobtraining programs developed to meet the needs of the people incarcerated that work. Chaplains and other social and psychological programs can help prison management to rehabilitate offenders for meaningful living in society. What I am attempting to share here is the resources that I have been using, borrowing from all sorts of experts in different fields of concentration. The purpose is to contribute to the total rehabilitation efforts of the treatment team in the facility. So, it is important for all the team members, including psychology, psychiatry, medical, substance abuse, mental health, and religious services, to know what programs each department is delivering in order to prevent duplications. However, chaplains deliver more than just spiritual programs due to the demands placed on them for different skills by the local church and by prison administrators. So, to me, real education is continued on the job and beyond. I am learning daily and growing constantly in knowledge and skills as I arise to the different challenges and demands of my profession, whether· planning or organizing programs for juvenile offenders, sex offenders, the mentally challenged, burglars, or murderers. I research to find out what the experts in these various fields have done or are still doing and apply it to the wide-open field of creative practice of chaplaincy in assisting correctional management. Some states, which are doing away with this vital profession, are only doing themselves in, because they will soon realize that the cost of not having a chaplaincy department is more than having one because when inmates riot, there is cost involved. Finally, the cost of aftercare (after prison programs) is less than recidivism.

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So, it may be cost effective to keep ex-convicts out of prison unless it becomes necessary to protect citizens from a repeat predator. All ex-felons want is a chance in society to prove themselves. And, when we fail them or put roadblocks in their way, we are saying to them that they are less than human beings, and that sort of thinking or action can destroy anybody's selfesteem and reduce them to criminal beings. A criminal is sometimes a person with a thinking error and, therefore, wrong in judgment or in taking a constructive action, so a little guidance or coaching may help a lot in correcting the error.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

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his book would not have been possible without the help and encouragement of people who challenged me to follow the prompting of my heart to respond to the call of God: First of all, my late father, Nene Lanimo Opata, II, who urged me to take my calling seriously and to stand firm in the Gospel Ministry; my middle school principal, Mr. J. T. Odonkor, who discovered my gift early and tried to encourage me into debating and spelling bee clubs; and my brother, Dr. Alexander M. Okrah, who helped me to immigrate to the United States. I am also indebted to my college English teacher, Miss Catherine Nelson; my physics professor, Dr. Ahrens, who assisted me in my decision to enroll in seminary; and my seminary professors, Dr. Dick Murray, Dr. Susan johnson, Dr. Zan Holmes, and Dr. Theodore Walker,jr., who taught me to think critically. In addition, I am indebted to my classmate, Sharon C. Patterson, whose work on ministry with black single adults inspired me to write this book. Of course, my wife, Maria Yvone and her son, Baldemero Silva, III, assisted me with the purchase of a computer and emotional support. Special mention is extended to my clerks, Mark Brodka (#292-725) and Earl Aeschliman (#309091), who helped me with some of the manuscript as part of their community service work; Mr. Curtis Wingard, Warden of Madison Correctional Institute, for his insistence that all department heads perform community service; Mr. Reginald Wilkerson, Director of the Department of Rehabilitation and Corrections, for allowing me the use of some department resources in this publication. I thank the A.M.E. Church, Bishop Henry Allen Billens,jr., and Bishop Haskel Mayor for endorsing me for Ministry; not to forget, Bishop Robert L. Pruitt, who ordained me and treated me with kindness in Dallas, Texas. I give thanks to my C.P.E. Supervisor, Mr. Richard Stewart, for teaching me to be able to stand up for myself, to Dr. David Schwartz, for giving me a chance in Correctional Ministry to prove myself; and to Rev. Marloe Karlen, who assigned me the task of writing about the Rastafarians as part of our department's Religious Service Manual. I also thank Fr. David Schiller for allowing me to read his manuscript, Fences, and for allowing me to write the foreword to his book which gave me insight on how to proceed with this work. xi

CONTENTS Page Foreword ...................................................v Introduction ................................................vii Acknowledgments .............................................xi Chapter 1.

THE NEED FOR PRISON MINISTRY AND BASIC COUNSELING ESSENTIALS .......................... 3 Personal Lives of Correctional Chaplains ................... 5 Delinquency ..........................................5 Causes of Delinquency, Crime, and Social Control ............ 7 Theoretical Perspectives of Deviance ...................... 14 Lifestyle Theory .................................... 16 Stages of Thinking Report Groups ...................... 20 The Woman Offender Group: An Exercise in Problem-Solving .................................. 21 Effective Treatment Program That Works ................ 21 Basic Counseling Essentials ............................. 23 The Seven Types of Listening Skills ....................... 24 Recognition of Emotions ............................ .26 Crisis Intervention .................................. 33

2.

CRIME, DELINQUENCY AND OTHER PERSPECTIVES .................................... 35 Peer Pressure ........................................ 37 Restorative Justice ................................... .41 Example of Restorative Justice - David Lerman, Esq ....... .47 Race Relations ...................................... .49 Substance Abuse and Crime ............................ 51 Drug Addiction and Mind Control .....................55 Can the Drug Addict Be Treated or Rehabilitated? .........55 Urine Testing for Drug Screening ...................... 55 xiii

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xiv

Why Kids Use Alcohol and Other Drugs ................55 Prevention of Alcoholism Among Black Youths ...........56 Drinking Behavior .................................. 57 Models for Prevention of Substance Abuse in Black Families .57 Blacks and Alcohol: Significant Dates ................... 58 Other Concerns .................................... 61 The Socio-Psychological Model ........................ 61 What Have the Models to Do with Black Alcohol Prevention? ..................................... 61 Worship: What Do Correctional Chaplains Do and Why? ... 63 Methadone for Treatments ............................ 67 Inmate Marriages ................................... 70 Baptism .......................................... 70 Serious Illness and Death Notifications .................. 70 The Sacraments .................................... 71 Conversion Versus Ethics ............................. 72 Parenting ......................................... 75 3.

PROVIDING A WHOLESOME (HEALING) MINISTRY ... 79 Family Fears and Stories ............................... 79 Poverty in America ................................... 82 Class in America ..................................... 84 Prostitution and Crime ................................. 85 Treating the Whole Family ............................. 88 Juvenile Crime Prevention .............................. 92 Madison Correctional Residential Programs for Juveniles ...... 93 Alternate Schooling as a Discipline ....................... 94 Return to Class ...................................... 94 Dealing with Literacy and Delinquency .................... 95

4.

DEALING WITH SUCCESSFUL PARENTING ISSUES .... 97 Self-esteem .......................................... 97 Guilt .............................................. 100 Anger Control and Emotional Management ............... 101 The Games Inmates Play .............................. 105 Guidelines for Staff and Volunteers ...................... 107 Listening Observation ................................ 112 Verbal Observation .................................. 112

Contents

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5.

THE NEED FOR PASTORAL SUPPORT (MINISTER OF RECORD) ...................................... 115 Ministry Through Evangelism Providing Support Services .... 116 Christian Discipleship and Spiritual Formation ............. 122 The Cross .......................................... 128 Forgiveness ........................................ 129 Jesus .............................................. 129 The Holy Spirit and Therapy ........................... 130 Life Skills .......................................... 132

6.

DEALING WITH NON-TRADITIONAL RELIGIONS IN PRISON ........................................ 135 Buddhism .......................................... 137 Hinduism .......................................... 143 Native American Spirituality ........................... 147 WICCA ........................................... 152 Rastafarians ........................................ 156 Religious Cults ...................................... 163 Satanism ........................................... 167 Mind Control Methods ............................... 168 20 Ways to Resist Unwanted Social Influence ............ 170 Spirituality ......................................... 171 Volunteering and Organizing for a Prison Ministry .......... 173 The Diagnostic Criteria for Antisocial Personality Disorder .. 175 Why Volunteering ................................... 176 Principle I Personal Conduct and Ethics ................. 178 Principle II Professional Practices ...................... 178 Principle III Confidentiality .......................... 178 Principle IV Professional Development ................. 178 Principle V Faith Group Relationships .................. 178 Principle VI Interdisciplinary Relationships .............. 179 Principle VII Competency ........................... 179 Principle VIII Responsibility ......................... 179 Organizing for Prison Ministry ........................ 181

Endnotes .................................................. 185 Index . ................................................... 189

SPIRITUAL AND RELIGIOUS DIVERSITY IN PRISONS

Chapter 1 THE NEED FOR PRISON MINISTRY AND BASIC COUNSELING ESSENTIALS watch their vehicles while they worship. Some deacons and church stewards have been known to steal monies from the offering and have even committed murder in the church. Some pastors are armed to the teeth and even carry guns to church. Are we watching the times and the seasons? Does somebody know what time it is? It is time for the silent majority to wake up and get involved. When prison industries are fast becoming the major industries in some parts of our communities, when some so-called effective prison rehabilitation programs are beginning to cut off funds for chaplaincy services, when secularization of society is legislating every aspect of our moral behavior without education and ethical or moral standards, we need to cry out until somebody hears us and does something about the moral decay of our social and personal lives. Laws without intrinsic values to obey them are meaningless. One of the questions we must ask ourselves is, "Is the church really doing its work? Is it carrying on the great commandment of the Lord?" If so, why are there so many Christians in prison? What kind of morality and ethics are we teaching these folks and is it working? If it is working to rescue some but not teaching all our members, then we need to reevaluate our programs to reach the unchurched and the

" ... !was in prison, and ye came unto me," (ibid., 1) was one of the last words spoken by Jesus before his crucifixion. There are many churches today that will give their money to prison ministries but will not go to the prisoners themselves to proclaim the gospel of Jesus. There are so-called Conservative Evangelicals who are saying and agreeing with the politicians that incarceration is the key to controlling unwanted behavior, yet cut off educational opportunities for inmates in place of warehousing. Evil is taking its toll on the cities of the United States and even spilling over to the suburbs. Crack cocaine, barbiturates, marijuana, speed, alcohol, and many types of psychedelic drugs are rampant in every high school and neighborhood in the United States. We hear of drive-by shootings, murder at home, murder on the streets, at the shopping malls, and even in restaurants. Some murders take place at the post office, the workplace, and even hospitals. No place is safe today. Yet, we enjoy watching horror movies produced in Hollywood about prison breakouts, murder mysteries and mass murderers portrayed by our heroes. The Geofrey Dalmer's are our role models. Some women even fall in love with these perpetrators and glorify their gross crimes. Churches are being robbed and in places decent worshipers have to post guards to

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lost among our flock. Hollywood has failed us. It has defiled our thoughts, captivated our minds, and seduced our children. We need to reclaim and win the minds of our children from the gutter and the slave market of sin and bondage. What happened to our fallen President is a reflection of our society's moral decay, and Congress is not immune. All has fallen short and we need help. There are a number of churches, organizations, and fellowships involved in prison ministry of one kind or another. To those organizations, we cannot thank you enough; you should keep up the efforts. We need you and we need your involvement, your volunteerism and your ministries. For those on the sidelines, I would like to say that charity begins at home. These inmates are your children, your neighbors, your brothers and sisters, experiencing problems in living. What are you doing to help out in the fight against corruption, against substance abuse, against crime, and against moral degeneration of society? Perhaps freedom to do as you well please ought to have some boundaries and perhaps those boundaries need some clear definitions and thought. How can the blind lead the blind? How can they be taught without a teacher and how can the teacher teach without receiving any training? Remember shepherds do not beget sheep, but sheep beget sheep. Prisoners, when properly trained, can always help other prisoners, because they once sat where those new prisoners sit. However, when we close the door of opportunities and cut off all educational opportunities, they become hopeless, depressed, and even mean. For where there is hope, there is life! Where are the Christian warriors and prayer warriors? We must not only pray for the conversion of these prisoners, but we must also act on our faith. Conversion is only a beginning into the journey of faith. Conversion without

discipleship is like having a lot of stillbirths who will never have the opportunity to crawl, walk, or run. Accepting the LordJesus Christ as Savior for the first time is only the beginning of the Christian journey. It is time to educate, to disciple, and to teach life skills to our brothers and sisters behind the prison walls. Who is willing to go and bare witness today? Chaplains, prison fellowship, and employees alone cannot get the job done. We need to gather all the resources available to fight evil, by talking the talk and walking the walk. Many chaplains, imams, rabbis, and volunteers have responded to this call and challenge. How many denominations are intentionally and selectively training chaplains and volunteers to wage war on sin? How many denominations are willing to spend some money and provide additional training to support the chaplains in these needed areas? Thank God for Bible Alliance and the Aurora Ministries for their support and continuing education of correctional chaplains. Which denomination or nondenomination will follow their example? Prisoners, like other citizens in society, attend worship services for five reasons: (1) contagious and meaningful worship; (2) safe haven for their faith, while incarcerated as seeking relief from guilt; (3) some place to connect with God and other beliefs, if they want to or be left alone in solitude, if they choose to; (4) building relationships and exploring new relationships; (5) maintaining their sanity and finding some meaning for their incarceration. Some reasons inmates choose to stay away from church are: (1) they find no value for attending; (2) they see too much contention in the church, too much showing off or too much ignorance (some of our preachers lack education); (3) the parole board and the prison administration do not recommend the church as an important part of

The Need for Prison Ministry their parole plans; (4) they are not interested because someone who is significant to them goes to church, but does not practice what they preach; and (5) the church does not meet their needs. From the correctional chaplain'S perspective on ministry: (1) no response from the people in the pew; (2) time pressure; (3) no adequate support from denominations; (4) inadequate resources for effective programming; (5) lack of support from secular administrators or too much dictatorship when administrators get involved. Other

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factors affecting chaplain ministry are: (1) isolation (no one to share dreams with); (2) loneliness because the job does not make close friends. Other chaplains tend to be joboriented and competitive as against cooperation and people oriented; (3) job insecurity (some states are doing away with chaplaincy as a way of saving money); (4) too much expectation from administrators and inmates (chaplains get blamed for negatives as a way of unloading); (5) difficulties in handling priorities as the paperwork increases; (6) no room for career advancement.

PERSONAL LIVES OF CORRECTIONAL CHAPLAINS • Work about forty (40) hours a week • Ministry affects their families sometimes negatively • Ministry sometimes becomes an outright hazard to own families • Inability to meet the needs of the job • Inadequate support from denominations in terms of resources and continuing education needs

• Some develop low self-image on the job from when hired • Some reports serious conflicts with inmates or staff on a frequent basis • Do not have someone they consider as a close friend (ibid., 2) • Too many inmates per one chaplain (average about 1,000 to 1,500 inmates).

DELINQUENCY Is delinquency preventable? Does it have any warning signs? What are the symptoms of delinquency? Perhaps in our attempt to provide for our children, to buy them material resources like living in a nice house, driving a nice car, we neglect something so basic that television, radio, and movies cannot provide and that is the love of a mother. I am no exception, because I recall being in school by age three and by age five, had excelled to a sixth grade level. Teachers in the upper primary school would usually ask me to answer questions for their students that they themselves could not answer before I was even enrolled in the first grade.

This was a blessing to me because my mother was an illiterate woman who could neither read nor write. lowe my education to my sister, Gladys, who was my babysitter and first grade teacher. Prior to her marriage and having children of her own, I was her pet and she tutored me greatly. However, I missed out on my mother's love. I needed her to say she loved me, to affirm me and assure me that I was needed. Living in the same house, calling her my mother and by her punishing me whenever I did wrong as a child, I was full of stupidity and she did not spare me the rod. I sometimes felt that she was not my mother and I

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doubted her sincerity and motives for punishing me. I did not doubt my father as being my father because he taught me speech and grammar, as well as wisdom. I recall him sending me a letter with what he called ten useful phrases to memorize. Those useful phrases have become like a philosophy of life to me-my guiding principles of living. In my work with inmates in the state prisons in Ohio, I noticed some complaints and indictments of parents. Some doubted that their parents were actually their parents, like I did with my mother, while others openly accused their parents of neglect. Whatever the case, the ontological question: Is delinquency preventable or genetic or affected by the environment or the culture? My answer is probably, "yes and no," because I am not an expert in these areas and, therefore, need to leave some room for an ongoing discussion of the topic. The answer to these questions would consider biblical perspectives, psychological and social sources. Webster defines a delinquent as "one who fails to do what the law requires (ibid., 3). So a Christian delinquent is a professing Christian failing to do what the Christian law or Gospel requires. I like what Dr. Charles R. Swindell (ibid., 4) did with his Bible Study Guide on the family life of Eli (I Samuel 1-4). Eli had two sons, Hophni and Phineas. He had adopted a son named Samuel, loaned to him by his parents, Hannah and Elkanah, because Samuel was a special gift from God. Professionally, Hophni and Phineas were supposed to follow in their father's footsteps as priests (1:3b); instead, they took different moral paths by disobeying God's commandments to the extent that God decided that the two young men were worthless, because they did not know Him (2:12). These two embraced sin contrary to the decalogue; they never familiarized themselves with the priestly

customs or duties. They never committed themselves to God and committed fornication openly with the young virgins who served at the doorway of the tent meetings. Besides other sins, they took huge portions of the meat brought by Israel for burnt offerings for themselves and their father did nothing about their lifestyles. When reports of Eli's sons were brought to his attention, he refused to deal with them until it was too late. His failure to teach his sons the law of God and his inability to warn them of the consequences of disobedience cost him his life and the destruction of his family. He was a judge and a priest but, yet, he did not take the time to live what he preached or ever teach it to his own children. The boys grew up in the church like any other preacher'S children, but they did not know the Lord. He condoned their wrongdoing and became part of the problem. Like Eli, the church in America must be careful about the lifestyles of preachers, our immediate families, and the congregations we serve. We must start to instill some discipline in our children in their early years before we ruin their lives. So, biblically, delinquency seems to mean lack of training, lack of biblical knowledge, and lack of discipline. Since most inmates suffer from low self-esteem, we might need to go back to our biblical roots and traditions as one of our tools to wage war on crime. In the DSM-III-R, the American Psychiatric Association was very subtle in defining delinquency. It merely called it a "disruptive behavior disorder (ibid., 5). It included attention-deficit hyperactive disorder, conduct disorder (violates basic rights of others), oppositional defiant disorder, anxiety disorders, avoidance disorders and so on, which are treatable and can be diagnosed early. But when teenagers start with pranks at school, defiant at home and truancy at school, it seems like many parents

The Need for Prison Ministry won't seek help from a psychiatrist or a psychologist until it is too late. I remember showing a video tape called "The Edge of Evil," narrated by Jerry Johnson from Oklahoma (ibid., 6). A young man started practicing a religion called Satanism subtlety as a prank. Then he went deeper by buying pentagrams (five star medallion), reading the Book of Shadows, casting spells and so on. Before he could realize, he woke up in the middle of the night when a voice told him to kill his parents, which he did, totally unaware of what possessed him. Today, he sits on death row, being the youngest man on death row in that state. Psychologists and Sociologists agree that delinquent behavior often springs from emotional disturbance. Although, not all delinquents have emotional problems, most of them, for various reasons, have mental deficiencies of all kinds because of substance abuse, developmental problems, environmental factors or simply subcultural maladjustments. We have a tendency to identify

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the traits which lead to delinquency, but we need to go a step further to treat these symptoms. Because in reality, only a small amount of crime and delinquency can be attributed to psychological factors. Crime can be exacerbated by the pull of culture, peer pressure, our inner drives, and external influences. No one reason or factor is responsible for a delinquent personality. So this is a complex subject which I cannot adequately deal with in this particular work, but I can start a discussion, whereby we can come together-religion, psychology, sociology, criminology and so on, to start a dialogue on how to treat the problem. I don't believe anyone discipline has the solutions to all the problems, but in a team, we can resolve some of the underlying currents, that cause delinquency, and then crime when the rebellion matures. With the help of the courts and the judicial systems, we can tackle this monster by networking, and the sharing of information, not only to incarcerate the offender, but to rehabilitate the felon into a law abiding citizen.

CAUSES OF DELINQUENCY, CRIME AND SOCIAL CONTROL 1a. The nature of Deviance and Definitions: Social Deviance-A behavior that violates the social norms of a group or society (ibid., 7). b. Deviant behavior refers to a broad range of activities which society, especially those who are in power, views as eccentric, dangerous, annoying, bizarre, outlandish, abhorrent, or criminal, behavior that is considered outside the range of normal toleration. In America, ignorance is the key. Different laws are made on a daily basis by the county, city, state, and Congress without educating citizens, especially the under class or the undereducated citizenry. So, early education of

citizens concerning these numerous laws can reduce crime. Examples include Head Start programs for poor blacks, poor whites, Hispanics, Native Americans, etc., as well as enlarging the high school programs to include civics and geography. Delinquent behavior is acquired through psychological learning principles, and perhaps errors in thinking and in decision making. 2. Social context. To change a behavior, we must determine three areas: (1) How the delinquent behavior is being learned; (2) Select and utilize reliable measure of the delinquent behavior, and (3) To apply the particular social learning techniques

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Spiritual and Religious Diversity in Prisons

for helping delinquents change, which are determined by the analysis of the behavior and current life circumstances (legal status, availability of various interventions, and present social environment at home, school, etc.). What about genetic influences and brain damage? Of course, genetic influences and brain damages can be reduced as we enforce safety rules and research. Five social approaches are: institutional programming, clinical behavior therapy, employment skills training, group treatment homes, and community change for prevention. Some advantages of the social learning approach are: 1. Removes the mystery of delinquency 2. Focuses on here and now 3. Measurement of change can be incorporated 4. The use of natural mediators (the youth, parents, teachers, neighbors) 5. The approach is non-punitive and humane 6. It is consistent with program evaluation 7. Resistance can be discussed as behaviors specific and can be analyzed directly Social Deviance-defined as the violation of important social norms. Social Control-the community efforts to discourage deviance and to encourage conformity. In Criminology (ibid., 7), a social control theory is an approach which holds that individuals have various containment's or bonds which insulate them from social pressures. The two types of social controls named by David Popenoe are (1) internal and (2) external. Internal social controls are processes that cause people to be selfmotivated to act in a conforming manner. Once the social norm is incorporated or internalized, a person can be motivated to act in a conforming manner.

In his book, The Celebration of the Spiritual Disciplines, Dr. Richard Forster, tells us about how to incorporate or internalize the spiritual disciplines (e.g., by meditation, prayer, study, fasting, abstinence, individual and corporate worship, etc.) (ibid., 9). I call it "spiritual formation," developing a discipline of holiness on a daily basis; disciplines of forgiveness, confession, sanctification, redemption, devotion, compline, Eucharist, reconciliation, etc. External controls (ibid., 10) are pressures placed on other people to conform through the use of various formal and informal social sanctions. To understand these pressure groups, let us consider the following definitions: 1. Group-Three or more people who come together to share a common goal or purpose 2. Peer Group-Individuals of approximately the same age and status 3. Peer Pressure-The pressure one experiences from his or her friends to think, feel and act in a particular way. Cohen (1966) tells us that three conditions must exist before a group will tell on a deviant within that group. They are namely; 1. If the deviant can easily be observed by someone outside the group. 2. If the deviant can be readily identified with the group. 3. If the group is liable to be severely punished because of the deviant's behavior. In prison, a snitch among inmates is punished by death, usually by stabbing. Groups use pressure to make others feel good or bad about themselves. This is called self-esteem (the confidence and satisfaction in oneself-values, qualities, or principles that a person believes to be important. Responding to Peer Pressure: Definition: 1. Accept: To go along with the group even if one is not comfortable with the

The Need for Prison Ministry situation. 2. Avoid: To stay away from peer groups that may pose difficulties; to say "no" (mostly impossible, especially in prison) and/or leave the situation in a non assertive manner that does not try to change the situation. 3. Change the situation: To get the group to do things differently.

Using effective communication as a means of overcoming peer pressure: Definition: Effective communication: To state clearly what one feels, thinks, and/or believes in those situations in which something is wanted. Assertive communication: To state firmly one's thoughts, feelings, beliefs or needs. Social function and dysfunction's of deviance: Deviancy can be disruptive as well as helpful in defining society's vague expectation. Sometimes they can bring a group together in a crisis (solidarity). They can help change a system (e.g., the Lucasville Riot of 1994 has changed some of the rules on religious rights for inmates). A conformist's desire to obey a rule is strengthened when one offender is punished, (e.g., drivers slow down when a Highway Patrol is issuing a ticket to a speeding driver). Social disorganization refers to a breakdown of social institutions. It occurs when a deviance is practiced by a large number of people over long periods of time. It can also be caused by wars, natural calamities, and technical innovations (e.g., the social disorganization of war torn countries like Bosnia, Rwanda, and Burundi). Social scientists, such as sociologists, psychologists, etc. try to define behavior as they see it within their own disciplines. Even their theories are not specifically related to any particular type of crime but general causes. Also, correctional professionals are still struggling with the same issues today because there is no common cause for deviancy. Research scientists have con-

9

sidered three factors such as biological traits, psychological perspectives, and social causes. Now, we are viewing the family as a unit, because any way you look at it, crime impacts a family, either the criminal or the victim; either way they are both impacted. Biological perspectives: 19th century Italian researcher Casare Lombroso (1835-1909) was the first to suggest that criminals were less involved than law abiding citizens. (*2) He was from a school of thought called Biological Positivism. It believed deviancy was caused by defects such as poverty and malnutrition rather than genetics. Charles Goring (1870-1919) proposed inherited mental defectiveness as a cause of criminality. This theory was supported by Ernest Hotten (1939) and William Sheldon, first an anthropologist and second a psychologist. However, these early theories are widely regarded as incorrect. Other scientists in the 1960s said violent criminals have an extra male chromosome giving them an xyy configuration (Amir & Berman, 1970). More recently (1970s), the belief is that up to 90 percent of violent criminals have brain defects (mental illness). Hooten believed that physical inferiority causes people to commit crime. Modern genetics emphasizes selective adaptation and mutation theories (VoId, 1979). The debate still goes on between inherited or learned criminal behavior. Studies of twins (1) in Norway and Denmark did not give us any more facts than that there is a slight link with criminality if the criminal's father has a criminal record (Hutchings & Mednick, 1977). Both psychologists and sociologists agree that certain personalities are prone to deviant behavior. British psychologist Hans Eysenck's theory (1977), blends biological and psychological perspectives. Extroverts who have a need for thrills and risks so often become impulsive. Their deviancy, however, depends on how they have been

10

Spiritual and Religious Diversity in Prisons

socialized. Violence and deviancy are socially learned (e.g., children who watch a lot of violent movies, which contributes to aggression, learn how to act out their violence). Another theory is that people become frustrated when a need is not fulfilled (Berkowitz, 1962), (e.g., the U.S.A. is sending food aide to North Korea for fear they might attack South Korea). Social perspectives focuses on the social environment or setting. This kind of situation theory attempts to figure out what kinds of situations would make an ordinary person to violate norms. Three broad questions are asked by sociologists: (1) Why are some environments more likely to produce deviance than others? (2) Why are certain acts that are deviant in some social situations highly valued in others? (3) Why do deviants break rules and not others? In the modern view, social process (Chicago School of Sociology). Delinquents utilize rationalizations or techniques of neutralization to explain away personal responsibility for their actions. They base this upon poor home life, lack of affection, and social class (Matza & Sykes, 1961). Another modern social bond theory views delinquency as taking place when a person's bonds to society are broken or weakened, thus reducing his or her stakes in conformity (Herschi, 1969). These bonds consist of attachments, bonds to others (relationships) such as family; commitment, a vested interest in the social and economic system; involvement, engagement in legitimate social activities; and belief in conventional values and norms. The Structural Strain Theory (Robert Merton, 1938) states that certain groups of people are likely to have little or no opportunity to achieve their culture's success goals, using approved means. So, as a result, these people will experience anomie (disorientation, anxiety, isolation). He explains five (5)

ways that these groups may respond to their anomie dilemma: 1. Conformity-They may keep working to achieve desired goals using the culturally approved means, even though chances of success may be remote. 2. Innovation-They may accept the goal to become wealthy but reject the culturally approved means and substitute illegitimate ones (e.g., dealing drugs). 3. Ritualism-They may accept the means but reject the goal (e.g., going to school for a degree that will not lead to a job). 4. Retreatism-They may reject both the goal and the r.neans (e.g., becoming a nun or priest or apathy thus taking a vow of poverty or becoming a missionary). 5. Rebellion-They may reject both approved culture and the means by substitution of new ones in concert with others (e.g., students may drop out of school and join with environmental groups, social groups, or a gang). This theory does not cover all deviant acts such as rape and covers only minorities within society at large. It cannot predict which response a particular individual will choose when experiencing anomie. Deviancy is a learned behavior. Sometimes, institutions organized to teach deviants end up teaching deviant behavior (e.g., prisons, mental health, etc.). Deviant behavior is contagious, especially when rewarded (e.g., Dennis Rodman's hairstyle rewarded by a movie career). Social control theory assumes that most citizens will cut corners to achieve their desires. Psychologist Walker Reckless (1967) containment theory argues that some people are less able to contain their inner impulses than others. Criminals are generally people who lack positive concept and, as a result, are unable to resist deviant temptations. Another psychologist, Howard Becker (1963) suggests that normal people control

The Need for Prison Ministry their deviant impulses by thinking about the consequences of their actions (what might happen to them). Normal people do not want to soil their self-images. Some people lack self-restraint and a strong sense of identity. Others just have a low self-esteem and do not care what would happen to them (impulse control may be a big problem). Conflict Theory and Deviance: Mentron's structural theory assumes that all members of society share values relating to the desirability of certain successful goals. However, conflict theory denies that all members of society share the same values and goals. Conflict theory argues that the values of the powerful groups in society are often quite different from those of the powerless. So the laws are made to reinforce the values of the powerful. However, if the powerless make the law, then most of the lawbreakers would come from the powerful. Culture conflict theory argues that complex society contains several distinct subcultures, each with it's own distinct set of norms and values. What is deviant to one group may be acceptable to another (e.g., one group smokes pot; the other drinks whiskey). Sources of Self-esteem: family, friends (corporate family, parents, and Siblings). It comes by getting attention or approval from our opinions about ourselves or our achievements; the need for a positive feedback. Low self-esteem: the feeling of inadequacy (insufficient, not capable or incapable). To regain self-esteem, we must have three (3) senses: 1. A sense of competence (mastery of certain skills) 2. A sense of worth or value 3. A sense of belonging or wanted Also needed are: 4. Practice forgiveness 5. Deal with your guilt 6. Be thankful 7. Socialize with positive people

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8. Pray 9. Practice confession 10. Seek counseling Low self-esteem destroys: 1. Potential 2. Dreams 3. Relationships Recovery from low self-esteem: 1. Decide to start over (make a decision) 2. Reprogram positive influences 3. Don't watch immoral or violent movies (e.g., soap operas). 4. Stop self-destruction by comparison 5. Let God love you and try to love someone Gangsta Rap: Is it redefining the perceived realities of the lower-class, urban, African American life or is it warning mainstream America to wake up to the reality of institutionalized racism, and life in the ghettos? (Refer to chapter on Rastafarians.) Many of these subculture groups view laws as designed to protect the status quo of the rich and powerful. They really agree with Marxist and non-Marxist theories. They may not know the theories, but they act it out. Labeling Theory: Labeling theorists emphasize that deviancy is relative. It is an act and the person who commits it becomes deviant only when so labeled by others. One of the first sociologists in this field is Edwin Lemert (1967). They have isolated three major steps in becoming a deviant: 1. Observation: the act of deviance observed by authorities 2. Labeling: of the person as a deviant 3. The person: becoming part of a deviant group or subculture that provides a social support or nurturing environment. So the steps of becoming a deviant can now be defined as (1) adoption of a deviant identity, (2) adoption of their lifestyle, and (3) a support subculture. This labeling

12

Spiritual and Religious Diversity in Prisons

creates a negative impression and a reputation. The person may be called a criminal when the deviant act violates the law. The deviant then acquires a stigma or label that identifies the person as socially unacceptable (e.g., most gangster movies that identify the deviant as a hero which may reinforce a negative behavior). Joining a Deviant Group: Joining a group may teach the deviant how to carry on the deviant activity with a minimal amount of trouble. The behavior is reinforced and supported (ibid., 9). They tend to rationalize the behavior. Crime and the Criminal Justice System: (1) can be defined as specific, intentional activity which violates the law. It is a violation of people and their relationships (personal view). Christianity (Ten Commandments) deal with God, people and their relationships. The victim is wronged. The criminal, if caught, lives with guilt though many are without conscience or remorse (predatory) and in violent cases, families are bereaved. Definitions: Crime: is categorized as against other persons, property, and victimless or moral crime, white collar and corporate crime. Organized Crime: labor racketeering (blackmail, extortion), loan sharking, and money laundering; also, illegal gambling, hijacking, cocaine, marijuana and heroine trafficking. A professional criminal is a person who makes a career out of one particular crime (e.g., burglary, safecracking, armed robbery (ibid., 7, etc.) So, crime becomes a break of a legal norm-a party of a social control. White-collar and Corporate Crime: most white-collar crimes are committed for money (e.g., price-fixing, false advertising, bribery, insurance and tax frauds, illegal campaign contributions to gain influence, etc.); also, falsification of scientific data, false

diagnosis of a non-existent illness, false prescriptions, falsifying grades or earning diplomas from nonexistent universities, etc. Victimless Crimes: using criminal law to prohibit the exchange between consenting adults of strongly desired goods and services (e.g., prostitution, pornography, illegal drugs, abortion, etc.). Moral entrepreneurs proclaim certain behaviors to be unacceptable and attempt to classify them as criminals. The Criminal Justice System consists of the police, the courts, and corrections. Police occupy themselves with maintaining public order, traffic control, and investigating crime. They are also engaged in constant research, constant summits and conferences to exchange information on how to prevent crime or manage crime. The court's function is to process people accused of crimes to determine their guilt or innocence, and make decisions on appropriate punishments. The system is currently overloaded due to the constant criminalization of several areas of life without educating the public. So there are lengthy trials and plea-bargaining to reduce jury trials (trials by peers). Plea bargaining is not a very good idea because it criminalizes people who are sometimes not guilty, but fearful of police and attorney threats that they would be given more time if they fail to cut deals with the prosecutor. Corrections include prisons, probation, and parole authorities. They serve basically four purposes: 1. Retribution-paying back to society/ punishment 2. Incapacitation-to keep them from hurting society 3. Rehabilitation-to give them some skills that they can use as they return to society 4. Deterrence-as a means of discouraging their delinquent or felonious behaviors

The Need for Prison Ministry Crime Statistics: Please look at current Ohio reports and also International Association of Police Chiefs reports. The FBI reports crime under eight (8) categories, namely: Homicide, forcible rape, aggravated assault and robbery (violent crimes), larceny, theft, burglary, auto theft and arson (crimes against property). As of April 14, 1997, our total inmate population for Madison Correctional Institution was 2,540 males, comprised of 1,201 blacks and 1,339 whites. This can be broken into different categories of sex offenders, homicide (violent offenders), mental patients, white-collar criminals, and drug offenders. Most of our juveniles and violent criminals, are the children of the baby boomers generation (ibid., 11). Studies have been done on this age group, and the police have also been focusing on this age group. Some of the responsibilities of law enforcement is the correct use of force. We can use legal force-just sufficient to arrest or handcuff an offender; normal force-as required under specific circumstances; excessive force-that which is brutal and unnecessary and can lead to disciplinary action. We are engaged in continuous education as well as constant in-service training to perfect our skills. 1. Arrest trends revealed an overall increase of juvenile violence from 300 per 100,00 to over 500 per 100,000, an increase of about 67 percent, and an annual average of 3.5 percent. The years 1975 to 1987 were considered as stable years, but 1988 to 1996 showed an increase of 56 percent. 2. Juvenile and adult crime trends: Juveniles are responsible for one out of five violent crimes. From 1988 to 1992, juveniles out-paced adults by 7 percent. Victimization: (1) Victims of crime have patterns of response after the crime. They

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experience feelings of self-hatred, rage, guilt, helplessness, and fear. Juvenile victimization alone exceeds 1.5 million a year. National crime victimization by youth of ages 12-18 for three specific violent crimes of rape, robbery, and assault showed an increase of 8 percent from 1988 through 1990. Homicide rate for ages 14 to 17 almost doubled in the mid-1980s. To help the victims who need ego reintegration services to allow them to vent their feelings which are often unacceptable by the non-victim population, support groups are needed by other victims, counselors, and therapists. DSM III, describes symptoms of re-experiencing the traumatic event, numbing of responses, reduced involvement with the external world and a variety of autonomic, dysphoric (anger), or cognitive (act of knowing) (American Psychological Association Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM III)). Guns and Youth Crime: Police Chiefs found out the one major factor of crime is the proliferation (rapid production) of guns. Juveniles killing another with a firearm quadrupled from 1984 to 1994. In two-thirds of all youth homicides during the past fifteen years, handguns were used. The future: The current focus is to identify criminal or deviance career patterns that can extend from juvenile through adult status. When the age group is expanded from ages 8 to 21, the measure of crime and violence is greatly increased in terms of victims, offenders, arrests, and projections for the future. What do we offer these young offenders? Early intervention programs, parenting skills for young parents or school children, selfesteem, alternative to violence programs (negotiation, mediation, and arbitration programs), self-awareness programs-in terms of identifying the personality types and offering alternative behavior modifications, spiritual formation, life skills-job train-

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Spiritual and Religious Diversity in Prisons

ing, communications skills, mental health and treating the whole person in terms of physical, emotional, and spiritual. We may need to include life skills and ethics into our high school programs instead of racial divides like afrocentric or ebonics. Clinical care providers must draw from more than one discipline in order to be effective. As a pastoral care provider, I draw from the disciplines of religion, medical science, psychology, sociology, scripture, tradition,

experience, reason (philosophy), and story. We must all acknowledge and admit that we have a problem in America about crime, and that crime is victimizing our citizens. Then we must organize forums, town meetings, neighborhood meetings to discuss the problems, find and implement solutions, using the police and the other law enforcement personnel as our resource in order to make this country safe again.

THEORETICAL PERSPECTIVES OF DEVIANCE 1. Anomie Theory: This was first used by the Frenchman, Emile Durkheim in 1951. It means lacking in rules or normalcy. The loss of social cohesion in society causes people to contradict rules and standards of moral behavior, e.g., 300% increase in crime in Hungary, following the collapse of communism, also in the Soviet Union. (Dashkov, 1992). 2. American Robert Merton expanded on Durheim's concept with his strain theory. It involves three major elements: social structure, social values, and social norms. It views crime as a normal response to sociocultural elements that impinge on and limit the responses of certain groups of individuals. To them crime is caused by structural contradictions within society that places strain on individuals. When a law or cultural value restricts access to certain individuals to reach goals, those restricted would be deviant on a large scale. For example, if the American dream is not accessible to most Americans, they would rebel and try to reach the dream through illegal means such as smuggling, drug trafficking, insurance frauds and so on. " No living being can be happy or even exist unless his needs are sufficiently proportioned to his means." (Durheim, 1951:256) Happiness = accomplishments (expectations or goals).

To balance the above equation, we have to increase our accomplishments or our expectations. We all have to learn to adapt. Merton identifies five modes or methods of adaptation, namely: conformity, ritualism, retreatism, rebellion and innovation. 1. Conformity is the ability to adapt or to accept the validity of the cultural goals and of the socially approved methods of achieving them. 2. Ritualism describes the nine to five worker who although he or she has given up on ever achieving the prescribed goals, continues to work ritually within the boundaries set forth as legitimate by society. 3. Retreatism is the one who rejects both the culture and the institutional means of attaining them. He/she drops out of society but takes refuge in drugs, alcohol, and transciency. 4. Rebellion-the rebel rejects both the goals and the means of the capitalist, but substitutes alternate goals and means. They believe socialism or some form of socio-political idea will provide a more just and equitable society. 5. Innovation-the innovator accepts the cultural goals of monetary success, but rejects the legitimate means of attain-

The Need for Prison Ministry ing them, e.g., may rob a bank or highjack a car. The General Strain Theory: An expansion of the Durkeimian/Mertonian theories by criminologist Robert Agnew. Agnew adds that strain results when others threaten to remove the things we value most, or try to prevent us by using negative stimuli or noxious stimuli: Termination of a job, a value relationship, abuse or sexual harassment. Strain can easily lead to criminal behavior when the individual cannot effectively manage it. A criminal is a person who is deficient in the attributes that produce lawful behavior. The Differential Association Theory, first formulated by Edwin Sutherland (1978), focuses on subcultural elements that may predispose an individual to one or another of Merton's adaptations. It also stresses that potency of group pressures. It says that we are like chameleons. We tend to blend in, and we conform. We view the world differently according to the attitudes, beliefs, and expectations of the groups around which our lives revolve. Assumptions: Nine propositions of the differential theory can be compressed into four general principles: 1. That criminal behavior is learned through interaction with other people. It is not biologically inherited, or the result of psychological abnormalities or a new invention by each criminal. 2. The learning of criminal behavior occurs within intimate personal groups. And the techniques of learning are specific, motives, rationalizations, justifications and attitudes. 3. The criminal behavior itself is derived from definitions of the legal code (The Law) as favorable or unfavorable to violations of the law. They hold an excess of definitions unfavorable of the law, e.g., the smoking of an illegal drug

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(marijuana) as a religious tenet or for medical use. 4. Their associations with others holding definitions favorable to violation of the law may vary in frequency, duration, priority, and intensity. The more one is attached to a mentor with such beliefs, the more one is likely to become a criminal. Control Theory-Control theorists insist that we are born asocial, and that we must all learn painful lessons. Civilization is bought at the cost of repressing our natural urges, wants, and needs that are also linked to the wants and needs of others. We may be heading for trouble if we fail to learn those lessons. Controls such as attachments, commitment, involvement, and beliefs restrain a non-criminal from committing a crime. 1. Attachment is one's psychological and emotional closeness to others. It involves a reciprocal relationship in which people feel valued, respected, and loved. They may also value the favorable judgements of others to whom they are attached, e.g., family of significant others. The family is the nursery of human nature, and if it falls apart, the product becomes defective. When there is no bonding, the potential for violence and destructive acts is far greater among the bondless men and women. They become aggressive to pursue an erratic course (Selma Fraiberg, 1967:62). 2. Commitment is a lifestyle in which one has invested considerable time and energy to pursue a lawful career. So the pursuit which is assumed to be rewarding to the individual makes him or her to conform to the moral standard of society. If the individual considers the benefit versus the cost ratio of crime, it does not profit him or

16

Spiritual and Religious Diversity in Prisons

her. However, if a person is illprepared before entering the criminal game, the possible rewards would be more appealing, e.g., a poor dropout student, a truant, and an unemployed person risk less in the benefit/cost ratio comparison than an employed minister or a bank president. 3. Involvement is a direct consequence of commitment. The busier we stay, the less likely we would find time for illegal activities. 4. Belief is the ready acceptance of the social prescriptions regulating conduct, a system of beliefs containing narrowly focused images of self-interest. Criminals act according to their urges and then justify or rationalize their behavior with a set of instrumental statements, e.g., "Everybody does it so why not me?" "Suckers deserve what they get." So what is being said here by Hirschi and his colleague Michael Gottfredson is that crime results from natural human impulses to enhance pleasure and avoid pain (classical theory). Non-criminals learn to express their impulses in socially appropriate ways, while most criminals lack patience, diligence and persistence. They have a tendency to be selfcentered, insensitive, enjoy risk-taking, and are oriented to the present. For example, it is likely for a prisoner to say, "Well, I killed the lady because she would not give me her pocketbook like I demanded, and I really did not mean to kill her." So crime enables them to find a quick and easy way to satisfy their immediate needs. Also their personal characteristics enable them to meet their impulsive needs, without experiencing guilt or empathy. The possession of a weapon makes them feel powerful. Both Hirschi and Gottfredson traced the origin of low self-control to poor parenting, because it is a major component of the

criminal personality. They conclude that children can be taught low self-control by parental warmth, nurturance, discipline, and vigilance. They list criminals as coming from large families, single-parent families, working mother households as some of the major family circumstances that can reduce parental supervision (ibid., 11) (Gottfredson & Hirschi, 1990:100-105). My experience with prisoners is that some of them come from alcoholic or addictive families, foster homes, as well as the families mentioned above. Some have been in trouble throughout their lives with long histories of criminal behavior. The majority of them are high school dropouts with poor psycho-social skills and poor communication skills. They use profanity on a regular basis, and they are accustomed to using fighting words all the time. So being around them is no fun. They can be at play, and all of the sudden a fight can erupt because of their high energy levels and intensity. Therefore, the correctional staff that is around these individuals will have to put up with a lot. But I like their attitudes. Often they will comment, "It is a job and somebody has to do it. So why not me?" Some staff have a natural ability to assist delinquents to change.

Lifestyle Theory From the perspective of the correctional worker, the Lifestyle Theory may be our best definition of criminal behavior. This theory, based on a study of both control and strain theories, acknowledges that most of our current rehabilitation models based on the medical model for treatment cannot be sufficient for all offenders. This model has four basic tenets: 1. That criminal behavior is a symptom of a personal deficiency. 2. That these deficiencies can be identi-

The Need for Prison Ministry

fied through appropriate classification techniques. 3. That specific treatment programs and techniques can be applied to correct these deficiencies. 4. That once the deficiencies are corrected, the symptoms will cease and no longer occur. However, a play by the inmates of the Zone B side of our facility explains this fallacy the best. For example, inmate Lamar was a model inmate by all standards. He was good in the substance abuse meetings (AA & NA groups), he was a Christian who attended all the Bible study classes, and who took advantage of all the programs offered based on the medical modeL Upon his discharge from prison, a female staff took interest in him, and broke the law which caused her to lose her job, by admitting this man into her home. (He even gave up smoking cigarettes while incarcerated). But while under pretense of borrowing the staff's car, this man went back to the staff's home, stole her stereo and other portable items including her credit cards, and took off to Cleveland, where he was found in a restroom, as he passed out under the influence of cocaine. He has been in prisons since he was eight years old, and has been back seven times. This man is a career criminaL So one may ask the question: What went wrong here? This man belongs to a special group of people who enjoy hurting people, crave danger, excitement, and adventure provided by the criminal lifestyle. For those individuals, life without the opportunity to hurt others or dominate them, without drugs and alcohol, without violence and predation, or without fast cars or faster women, would be a bore. They are called psychopaths, sociopaths, or antisocial because of their scary antisocial personalities. However, all felons do not fall into this specific classifica-

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tion. The lifestyle theory focuses on career criminals although all of them may not be psychopaths, but they do demonstrate several traits of psychopathic behavior. Glen Walters, a seminar psychologist at the federal penitentiary at Leavenworth, Kansas, developed this theory, according to Freeman. It was based on Albert Ellis' rational emotive therapy and the "criminal" or "criminal personality" which makes the point that the cause of our behaviors should be based on our beliefs or perceptions about life's events instead of on our situations and circumstances (As a man thinks, so he acts). So, lifestyle theory gives us three key concepts: conditions, choice, and cognition. The criminal lifestyle is a choice made by the offender, although it is made "within a current biological or environmental conditions" (Walters & White, 1989:3). Contagion refers to the cognitive style they form as a result of their biological or their environmental conditions and their response to the pattern of choices. Career criminals display eight major thinking errors or cognitive features and very little can be done to change their patterns of thinking. These errors are described briefly: 1. Mollification-They try to rationalize and make excuses designed to mollify (soften) others' responses toward them. They actually talk themselves into believing that these rationalizations are true, not simply to fool others. 2. Cut off-They tend to discount the suffering of their victims by suppressing or cutting off their own feelings of guilt, sympathy or empathy, e.g., emergency room workers and other such professionals have to "steel" themselves in order to perform in their profession. 3. Entitlement-They feel what they take from others are their rights or entitle-

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Spiritual and Religious Diversity in Prisons

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

ments. This is where sometimes the teaching that the government owes some ethnic people because of past wrong done to them, is not a good teaching, because it reinforces a behavior that is self-centered and that the world owes them a living. So that when they take, they simply take what belong to them. Power Orientation-Their world view is based on weakness and strength, so they use fear and exploit weakness. They want to win in every situation, so much so that they tend to dominate and control. Even if they love, they will compensate by exploiting weaker people. SentimentalitJ They are those offenders who have convinced themselves and other pro social people that they are basically good people, but have made some mistakes and never meant to hurt anyone. Super Optimism-They have a sense of exaggerated self-confidence in their ability to get away with anything. So they downplay the possibility of punishment. Cognitive Indolence-This is their sense of mental laziness. They are present oriented and concrete in thinking. In their world, they crave excitement to fill the void of their inner world, because intellectually they are immature, and easily bored. They cannot understand abstract moral reasoning, e.g., I once said, I have a right to shoot anyone who breaks into my house as a debating topiC in my alternative to violence class. They argued right back that it is against the law, yet they think they can break into others houses uninvited. Discontinuity-They are unable to integrate their thinking patterns. Basically

they are overly sensitive to environmental pressures and changes. So they view themselves as unconnected to any integrated whole. They cannot commit themselves to any long course of action like schooling, training for a skilled occupation, or a marriage. Dr. Freman concludes that because of these errors in thinking, the behavior patterns or styles of living, almost guarantee them a criminal life: they break rules, interpersonal intrusiveness (no boundaries, they would intrude into the lives of others, even when not wanted). They are self-indulgent and irresponsible. Lifestyle Theory and other theories that stress cognitive aspects of a person give permission to punish offenders because they are held responsible for their own actions when they make purposeful decisions to commit crime. (Williams & McShare, 1994:26). Other theories try to locate the blame for crime outside the criminal, thus providing them with excuses to rationalize their harmful and irresponsible behaviors. As chaplains and ministers as well as other professionals, we can confront them with their behavior, to take responsibility for their actions. Also other treatment modalities that allow them to deal with their inner selves in order to renew their minds will be helpful. Meditation, self-confrontation can help the individual to renew their minds and re-think their faulty belief system that is harmful to society. In addition, we need to teach parenting skills to young people in high school and single parents especially. Because in many single families, the young mothers, especially if they are divorced, are very contemptuous against the absentee fathers, and therefore, transfer their angers to these young children, thus turning them into society nightmares. As a divorced Christian myself, I have experienced such a disrespect from my ex-spouse as well as from

The Need for Prison Ministry my own children. My oldest boy, whenever he visited, would treat me and his stepmother with disrespect and contempt. Other skill areas these children or young people lack are cooperation, honesty, and integrity. They would tell lies in little things as well as break up things like stereos or make unauthorized long-distance phone calls and deny they did so. The courts should encourage more parental involvement in the lives of these children instead of allowing them to be used merely for collecting child support. One critical question is which of the parents should be the primary custodian? Is it the mother or father? In the past two decades, the females won, but we are seeing the backlash of such decisions. I believe sincerely that boys would need to be with their fathers, if at all possible, and the mothers should be granted liberal visitation, if the fathers are law-abiding citizens. Girls should be raised by their mothers in the event of divorce, if the mothers are lawabiding citizens. I like the lifestyle theory, in particular, because it examines how criminals think, and places the responsibility on them. It is a recognized fact among all the theories that early negative biosocial conditions may lead to behavior choices which, in turn, may lead to thinking errors. These thinking errors may also lead to certain patterns of behavior, which may greatly increase the probability of a criminal activity (ibid., 11). At a recent National Association for Blacks in Criminal Justice Conference held in Cincinnati, Ohio, I learned the following risk management techniques from Brenda Peters' Antisocial Logic (ibid., 12). The elements of antisocial thinking create a self-verifying logic. Common patterns include: Self-Centered-In the minds of antisocial people, the rights and interests of others just don't count. They tend to see themselves as

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living in a private world where their selfinterest is the only rule that matters. Alfred Adler described antisocial personalities as "lacking social interest." The antisocial person does not identify with the interest (goals, values) of other people or groups. (Mother Teresa sought her interest, too, but she made it her personal interest to promote the well being of others.) Power Struggle-Power struggle is the inevitable consequence of a self-centered orientation toward life. "Everyone and everything is either serving me or opposing me, because that's all that matters to me. To the extent that the world does not bend to my will, it is a constant threat." Victim Stance-Victim stance thinking is key to the logic of irresponsibility. "When my self-interest is denied, it is automatically wrong and unjust. Whenever someone makes me uncomfortable, I am being victimized." Their own responsibility for harming others is effectively obscured by concentrating on the injustices done to them. Examples: 1. An offender who had been diagnosed as antisocial personality disorder could remember only one time in his life when he had felt guilty. As a child he had once hurt his mother's feelings by doing something wrong. "I felt bad about it but then I thought, 'what right has she got to make me feel this way?' Then, I felt better." He eventually learned to use this kind of victim stance thinking whenever he felt uncomfortable about anything. It literally became his license to steal. 2. After murdering several people on a commuter train, an offender gave a press conference from jail to complain about his lack of medical attention and the unkind remarks made to him by guards. He was indignant. He had no thoughts for his own victims.

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Spiritual and Religious Diversity in Prisons

EntitlementiLicense-Antisocial people claim the moral right to do as they choose and to discount the rights of others. "No one has the right to tell me what to do." Social influence is rejected as a matter of principle. This simple "cognitive behavior" becomes a broad guide for life. It's a foolproof escape from responsibility. Righteous Rage-Many offenders learn how to build their anger into a state of righteous rage. This gives a gratifying feeling of power and becomes a powerful justification for hurting others. "They deserve it." But, also, "society deserves it" and "the world deserves it." Righteous rage is the emotional side of victim stance. Winning and Losing-In the mind of antisocial people, winning is being on top of the world. Breaking the rules and getting away with it is the ultimate win in their eyes; even the rules are beneath them. Losing is being denied whatever they want. It means being dominated, belittled, and humiliated. But the steps of antisocial logic are designed to relieve the pain of losing. It triggers victim stance thinking and ends up reinforcing the very attitudes that produce criminal behavior. This kind of "antisocial logic" is a selfreinforcing system of thinking, feeling, and acting. It provides powerful experiences of self-gratification. It is reinforced both negatively (relieving the pain of failure) and positively (providing the thrill of domination). These patterns of thinking become habitual, automatic, and nearly impervious to outside intervention. Punishment may be painful, but the response to it is victim stance and the rest of the antisocial pattern of cognition. Punishment ends up reinforcing the pattern it tries to extinguish. Conventional therapy fares no better. The self-centered logic of antisocial thinking transforms attempts to help the offenders

into either opportunities for exploration or, if the help is more intrusive, into unwelcome and unfair interference. Antisocial thinking creates immunity to the interests and feelings of others. This has sometimes been described as an inherent inability to experience empathy. It is better understood as a system of learned cognitive behavior and together comprise our "total experience" of any given situation. A thinking report is like a snapshot of our experience at a given moment in time. Thinking reports allow us to observe the cognitive habits that drive our behavior. We use thinking reports with criminal offenders to identify the attitudes, beliefs, and habits of thought that lead them to do criminal acts. Recognizing these patterns of thinking and accepting responsibility for them is the first step in "Cognitive Self Change." The key to thinking reports is strict objectivity. Our aim is to capture a given experience exactly as it occurred without judgment, excuses or censorship. Thinking reports have four main parts: 1. Describe the situation-give a brief, objective description of the situation you are reporting on. 2. List your thoughts-report every thought you can remember having, just as you thought it at the time. 3. List your feelings-name or describe the feelings that accompanied your thoughts. 4. Identify the underlying attitudes, beliefs, and principles that controlled your thinking in the situation - the group process can help you identify your underlying thinking.

Stages of Thinking Report Groups 1. Objective report of the situation (3-5 minutes)

The Need for Prison Ministry 2. Uncovering the content of the experience -thoughts and feelings and cognitive structures that occurred at the time of the situation (30-60 minutes) 3. Identifying the "risk" thoughts and feelings in the situation and their effect on risk behavior (30-45 minutes) 4. Creating cognitive interventions: • Have the offender come up with some "new thinking" that will reduce/attack the risk. Example: Have offender describe what has happened. • Have the offenders in the group "brainstorm" possible interventions-think, feel, describe subjectively. • Have the offender "tryon" interventions verbally in a hypothetical situationdescribe feelings using "I" sentences. Example: John, when you look me in the eye, I feel stared at. • Role play using interventions • Debrief role play/tune-up interventions Teach them the language of feelings because most offenders are language deficient in this area.

The Woman Offender Group: An Exercise in Problem-Solving The offender group is based on the program designed by Juliana Taymans

(1982).

Eight Steps of Problem-Solving 1. Stop and think.

2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.

What is the problem? What is the goal? What information do I need? What are my choices? What are the consequences? What is the best choice? Was it a good one?

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Effective Treatment Program That Works Consider the principles of risk, need and responsibility Corrections professionals may now turn to a large body of research (over 500 studies) which validate effective strategies for reducing recidivism. Though the studies often define recidivism differently, they all use control groups measured by the same criteria. Reconviction rates are the most commonly used measure in the studies (Andrews, Zinger, Hodge, Bonta, Gendreau, & Cullen). The met-analysis research shows that appropriate intervention to both adults and juveniles is based on three psychological principles (Andres, Van Voorhis, Greenwood). 1. Risk-the delivery of service to high risk cases. 2. Need-the targeting of criminogenic needs (those factors which can change over time). 3. Responsivity-the use of styles and models of treatment (cognitive and behavioral) that match clients' needs and learning styles. This same body of research shows that treatment programs generally reduce recidivism by 15 percent. Importantly, if responsivity factors are considered in the treatment programs, the recidivism rate can be cut in half (50-70 percent). The studies also show that punishment can be effective if it is short-term, controlled, and consistent. Unfortunately, these factors cannot always be controlled well enough in the criminal justice system (Gendreau, Andrews). Research clearly indicates that the greatest determinant for effective treatment

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Spiritual and Religious Diversity in Prisons

intervention strategies is the degree to which such programs respond to the risk, need, and responsivity principles.

The Risk Principle A number of studies substantiate that moderate to higher-risk cases should receive the most service, while the lower-risk cases and extremely high-risk cases should get minimal service (Andrews, Hodge, Bonta, Gendreau, & Cullen). Successful treatment outcomes are greatest for the higher cases. In contrast, extremely egocentric, psychopathic personalities appear to benefit the least. Potential risk factors, which have been validated through many different studies (Andrews et al.), include: antisocial attitudes, a history of antisocial behavior, antisocial associates, weak problem solving and selfmanagement skills, low levels of affection and supervision in family life, and a dislike of school or difficulty with school work. All of these risk factors can be targeted and they, fortunately, represent behaviors and cognition which can be changed.

The Criminogenic Need Principle Criminogenic needs, defined as dynamic risk factors which can change over time, are the most promising targets to bring about change and reduce recidivism rates (Andrews et al.). These needs include: • Changing antisocial attitudes, feelings, and peers • Promoting familial affection in combination with parental monitoring and supervision, if appropriate. • Providing anticriminal role models • Providing self-control and self-management skills (i.e., replacing lying and stealing with more acceptable skills) • Increasing the reward for non-criminal behavior while also increasing the cost

of criminal behavior For professionals who work in community supervision, these criminogenic needs can be summarized into four major areas: changing attitudes toward targeting substance abuse, employment, peers, and authority. It is also important to note that, when targeted, noncriminogenic needsanxiety, depression, and self-esteem-tend to yield very little impact on recidivism.

Responsivity Principle The principle of responsivity is defined as selecting modes or styles of intervention that are most likely to influence specific needs. Service modes are matched to the offender's learning style. Effective responses (Andrews, et all include: • Firm but fair use of authority • Anticriminal modeling and reinforcement • Concrete reinforcement • Distinct problem-solving skills • Resource brokerage and advocacy Role playing, graduated skill practice, modeling, resource provision, and verbal guidance area all examples of effective responses. It's helpful to know that the metaanalysis research identifies some ineffective strategies such as: either unstructured or "scared straight" approaches, psychodynamic and non-directive client therapies, medical models, subculture and labeling approaches, and deterrence along ("punishing smarter") strategies. The studies point to four major factors that create variation within programs and can greatly affect recidivism: • Characteristics of the offender prior to intervention • Characteristics of the correctional staff • Content of the services delivered • Individual circumstances of the offender The research clearly indicates that

The Need for Prison Ministry different offenders need different interventions, which match their individual learning style. And, in terms of content, the most effective programs use a cognitive/ behavioral approach-practical programs that incorporate and develop thinking skills, life skills, behavior modification techniques, intervention strategies, and family involvement, when appropriate (Palmer). In terms of program design and policy decisions, other general strategies supported by the research (Lipsey) show that treatment works best when: • It is long and intense, up to six months in duration • It is applied outside of a correctional

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setting • It takes place in the community rather than a residential setting • It builds behavioral skills • It involves the family As corrections and treatment professionals, we have important experiences and anecdotal evidence which should be factored into any treatment program design. Remember, too, that one of the least quantifiable factors is the passion and intensity which the staff brings to a program ... and this may have the greatest impact on all in creating program integrity and effectiveness (ibid., 11).

BASIC COUNSELING ESSENTIALS I. Silence and Listening: First of all, counseling is an opportunity to listen actively in order to help another person to resolve an issue. So, a little silence without being intrusive, can help attendee to compose self, without feeling violated. Giving the attendee a space of silence can help in releasing pent up emotions involved during a crisis. It can also be employed as a tool of respect to support the person in crisis. However, if it is used excessively, it can be counterproductive because it can convey a message of confusion or even a lack of interest. II. Non-Verbal Attending: Olson says that it is important to be in tune with our subject. To study carefully their gestures or sitting positions and try to mimic or copy them quietly without being obvious, then attend to the need non-verbally by monitoring any nonverbal behavior or body language being displayed by the person in crisis. Non-verbal attending means careful

listening or active listening. III. Restatement: Restatement is a point in the process where we restate a key phrase, using a key word we pick up from the person in crisis. This is a way of checking for our listening accuracy and also to clarify any ambiguous terms or words. For example: You sound really troubled . . . you look really shaken ... A. Developmental model for helping "folk" model 1. Preparation for planning the Role of Trainees a. Explore own behavior. Examine personal problems b. Seek action-oriented selfunderstanding "own" the consequences of self-exploration c. Act on these understandings For the Helper: Various helper skills needed: I. Pre-Helping Attending Primary

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Spiritual and Religious Diversity in Prisons Physically attending Psychologically

II. Responding (to the clients frame of reference) accurate empathy concreteness respect genuineness

III. Stimulating (the client to alternate solving)

advanced accurate empathy self-disclosure confrontation immediacy IV. Helping to Act Problem -solving techniques strategy action programs

THE SEVEN TYPES OF LISTENING SKILLS The seven types of listening skills are: (1) Silence, (2) Non-Verbal Attending, (3) Restatement, (4) Paraphrasing, (5) Reflection of Emotion, (6) Open-ended Questions, (7) Closed-ended Questions. 1. Silence is a power tool in a crisis situation or in counseling, especially if the counselee is exhausted and needs some time to regroup. It can be used for showing support as well as respect for the client. It can also be unproductive if it is overused excessively, which can convey a sense of confusion or a lack of interest in the client. 2. Non-verbal attending is a process of attending to, and monitoring a non-verbal behavior or body language shown by the counselee. The counselor monitors changes that facilitate, block, or inhibit communication by non-verbal attending. 3. Restatement is the process whereby the counselor restates a key phrase or an important point made by the counselee. Usually, the same key word is used as the counselee, e.g., Counselee: "I am hurting deeply because my wife's bout with constant depression." Counselor: "You are hurting deeply because of your wife's bout with constant depression?" 4. Paraphrasing: This is when the counselor

uses his or her own words to summarize the main points or theme to describe what the counselee is expressing. It is a conversational statement to check for accuracy in listening or for probing for clarification, e.g., Counselor: "So in other words, you are saying that your wife's constant bout with depression is what keeps you hurting so deeply?" 5. Reflection of emotion: A technique used by a counselor to mirror or reflect back to the counselee the nature of the emotion observed; for example, "You are feeling deeply hurt?" Sometimes counselees are reluctant to talk about their emotions, and this helps them to disclose their feelings. It acknowledges the emotions and assists clients to own them. 6. Open-ended questions: They are questions such as What? How? Why? Can you describe? Tell me . . . , etc. that tend to encourage response or help the counselee to keep on talking about the problem, e.g., "Please tell me ,ore about the deep hurt." 7. Closed-ended questions: These are structured to restrict, focus, or redirect responses of the counselee. They are answered yes or no. Examples include do,

The Need for Prison Ministry

when, where, can, who did, can , who, should, would, could, shall, have, are, where, which (ibid., 17). Attending S-Face the other person squarely O-Adopt an open pen posture L-Lean toward the other E-Keep good eye contact R-Try to be "at home" or relatively relaxed in this position Concreteness: Speaking about specific experiences (what happens to me, what others do to me) also speaking about specific feelings. Example 1: Vague statement: "things were not so hot today." Concrete statement: "I had a headache for several hours while I was at work this morning." Example 2: Vague statement of experience: "People pick on me." Concrete statement of experience: "My classmates ridicule me for being fat. They call me 'porky or tubby'. They would not invite me to their houses because they say I eat too much." You use a concrete statement to open up a conversation when say after a non-verbal attending, the person would not talk.

Example of Vague and Concrete Behaviors 1. Paraphrasing: This is the process where the helper uses own words to summarize the main points or theme of what the person in crisis has just said. This response must be in a nonjudgmental or non-threatening conversational manner to check your own accuracy in listening, in order to clarify ambiguities. Paraphrasing is also called primary empathy. You are speaking out your understanding of your client's feelings or what she or he is saying. Example 1: So, in other words, you

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feel guilty because .... Example 2: You feel on edge and uncertain because .... Empathy is our ability to enter into the world of another person in order to communicate our understanding to him or her. Three levels of empathy have been identified: at its deepest, (a) "a way of being (Rogers, 1975, 1980); (b) a way of being with others; (c) a way of appreciating the nuances and complexities of their world (ibid., 13). As we listen to the client, we want to let the client understand that we are with them. It's the helpers way of saying, "I've been listening carefully to what you've been saying and expressing, and I'm checking to see if my understanding is accurate. (Gary Egan calls this technique "basic empathy.") Example: A young woman visits the student center at her college. Woman: "And so here I am, two months pregnant. I don't want to be pregnant. I'm not married, and I don't even love the father. To tell the truth, I don't even think I like him. Oh, Lord, this is something that happens to other people, not me! I wake up thinking the whole thing is unreal." Helper: "You're still so amazed that it's almost impossible to accept that it's true. Woman: "Amazed? I'm stupefied! And yet I have no one to blame but myself. My, that's it. I feel so alone in all this. The technique involves translating your understanding of the client's experiences, behaviors, and feelings into a response that shares the understanding with the client. Empathy means our response to the question, "what is the core message or messages being expressed in terms of feelings, experiences, and behaviors that underlie these feelings?" Then, check out the

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Spiritual and Religious Diversity in Prisons

understanding with the client. Feelings: "You feel" then associate with the correct family of emotional intensity. Example: You feel relieved. You feel great. You feel annoyed, You feel angry. You feel sad. You feel furious, etc. You feel sad because ... You feel frustrated because ... A good empathy reflects respect, and a tool to help clients to explore themselves and their problem situations. It also encourages and facilitates dialogue. Always give the client and yourself some time to think. Ask yourself, "what feelings is the client expressing, what is the core message?" Then you can respond, for instance, by saying, "let me see if I've got what you're saying." Use short response to the client (ibid., 14). However, accurate empathy is not just mere parroting. It's not mere repetition either, but a communication of the helper's understanding. Cognitive process asks the question, "what else is going on besides the simple judgement of liking or disliking the client? 1. Try to understand the person's behavior without interpreting the behavior. 2. Figure out who stands out or figural aspect of a particular person, not background. 3. Organize the perceptual field or group the stimulus like see, hear, smell, feel, etc. 4. Each stimuli is perceived as part of a structure. Cognitive approach assumes that perceived are trying to arrive at a meaningful impression of whole persons. Associationist View-We think about people in terms of trait variations. Dimensional View-We think about people in terms of a few global dimensions. Topological View-People think of others in terms of types.

People perceive external, visible attributes fairly accurately. A person's perception becomes more difficult when we try to infer internal statetraits, feelings, emotions, and personalities. A person's internal states such as emotions, personality traits, and attitudes are extremely difficult to observe. So we infer from them whatever cues are available. Perceivers often impose their own perspectives on a target person, rather than reflecting the real qualities of the target. Egan teaches us to gear our responses to the client.

Recognition of Emotions A. Most accuracy of our perceptions, are based on the recognition of emotions, on whether the subject is happy, afraid, horrified or disgusted. This can be easily noticed from photographs or videos. Continuums of emotions: 1. Happiness,Joy 2. Surprise, Amazement 3. Fear 4. Sadness 5. Anger 6. Disgust, Contempt 7. Interest, Attentiveness B. Non-Verbal Communication We make judgements about another person's emotional state on the basis of more than facial expressions. There are eight general channels we use. 1. They are verbal communications or the content of what the person says. 2. Non-verbal which provides a whole set of subtler cues & expressive behaviors or facial expressions, gesture, posture, and appearance. 3. Eye contact (Fieldman & Rimes, 1991). 4. Other visible channels: Distance, the closer or more friendly, can lead to intimacy.

The Need for Prison Ministry 5. Gestures-Body language, not very reliable. 6. Eye contact-May indicate interest or lack of it. They can indicate friendship or threat. 7. Facial expressions-mimicry as an expression of distress or sympathy in empathy for a victim. 8. Paralanguage-variations in speech other than actual verbal contact: pitch of the voice, loudness, rhythm, inflection, and hesitations convey information. Example: Parents can tell when a baby is hungry. Example: "I like you!" Can mean mild feelings to intense passion, depending on its paralinguistic characteristics.

Definitions Altruism-refers to an act performed voluntarily to help someone else when there is no expectation of receiving a reward in any form. It depends on the intentions of the helper. Prosodal Behavior-any act that helps or is designed to help others, regardless of the helper's motives. When we decide to help, we weigh the costs and the benefits in our decisions to give help. People learn to be helpful, following basic principles of reinforcement and modeling. Genetically, we have a predisposition to help others. Personal Distress-refers to our emotional reactions to the plight of others - our feeling of shock, horror, alarm, concern, or helplessness; especially when we witness an event and become preoccupied with our own reactions. Empathy-refers to our feelings of sympathy and caring for others, we share directly or indirectly in the suffering of others. Personal distress leads us to feel anxious and apprehensive. Helping helps us to reduce

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our discomfort. Empathy leads us to feel sympathetic and compassionate.

Relationship Establishment Counseling is a relationship and it is defined as helping relationship. A counselor must always take the initiative in the initial interview to establish a climate conducive to a mutual respect, trust, free and open communication, and understanding in general of what the counseling process involves. The counselor, therefore, must use techniques designed to relieve tensions and open up the communication process. The skills described as attentive listening, understanding, and feeling with the client (ibid., 14). B: In attending, we orient ourselves physically and psychologically to the person. Factors needed to be present are positive regard and respect, accurate empathy and genuineness. We seek to assist the person to assume responsibility for his or her problem and its solution. During the session, the caregiver does: 1. Stimulate open, honest, and full communication about the concerns needing to be discussed, the factors and background related to those concerns. 2. Work toward progressively deeper levels of understanding, respect, and trust between self and the person being helped. 3. Provide the support person with a view that something useful can be gained from the encounter. 4. Identify a problem or a concern for subsequent attention and help. 5. Establish the "gestalt" process that both parties must work hard at exploring and understanding the person in his or her concerns. 6. Acquire information about the person relating to his/her concerns and their

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Spiritual and Religious Diversity in Prisons

effective solution. For the helpee: Stimulate self-examination. Generate some specific tasks for the helper to do, or think about prior to another session if any. B: Non-Verbal Communication Skills 1. Communicate individual attention: "I am listening to you and only you." This can act as reinforcement for the person to continue to speak. 2. Communicate respect: What you are saying is important, I will attend to you. 3. Model effective behavior: You are modeling effective interpersonal skills for the helped. 4. Improvement of counselor skills: Good attending can help our focus on the helped. A prompt order in recognizing the presence or in responding to the communication. Listen closely to what the helped is saying for the meaning of the words. Words and the manner in which they are used can provide important clues about how the helped views the world. Example: Helped: My children always obey me. You: Always Helped: Well-not always, they usually get up and dressed for school without any trouble. The word (always) indicates a distortion of reality, a predisposition to perceive different events in the same way. Also determine what they mean when they use word like must and should. Example: Helped: I must get an A on this test. You: There's a feeling of desperation in your voice. Helped: Yes, without this grade I'm doomed. You: Without an A grade you're doomed to what? Helped: Well, I don't know. I won't

maintain my 3.5 grade average. You: So? Helped: I wouldn't get into med. school. You: And then? Helped: Well, I'd be very disappointed. I guess I'd have to find another career. Asking them to present a fuller description of themselves is a method of facilitating self-exploration and helping them to change. Counseling involves guessing or "flying by the seat of your pants" (p. 2). Meier and Davis (1992) describe 12 steps that can help students in mastering the basic helping skills (ibid., 15): 1. Make the personal contact. Be open to the leading of the person you are trying to help. Example: You: Hi, I'm Josh. I am your crisis helper. Helped: Hello, Josh, I'm Bill. It is certainly raining hard out there. You: Yes, it is. Did you have any trouble getting (contact) here? You: Can we talk about what is going on in your mind as you experience this incident? Allowing the client to lead in the initial stages can encourage trust. It can also provide information concerning their agenda and his or her interpersonal styles (Mackinnon & Michely, 1971). Also, we are encouraged to rest between sessions so that we can take notes or review notes in preparation for the next hour/client. 2. Develop a working relationship. Example: Helpee: I feel I'm at the end of my rope. I'm so frustrated! You: This is really a difficult time for you. Bill: It feels so good to hear you say that because none of my friends understand what I'm going through. When we listen actively and offer acceptance, we are developing a bond of

The Need for Prison Ministry trust and support. 3. Explain the debriefing (counseling to the helped). This is because of misconceptions about what this process is all about. Example: Helped: Josh, why aren't you asking me more questions about my emotional state of mind? You: Bill, I see counseling as being most helpful when you talk about your feelings. I'm not to diagnose you or to prescribe you any cure. The best way for both of us is to learn about what's going on with you. Bill: Well, okay. Our job is to provide them with a realistic hope for improvement. 4. Pace and lead. This refers to how much direction the helper exerts with the helped. Example: Helped: I put off studying until the last minute again (sighing) and then I just hit the books the whole night. You: You crammed, again? Helped: Yeah, that's what happened. Reflection of feeling and restatement of content (ibid., 16) are two effective methods of pacing. The helper recognizes the feeling of the helped and mirrors the feeling. Example: Helped: I was so mad, I just got up and left. You: You were really angry with your wife? Helped: Yes, I guess I was. I just realized how angry I was ... and still am! You: Silence. 1) Speak briefly. We do not want to get carried away. We must talk less and allow the helper to talk more. Example: Helped: I know I have to start talking about my experiences You: Yes. Helped: And it's hard to think

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straight knowing that my partner is hurt by a jerk. It hurts to think about the pain his family may be going through. You: (nodding) or "uh-huh" (minimal prompts). Helped: If they want to help us so bad, why can't they face us? Why should those jerks jump us in the back? 2) Silence: When you don't know what to say, say nothing. Example: Helped: I got written up for using force to help my partner. You: (nodding). Helped: I can't imagine how cold hearted supervisors get these days. You: Uh-huh! Confront as a way of supporting. Here confronting means pointing out discrepancies between the client's goals and actions (Shertzer & Stone, 1980). It's like saying, stop a minute? Look at what you're doing. Support and empathy are the foundations of good rapport. Example: Helpee: I just don't have the will power to eat anymore. You: I'm puzzled by that, Bill. You told me before that you wanted to build some muscle. That sounded like "willpower" to me. Helpee: Well, I do want to gain weight. I just can't do it anymore. You: What's stopping you now, Bill? If you want to change something, process it. Definition: process is what the helper and the helped do during a session. This can influence the outcome and make the session successful (ibid., 17). Everly and Mitchel gave us an eclectic counseling or debriefing method of handling a crisis in their book, Critical Incidence Stress Managemen~ i.e., what works in a crisis setting. But, it does not mean those are the only steps to process.

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Spiritual and Religious Diversity in Prisons

Let's look at the following verbatim: Bill: The problem's in my marriage are all my wife's fault. Josh: She has ... Bill: Started a job. She's not spending any time with me or the kids anymore. Josh: Silence. Bill: I don't know what else to say. Josh: Seems that it's difficult for you to talk with me (process). Bill: Yeah, we've been fighting a lot. I'm feeling kind of shaky about what's going to happen (sighing). Josh: Tell me more about the shaky feeling. Bill: I don't know. I love her, but I'm really upset about her working. Josh: Are you feeling shaky right now? Bill: Yes ... I don't know what else to do to make my marriage work. Josh: Do you want to work on saving your marriage? Bill: I guess so. The process focuses on immediacy, that is, what is being felt and experienced at the moment within this interaction. By acknowledging the client's discomfort, the helper helped the client to relax and open up. When counseling in a critical incidence situation, the following guidelines are critically important to keep in mind at all times: 1) That a critical incidence is a support function for the operational and medical staff and so on. So be cautious not to interfere with the on-going operational activities. 2) Don't try to intervene immediately with out the permission of the person in crisis or his or her supervisors, because losing their trust can jeopardize all your good intentions, and you would not be effective. 3) Do not become overly analytical; just be supportive. 4) Do not confront or use reverse psy-

5)

6)

7)

8)

9)

10)

chology. Do not moralize or try to preach. It can be a turn-off to most people. This is not the right time for it. Do not progress or try to move quickly through the process before the person is able to respond to you. Don't put yourself on the clock like you would normally do in your office. Do not dismiss discussions about suicide, homicide, or other acts of violence as mere gestures, posturing, or manipulations. Do not suggest them either, because failure to notice such little gestures can lead to escalation or serious consequences later. Do not take personal risks with your own well-being. You are not immune. Get debriefed by someone else (ibid., 17). Individualizing counseling. Tailor your one-on-one technique to suit the person you are helping. Avoid jargons that would confuse the helpee and the language you choose to use must suit or match the person's conceptual level. For example, if the person has been in counseling before, you could tailor your approach to match what has worked before. Example: Bill: I've been really down lately. I'm getting less pay because my hours at work have been cut during the winter. I've had to stop jogging, too, because of all the snow we've had. Josh: You're down in the dumps? Bill: Yeah, it's depressing. Notice resistance. Recognize the presence of resistance and deal with it accordingly. Resistance can include an abrupt change of topic or forgetting an important material. We can make a mental note of the resistance and so on if we continue to make progress in spite of it. However, with extreme resistance,

The Need for Prison Ministry

we can return them to pacing and thereby decrease the emotional intensity of the session or even by changing the topic (Brammer & Shostrom, 1989). Then, when the helpee becomes more able, we can permit them to deal with the issue being resisted. 11) When in doubt, focus on feelings. Learning how to recognize feelings challenges helpees (Cormican, 1998). The big four feelings we search for are: anger, sadness, fear, and joy. If we recognize any of the four big feelings and deal with them, we can see signs of progress in the beginning of our encounters. Helping them to recognize their feelings can increase their motivations for change. In fact, fully experiencing feelings can bring insight and relief to our clients. Example: 1. Helpee: Even though it's been a year since my father died, I still feel a hole in my life. Helper: As you spoke about your father, I felt sad. 2. Helpee:Jim, my co-worker,just kept teasing and teasing me until I couldn't stand it any more and I screamed at him. Helper: You were feeling very angry. How did he react when you yelled at him? Helpee: He was surprised. 12) Plan for termination at the beginning of the session. At the end of the session, both parties should know. Example: Bill: So, it looks like I'm going to college after alL Josh: I'm delighted. You worked very hard to sort out with yourself and your family. Bill: I certainly appreciate your help and listening to me while I was so confused about what to do. Josh: Well, I' enjoyed listening to you.

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I'm glad you're ready to go but sad we won't be meeting anymore. Bill: Me, too, but I know I can talk things out with my parents in the future. 13) Avoid advice by helping clients to selfexplore themselves. Example: Helpee: I'm having trouble with my boyfriend. Helper: Tell me more about the trouble you are having. 14) Ask open-ended questions. Example: Helpee: I just left after he started to swear at me. Helper: How did you feel, then? (Open. Avoid close-ended questions.) Helpee: I was very angry. He had no right to speak to me that way. We had been close friends for years. Helpee: Did you swear back? (Closed) Helper: No. 15) Active listening. Listening to the meaning of words and the grammar, as well as the way they are used, can provide us with important clues concerning their world view (Bandler & Grinder, 1975). Words like "always" must and should signify a distortion of reality, and signals for irrational beliefs. So, asking them to present a fuller description of themselves or what meanings they want to convey can be a method of facilitating their self-exploration as well as helping them change. Let's take a look at the following examples: 1. Helpee: My children always disobey me. Helper: Always? Helpee: Well, not always. They usually get dressed for school without any trouble. 2. Helpee: I must get an A on this test! Helper: There's a feeling of desperation in your voice. Helpee: Yes, without this grade, I'm

32

Spiritual and Religious Diversity in Prisons

doomed. 3. (Sometimes clients may fail to describe their experiences fully unless asked to explore further): Helper: Without an A you're doomed to what? Helpee: Well, I don't know. I won't maintain my 3.5 grade point average. Helper: So. Helpee: I wouldn't get into med. school. Helper: And then? Helpee: Well, I'd be very disappointed. I guess I'd have to find another career. 16) Pay attention to the non-verbals. The non-verbal components of communication. Voice tone, facial expressions, eye contact, and body motion can all convey good information. We can confront our clients by pointing out discrepancies between their non-verbal and verbal communications. Example: Helpee: I was very upset when she said she didn't like me (client smiling). Helper: So you were upset, but I noticed you were smiling when you said you were upset. Helpee: I was? Well, it is kind of hard for me to admit she upsets me. We can help them to become aware of their non-verbals. Example: Helpee: I was really upset when she said she didn't like me (smiling). Helper: You were upset, but I noticed you were smiling when you said you were upset. Helpee: I was? Well, it is kind of hard for me to admit she upsets me. Helper: How do you feel when you smile like that? Helpee: I don't know. Helper: Smile again just like you were. Helpee: Okay (smiling).

Helper: How do you feel now? Helpee: Well, maybe a little safer. Maybe she'll still like me even though she upsets me. Helpers can also send conflicting signals when they use wrong non-verbals (ibid., 18). (Shertzer & Stone, 1980). Helper: Your dad died two years ago today (smiling). Helpee: Yes, but I still feel sad about it (confused) . One-on-One 17) Focusing on clients helps them to self disclose as well as redirect on their feelings because clients love to talk about other people instead of their personal problems. Example: Helpee: My mom thinks that I should go into social work. Helper: How do you feel about that? Helpee: I don't know. Helper: Have you given it a thought? Helpee: No. I got laid off after 15 years on the job. Now, I've got to begin job hunting and I haven't the slightest idea where to start. Helper: I feel sad that you lost your job (self-involving). Helpee: Well, I have been really down. I've been trying to think positively and ignore those feelings because I've got to have a job as soon as I can. Helper: Tell me more about those feelings you've been ignoring. 18) Helpee: I feel angry now that I know I have to start allover again. I feel empty and hurt. Helper: So what do you plan to do? Helpee: I want to go back to school and take some classes in social work, but I don't have any confidence in myself about taking risks. Helper: I wonder if your lack of confidence has anything to do with your

T7ze Need for Prison Ministry

mother's overprotectiveness. You've spoke about how she rarely let you try things on your own as a child. I wonder if the two are related? Helpee: That makes sense. Helper: In what way does it make sense to you? Helpee: I think I want to go back to school to please my mother. But, in a sense, I lack initiative and that's why she is pushing me. I need to start taking some risks for myself. Maybe once I start school, I can find out what I really want to do with myself. Summarize (review importance of listening) at the end of a session. The helper or the helped may want to summarize the issues. Example: Helper: So, if you were to sum up what has gone on in our counseling so far, how would you describe it? Helpee: Well, I certainly understand how my mother and I get started on arguments. Everybody gets so involved in presenting their case and no one listens to the other. I know I need to point out to her and notice it myself or I'll get frustrated in a hurry. Helper: That certainly fits with what I've heard you say in here.

Crisis Intervention 1. Assess the situation 2. Stay in control and avoid getting caught up in others' feelings of panic 3. Emphasize strengths as a way of helping clients regain control (Puryear, 1979, pp. 86-104). 4. Find and mobilize clients' social support network-friends and family to be made available to stay with crisis clients. 5. Refer carefully with clients consent. Example: Helper: Bill, I haven't heard you mention

33

your family in any of this. Client: My parents don't care and neither do any of my brothers or sisters, except Chris, and she's in Colorado. Helper: Tell me about Chris. Client: She's the person in the family I talk with the most. She convinced me to come to college because I did well in high school. Helper: Don't you think she might be concerned about you now, given how you feel? Client: I don't know. Helper: What would you do if she felt depressed? Client: I'd go visit her; maybe I could call her.

Helping Clients Define and Clarify Problem Situations This first step is to help the clients to understand themselves and their problem situations with a view toward setting goals and taking action (ibid., 17). Step 1A. Helping clients tell their stories. Every client has a story to tell concerning the problem situation as he or she sees it. This is where the helper establishes a relationship with the helpee and helps the client; he or she tells the story in detail as necessary. Step lB. Helping clients focus. a. This is where the helper and client assess the situation to decide whether the concerns calls for counseling. b. Helpers help the client to decide which part of a problem situation they would like to handle first. c. Helper assists the client to make the problem situation as clear as possible in terms of specific

34

Spiritual and Religious Diversity in Prisons

experiences, specific behaviors, and specific feelings. Step 1C. Helping clients overcome blind spots in order to develop new perspectives. Clients are helped to see dimensions of themselves and the problem situations. Especially dimensions that are overlooked but need to be managed. All three steps may overlap and can be used throughout the helping process. Open-ended questions help to elaborate and enrich the interview (ibid., 13). Examples-Could you tell me more about that? How did you feel when that happened? Given what you just said, what would be the ideal solution to the problem? An open-ended question that aims for concreteness and specifies in the client's situation can be a very useful tool. Examples: 1) Could you give me a specific example? 2) Client: George makes me so mad. Helper: Could you give me a specific example of what George does? Or, what do you mean by makes you mad? George Kelly, a personality theorist, suggests that we make use of the five W'swho, what, when, where, why and how. Example: When looking for facts, we can ask, "What happened? What are you going to do?" How questions often lead to a discussion

about process, sequences or to feelings-How could that be explained? How do you feel about that? Why questions most often would lead to a discussion of reasons: Why did you allow that to happen? Why do you think that is so? Could a closed question often contain less control and command than others: Could you tell me more about your situations? Could you give me a specific example? Could you tell me what you would like to talk about today? Key points: Questions help to begin interviews. They can open new areas for discussion, assist in pinpointing and clarifying issues as well as assist the client in selfexploration. Questions that cannot be answered in a few short words are called "open-ended questions." These encourage others to talk and to provide maximum information (ibid., 16). Closed-ended questions are those that can be answered with a few short words or sentences. They can help in focusing the prime responsibility for talk on the interviewer. They often begin with is, are, or do. Example: Where do you live? What are your days off? When is your anniversary? Our goal in counseling is to help clients to meet those goals. Also, too many questions without empathy or allowing self-disclosure very quickly can be a turn off, especially if they do not know us.

Chapter 2 CRIME AND DELINQUENCY AND OTHER PERSPECTIVES

S

ociologists, like other correctional professionals, are still grappling with the problem of crime and delinquency and their treatment. They say criminal behavior is properly a problem in jurisprudence or public morality or education and social organization. They say it is the habitual and professional criminal whose behavior needs to be explained in terms of the causes of crime and juvenile delinquency, which sometimes seems very perplexing. Why? Theologians and biblical scholars have been telling us all along that the secularization of society can lead to alienation, which the Bible simply describes as sin. The question of sin cannot be dealt with in scientific laboratories or talk shows. The solution is very complex and not to be treated lightly. Just for the record, can repentance-a radical change of mind and a radical change of the way of life-be the solution to this sin question? If brokenness or a contrite heart is the heart of repentance, then what can we say about the social utopia to create a guiltless society? Can a guiltless society be a society with a conscience or let alone, a society with feelings? Environmental sociologists say that since certain slum areas maintain extremely high delinquency rates, delinquency rates remain constant regardless of the race or nationality living in an area. So they argue that crime

and delinquency is a product of the physical and social life of the area. Other studies show association between juvenile delinquency and transiency, low income, parental neglect, school failure, parental substance abuse or alcoholism, and, perhaps, other social causes. Others suggest that environmental factors listed above are "risk factors" because the occupants can increase their risks of coming into contact with and learn criminal behavior (ibid., 19). If this is true, then why are we risking to cohabit juvenile offenders with adult offenders in our prisons? The differential-association theory of crime states that most criminal behavior is learned through contact with criminal patterns which are present, are acceptable, and are rewarded in one's physical and social environment. Others say that delinquency is normal. "Because most youths are delinquent some of the time while others are delinquent most of the time and delinquent behavior is an integral part of the area culture." We cannot overlook the fact that a stable family life associated with conventional approach values can insulate a child against the criminal patterns of the area. A child needs to be trained and schooled on moral values at home, because an unsatisfactory home life can throw a good child into the streets which can later cause delinquency or criminal

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36

Spiritual and Religious Diversity in Prisons

behavior. In their study of delinquents, the Gluecks believe they can predict delinquent behavior from the following five highly decisive factors: A father's discipline (harsh, erratic, unsympathetic); a mother's supervision (indifferent, unconcerned); a father's affections (lacking); a mother's affections (cold, indifferent, even hostile); and cohesiveness of the family (integrated, devoid of warm companionship). A church, school, or a big brother/sister relationship can acquaint the child with some of the above values and non-criminal ways of behavior, but training must start at home with modeling by example. Whether the child is from a slum, middle class, or upper middle class environment, delinquent behavior must not be tolerated as an accepted way of life. How about the movies and the television shows children watch-the violence these shows portray? What does Hollywood want our children to learn? Examples include the sexual seduction of cable and MTV viewed by the children of America. What moral values are we teaching these youngsters? Is Halloween moral or immoral? If the Mafia and bank robbers, as well as criminals with multiple murders are our heroes, as projected in the movies, what kind of imagery and ambition are we teaching our children? I'd like to note that the differential-association theory does not explain all criminal behavior, it merely describes a process whereby crime is transmitted and perpetrated. But I believe videos and audio visuals, can inform our thinking process. Other theories like group-conflict attempt to explain criminal behavior in terms of group conflict. For example, minority groups, defeated by discrimination and inequity, may turn to crime in frustration and bitterness. This attempts may have some justification, but since not all the individuals

within a minority group in a conflict turn to crime, this theory is also an attempt and not fully an underlying truth why people commit a crime. Pent up emotions such as anger, bitterness, and unforgiving spirit, mentioned several times in the Bible, are motivating factors for many crimes of passion. Instead of healthy ventilation of feelings, people act out with violence. Delinquent subculture theories are another attempt to explain delinquency by association. This subculture rejects values expressed by teachers, ministers, police, and even parents. Members express their personhood by rejecting maternal influences. They tend to commit crimes that are nonutilitarian, malicious and negative or against other persons. The act of stealing becomes more important than the object stolen. I wish anybody would know what causes delinquency or criminal behavior. The answer is nobody knows. So all we can do is to create theories to explain behaviors. I don't think the criminals know themselves. Sometimes, it is in the "in thing" to do without any consideration for the consequences. But it is still good to know that, "the wages of sin is death." And it still requires a radical change of mind and a radical change of life or a brokenness of a stony heart in order to resolve this complex problem of delinquency and crime. First of all, delinquency starts with alienation and a loss of an existing relationship. So how can we restore a relationship, once it is broken? This is why we need prison ministrywhen the message of the cross is preached, according to Dr. Stephen Alford, "The Holy Spirit" works through the word of God to provide an anointing that brings the hearer to obedience. The Spirit answers to the Blood, and the preacher assumes authority in the manifestation of the anointing. It is at the very point of obedience that the anointing can be experienced. And accord-

Crime and Delinquency and Other Perspectives ing to The Moravian Catechism, that is what brings a radical change in the life of the

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believer-the work of the Holy Spirit through the preaching of the cross. (ibid., 2).

PEER PRESSURE In the use of alcohol, psycho-active substance use, and even sexual activity at an early age, peer pressure has a lot to do with the decisions people make to start these activities. We all want to be accepted, and have the need to belong and the need for friendship. I recall when two of my buddies took a bet, when I was about sixteen years old, at a nightclub, as to which one of them could drink a large jug (half bottle) of moonshine without experiencing any side effects. They went at it starting by exchanging glass after glass, binge drinking until a half-gallon of the liquor was consumed, after which they felt a physical discomfort followed by vomiting, headache, and finally, a total loss of self-control. When it came my turn to drink, I merely accepted to be called a coward, too soft, mama's baby, and so on. But it was alright for me to accept the fact at an early age that alcohol makes me sick, and I cannot have anything in my system that would make me sick. The same sort of peer pressure is present when young people go out on a date. The expectation of the peers is that sex must occur or else one is not fully matured or considered less than a man. You hear others speak about what happened during a date or how a guy raped a girl while she was asleep. Some would go to the extreme of holding someone down for other boys to engage in sexual activity, while others would deny their unsuspecting dates. Other scenes occurring during neighborhood parties can turn sour when a neighborhood girl drinks spiked punch or smokes a joint or sniffs cocaine or takes a pill (speed). The effect is that she could be gang raped

and would not know it. Another example is shoplifting at a department store. Inmates tell me there is always a lookout person while the others loot the store. There is also a spot where the gang meets a buyer for the stolen goods. What part does peer pressure play in crime at an early age or in becoming a delinquent? How do you help delinquents change? Moorehouse and Richards (1980) tell us that supportive education and counseling can help to change these behaviors. With environmental inconsistency in raising a child, especially if parents are substance abusers or addicts, both parents and children need treatment in order to effect any meaningful changes in lifestyles. Children need emotional availability of parents and attending. If none is available, they can turn to peers, gangs, cults, and so on for support and affirmation. Church people and ministers need to be trained in crisis intervention methods, supportive roles in finding these troubled children and treating them before it is too late. Young people should have a right to work at an early age in order to gain a sense of pride through their own accomplishments. I am not asking for exploitation, but I think it would help because an idle mind can become the devil's workshop. Even in prison, when inmates have nothing to do (some people are advocating to cut off the education privileges and vocational training grants), they become engaged in illegal activity such as phone sex, gambling, homosexuality, stealing, and so on. A good crime bill must also contain some prevention and treatment provisions.

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Spiritual and Religious Diversity in Prisons

Parents need skills in parenting because not all parents are matured enough to know how to raise children. The assumption that parents are capable is proven wrong by the population of criminals we find in the prison system. Children need more active recreation, not television programs. They need physical activities and they need to feel welcome and needed (David Dressler). Now that we have entered into the phase of severe punishments and strict repression for criminals, we must also work on ways to prevent delinquency. The early signs of a learning disability (ibid., 19) or inability to read, anger, or frustration are results of constant criticisms in an alcoholic or abusive environment, and neglect, especially when parents are too busy to attend to children's needs. We must test them early to find them alternative vocations if they are not college material. In John M. Martin's critique on delinquency prevention, he lists three approaches (ibid., 19): 1. Delinquency is the sum total of all activities that contribute to the adjustment of children and to healthy personalities in children. 2. Delinquency prevention is the attempt to deal with particular environmental conditions that are believed to contribute to delinquency. 3. Delinquency prevention consists of specific preventive services provided to individual children or groups of children. Martin contends that anything that contributes to the adjustment of children and to their healthy personality development prevents delinquency. He also states that this approach is in conjunction to the general improvements in the institutional fabric of our society, particularly as they affect child welfare: the city's programs to reduce economic inequities such as procedures for

raising the income levels of poor families, better low-rent housing, improving job tenure or job security, and other means of reducing rigors of poverty and economic insecurity. This approach also embraces attempts to reduce racial prejudice and discrimination, increase educational achievements for the incoming generations, improve marital relations by premarital counseling and family social work and increase the impact of religious doctrines in both adults and children. Second, Martin encourages overcoming the factors in the immediate environment of children that seems to contribute to their delinquency. These activities must include community organizations, recreational and character-building organizations, reducing the sale of liquor to minors, reducing dope peddling, and the receiving of stolen goods. His third recommendation includes probation and parole services to children and youths, programs for residential institutions and special schools for delinquents and child guidance clinics that are concerned with the diagnoses and treatment of delinquents. Additional factors are direct work with antisocial street gangs, and a variety of other services concerned with the adjustments of children. I believe that if these recommendations are taken seriously, with funding and continuity, we can help some of our youth offenders to change their behavior. It seems, however, that society has gone mad in recent years trying to do away with affirmative action, trying to abolish welfare, and Congress is trying hard to undermine recreational programs and other delinquent prevention programs. Instead, we want more prisons, elimination of prison educational programs, busing and racial integration because the thought is that society is now mature and is no more prejudiced. This is the wrong message. Racism and tribalism is

Crime and Delinquency and Other Perspectives on the increase on the world scene. Look at Bosnia, Rwanda, Burundi and Zaire, the bombings of the World Trade Center and in Oklahoma City as well as many race crimes in this country. We must admit we still have a problem and continue to work to correct the problem, not abandon or give up to sin and injustice. Just giving away money or welfare without a goal or adequate supervision to reach an objective is meaningless. It won't do anyone any good. We must pursue the goal of self-reliance and self-determination for all. Peer pressure is like cancer. It is contagious but acceptable behavior for most families in the United States. For example, advertising is a glorious form of peer pressure, using various movie stars or celebrities. Our children force us to buy almost anything they see on television, and we ourselves are seduced by these fads. So, we can't exactly blame the youth, but we can ask Hollywood film makers, the media, and other big influencing businesses to accept part of the problem for the delinquency of our youth. Let us not try to reinvent the wheel but apply the knowledge we already have on the problems of peer pressure and delinquency. We must treat the problem like a disease as well as prevent future occurrence. The mere retreating of religious groups is a cop out. Society needs help and leadership, and we must not abandon them. Love et al, (1991) argues that when a child is aggressive, he or she stands a chance of being rejected by peers. The argument continues that 30 to 40 percent of socially rejected children were highly aggressive (ibid., 21). This is also supported by Huesmann and Evon (1986) that aggression causes rejection. If this is true, then intervention programs which are aimed at improving children's social relations with their peers may lead to reductions in aggressive behavior.

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One of the classes we teach inmates relates to anger management or "Cage Your Rage." I teach a class called "Alternative to Violence" which I will discuss in detail later in this publication. However, in brief, it deals with three levels of skills: negotiation, mediation, and arbitration. These skills are so vital for the social development of human beings that I wonder why they are not being emphasized in our high schools or even in our church schools. With the high rage of violence being vented by our youth, I feel we should not wait until they attend a trade school or a sales convention to learn these important survival skills. They should be given the opportunity to learn these skills even as an elective in middle school, if possible. Olweus (1991) estimated that about 9 percent of school children in Norway and Sweden were regular victims of bullying, while 7 to 8 percent of children engaged in bullying. In the USA, we may say that the children are just acting out without paying any attention to what may perhaps be the underlying problem causing children to bully other children. Some parents may be in denial until their so-called good kids hurt other kids before they start asking for help for them. Olweus (1980) identifies four factors that may contribute to the development of a bullying behavior in school: 1. Lack of warmth and involvement by the primary caretaker of the child 2. Permissiveness regarding aggressive behavior by the caretaker 3. The use of physical punishments and violent emotional outburst as a child rearing method 4. An active and hotheaded temperamental predisposition in the child. Evon and Huesmann (1980) found that children, who at age 8, are rated by peers as being aggressive in school have higher indications of antisocial aggression as adults

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Spiritual and Religious Diversity in Prisons

than other children; let's take early steps and find them the help they need before they end up in prison. Other indications are history of failure in school or truancy, including low intelligence and poor attainment (Farrington, 1991). Peer pressure groups, like any other pressure groups existing within this country, exist in order to gain their ends. In gangs, they may project a negative energy which may be in direct conflict with the law or society's values. And so we blame them when they say, unemployment is 50 percent among black teenagers or Spanish teenagers or AsianAmerican teenagers? The struggle for survival, the reaction against overt racism, rejection, and underprivileged in this society becomes a common shared value in the neighborhood to advance their interests at the unfortunate expense of law-abiding citizens. Pressure groups need money to promote their cause, they need organization in order to exist, they need power in order to gain respect or authority and propaganda in order to recruit new members who will keep the group going. Hollywood pictures of Mafia organizations, radical wars, Ku Klux Klan or Nazi propaganda and so on are watched mostly by inner city kids, especially teenagers. So why do we blame them when they become delinquent, join gangs to commit crimes, intimidate others to promote their cause and kill in order to show off their power. After all, as a society, we leave them alone to stay at home while we work, and who knows what they have been up to. We reward them when they tell lies and blame others for our failures in not instilling any moral values to these kids. Even the church seems to look at these kids from the sidelines and seems to say, "we cannot use you because you have nothing to contribute to our organization." Or perhaps,

"if we bring you into our church, you would corrupt our protective kids." So when these kids start having problems, we have a tendency to blame their confused parents who don't know what they are doing. Because they could have had these kids when they were young, coming from foster homes without any parental skills themselves, or parents who have been heavily involved with drugs and alcohol. So like the state, we retreat instead of confront. Predators are often people with good social standings in the society too, a priest or a minister, or Boy Scout leader, a camp organizer or just a good person in the neighborhood with a hidden agenda. Because of their good standings in the neighborhood, nobody pays the kids any attention when they report misconduct by such an authority figure. So if they cannot fight or win against him, they might as well join forces with him and molest, terrorize, steal or join in whatever vice that person may be using to support his habit. These include a drug habit or a sexual habit or several other habits like gambling, prostitution, or manufacturing moonshine and so on. So then, it makes things all the more complicated. If it takes the whole village to raise a child, then, we must organize our communities, involve the police and other law enforcement organizations to help us in networking in order to bring some peace and safety into our neighborhoods. I believe we must not wait till something happens like break-ins, rapes, and crime, but to prevent crimes from ever happening in our neighborhoods. Because one may be too many. We still have an obligation to be our neighbor's keeper. Various communities need to have a collective vision for themselves and their children. Here is an example of a visioning session or a brainstorming session by some members of the American Correctional Association at their 129th Annual Session of

Crime and Delinquency and Other Perspectives which I happen to be a part. First of all, the group had a stated purpose, which was to provide an understanding of what vision is and it's relevance or importance to any organization. We were shown an experiential overview, not the National Institute of Corrections vision. There are some questions asked during the brainstorming: What events will change our world or community? List things that needs to be accomplished; explore the past, examine values, and move to the future; Pull all the ideas down and craft a vision. The idea was to start by taking a cross-section of the original ideas from top to bottom. Other activities include: Examine the past: What are the common values which have meaning for the organization? the present; the future; identify five things that will impact the group in the next five or ten years; write your vision points or the things that you will like accomplish. The following are the ten vision pOints produced by my group (Group #5): convert every inmate or instill a spiritual value, encourage community involvement with each offender, every correctional staff must be converted or must have some spirituality; implement crime prevention as well as crime prevention programs; conditional release must be crafted to be seen as a public safety measure; network with human resources or service providers in the community; educate our legislators; lobby and influence legislature; Reward ex-convicts who stay out of trouble; promote a more positive media instead of the seemingly depressed media we see today. We broke up into small groups, each

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group elected a facilitator to assist them in writing a vision statement to include future ideas and values as well as goals, looking broadly at corrections and its future. The mission statement was to have a stated purpose, and to be pragmatic. The key elements of a vision statement was to be: 1. Leader initiated 2. It must be shared by the rest of corrections and must be supported 3. It must be comprehensive and detailed 4. It must be positive and inspiring The group was asked to craft statements to include values, purpose, and results. Also, the vision statements were to be general and philosophical. We were to start from the past, looking at what people have been through, to reflect on things believed in or not, to build on highs while reflecting values, skills and what the group wanted to accomplish. From the vision statement, we crafted a mission statement, goals and objectives for the future of ACA and corrections in general.

Diagram 7: Looking for Key Words to Reflect:

VALUES

PURPOSE

1-10

1-10

RESULTS 1-10

RESTORATIVE JUSTICE When we look at the Criminal Justice system in the past, we only consider the offender who considers him or herself as a victim. However, the real victim (the person

wronged) is deserted, unattended, left alone and hurting. In the parable of The Good Samaritan, it was the unknown foreigner, the dehumanized and despised Samaritan who

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attended to the wounds of the victim, because the nobles and the high society class of people lacked compassion. But victims are people who are assaulted whether at home, at work, or in the community, violated and murdered, while their families or survivors are left alone to grieve or to fend for themselves. They are those who are intimidated, harassed, coerced into doing things they would not do normally without the use of force. They are persons whose property is damaged, stolen, or taken by violence. They are members of our communities whose lives are disrupted by the hurtful behaviors of some members of our communities or other communities or by their own family members. They may even be citizens who may be paying higher prices because of white collar abuses such as employee theft, greed, and the mismanagement of businesses, corporations, and so on. But the bottom line is that when one member suffers, all suffer together (I Cor. 12:26). This is the reason to consider restorative justice as the new initiative to criminal justice and fairness as we begin to look at both sides of the justice equation. We must begin to restore what is lost or taken away from the victim. The crime problem in America is on the rise because we live in a society that glorifies crime and loves to watch bloody movies or murder mysteries, yet we blame the poor consumers for manifesting violent behaviors, a product of Hollywood and other factors (ibid, 1). Recently, the shooting at Arkansas and Tennessee brought to forefront the immorality of keeping a loaded gun at home. It is lawful to own a gun, but it is not expedient to have a loaded gun with children around the house. Perhaps the National Rifle Association (NRA) would consider a voluntary ban on assault riffles as well as semi-automatic guns in the heart of our cities because these guns have never

been used to hunt any game except the slaughtering of humans. When people fail themselves because of failed relations, firings from jobs, or facing economic or social inequalities, they turn to substance abuse, which can later lead them to violence because society had become immoral and dangerous. The guns of yesterday, the single barrels, and the double barrels are for selfdefense, but the guns of today, the assault riffles and the AKA's are for offense. Even American foreign policy needs some questioning by people of integrity and morality. However, Libya was bombed just because of a quarrel with a head of state, Mumar Kadafi, who was trying to protect his citizens from prosecution. Then, after having bombed Libya, we are still crying for trial and for more blood. How about the recent bombings of Sudan and Afghanistan? Is there any compensation for the innocent people killed, or is there a declaration of war against those nations? Then after the bombings, we still want to prosecute the real perpetrators. This is a double jeopardy and an unfairness in the American foreign policy whereby our government can bomb innocent people because our citizens have been bombed. In both cases, innocent people suffer, and justice is not served; revenge is not a Christian conduct, but yet governments are very vindictive, when heads of states are allowed to wage wars unilaterally. Vindictiveness does not redeem a wrong. Where is forgiveness and the turning of the other cheek, while President Clinton is asking for forgiveness for his role in the affair with Monica Lewinski. Is he able to forgive every incarcerated American Citizen who is convicted of adultery? However, there is often an unfairness in interpreting the laws when the high people in society violate the law. For example, if a Russian citizen bombs an American embassy or a Chinese citizen bombs an American aircraft, can America

Crime and Delinquency and Other Perspectives risk bombing Moscow or Beijing? So we police them for our own interest and security. I am not assuming that terrorism is a good thing, but fairness in a global scene can be refreshing, whether it is economic, political or spiritual. Restorative justice seeks to restore the victim to normalcy. So in the same sense, we ought to compensate the innocent people of Libya, Sudan, and Afghanistan for the violence of our government's actions. Our grieving for the victims of America should be extended to the victims of those countries who did not bomb our airplanes or our embassies. Otherwise, their children and siblings will grow to hate Americans, too, or even seek revenge. Requiring blood is unethical and unchristian in nature, for vengeance is God's responsibility alone; and governments should not be playing God. The average American criminal thinks of him or herself as a victim also. Sometimes he or she may be sober, drunk, a gang member, a substance abuser, or a deranged person. Nevertheless, they are victimizers, no matter their backgrounds. They cause pain, injury, and suffering to others. And to help these people, it may mean giving parents some rights to be able to punish some of these people the way they see fit. But, telling the whole world how to raise kids the American way could be dangerous. If we compare crime in America against crime in Canada, especially violent crime, Canada may be looking like a paradise because of gun controls. However, with all the cries about the caning of an American youth in Singapore, where violent crime is almost non-existent, we have a point to say that may be too much freedom is taken for granted and, in turn, the rights of other free citizens are abused. After all, something other than capital punishment can be the answer to stupidity and crime. And sometimes, the punishment does not fit the crime. Just like

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the case of substance abuse, we see that one treatment cannot cure all. Incarceration alone may not rehabilitate all criminals. But, at the same token, selective flogging in the juvenile system may just be the medicine the doctor ordered for some offenders in addition to other treatments. Even offenders tell me that this is something they feel is lacking in the current system. The responsibilities of children are embedded in parents who themselves may be immature, undisciplined, and immoral. So society (the state) has to take some responsibility in teaching skills and responsible behavior. Here, we recommend using a holistic treatment team approach-mental health, religion, recovery service, social skills and life skills. The sharing of information among the disciplines, will prevent duplication and waste of resources. The church and other religious bodies have been the teacher of these skills. With the secularization of society and the ability of these groups to give leadership along with losing their effectiveness, however, we would need some additional resources. Perhaps, groups like Youth as Resource, where matured youth is garnished as a resource and empowered to lead other youths in community building and leadership development is a welcomed addition to the Boy/Girl Scout movements and other youth groups in the country. I recall and still use the skills I was taught as a young pioneer in Ghana, including acting, public speaking, matching, community policing, and leadership. The problem is that although there are youth groups all over the world, only the already successful people utilize them for training their kids. The common people tend to shy away for the lack of knowledge, the result being that their kids have nothing to do and end up in gangs. Others, driven by the bad publicity by the immoral media, think that all youth leaders are corrupt and

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Spiritual and Religious Diversity in Prisons

immoral, prompting single parents to underutilize youth groups. When I was first approached by the Office of Victim Assistance to attend some of their training sessions, my first reaction was that it would compromise my relationship with inmates. However, it has helped me or sensitized me to the tears of their victims. I have witnessed some of the callousness of some staff towards inmates and the fear of administrators to protect inmates from their victims. However, I believe we can attend to both parties without compromising our confidentiality to both sides. Attending both victims and the victimized is a must. It is the right thing to do in order to restore justice. Can you imagine the tears of a correctional chaplain whose father was killed by an inmate in a robbery? How his struggle to forgive this inmate as well as his insight to assist the inmate to rehabilitate himself has opened up a great dialogue between this chaplain and me. I tried to guide this inmate to take all the programs offered and more, as well as share the progress report with my hurting friend, whom I know has forgiven this inmate and wants the best for him. However, as a responsible citizen and a man of God, he wants to make sure the inmate has the necessary skills to survive life outside prison, without resorting to violence again. But I can feel the silent tears of any fellow worker, his hurt as a human being, and his love for justice and forgiveness. Sometimes when I put myself in the shoes of my hurting friend, I hate to hear when this inmate tries to judge him (my friend) saying, "If he were a man of God, how come he did not ask the parole board to let me go last year?" And I believe a statement such as this is manipulative and comes from an unrepented heart. If we go according to the laws Moses, this inmate is not supposed to be living at all. However, grace and truth came through our Lord Jesus Christ, and this dear brother of

mine (a victim) in Christ wants the best for the inmate (the offender) in question. However, he wants to make sure he is rehabilitating himself. This is what victims bring to corrections, making sure their victimizers get the help they need before returning to the streets. In America today, the law takes precedence over religion or God because the law defines religion, determines who should be licensed to practice, and how anything should be so ordered. In fact, "Law is our national religion, lawyers constitute our priesthood; the courtroom is our cathedral, where contemporary passion plays are enacted" (ibid., 23). The recent congressional and senate trials of President Clinton clearly demonstrate what length of time and money law makers are willing to spend just to prove the intentions of their laws. Even the church preaches grace but practices law. When a member of the clergy like Jimmy Swaggart or Jim Baker falls from grace, we do not hear other clergy members rushing to their sides to attend them or to facilitate their healing process. Otherwise, we hear bashing, ridicule, and a rhetoric to defrock and humiliate or incarcerate. We have lost the sensitivity to minister to each other or to forgive people who are not like us. Forgiveness is just another word in books not often used. It is not only therapeutic but a divine mandate. And, woe is me, if I do not forgive. I remember a story about a bishop in my denomination that got caught up in a substance abuse scandal. Instead of urging him to obtain treatment, he was prosecuted in a court of law and ostracized from the clergy until his death. I once tried to plead his case before two other senior bishops but to no avail. Of course, the man was an addict, but he saved my life once and he helped me when I was going through a severe financial crisis in Dallas. He paid my rent and gave me money to make a car

Crime and Delinquency and Other Perspectives payment to save it from being repossessed. But in his moment of distress and pain, I was not allowed to intercede for him, because I was nobody, trying to help a man who was once a somebody. Can we all get along? Do we still care about people who are not like us? I mean who are not in our social class? What should be the social purpose of the law? Or, should a law have any social purpose at all? What good is a law if it does not build relationships? Maybe it is about time America took a look at overhauling some of the family laws and criminal laws in the books as written. Restorative justice is about caring for my neighbor, for my community, for society, for all the creatures of God. When they hurt, we all hurt. When they are disrupted by crime, we are all disrupted. When they cry or celebrate, we must all cry or celebrate with them appropriately. According to Zehr, the events become a crime, and the crime is described and dealt with in symbolic and legal terms that are foreign to the people actually involved. The whole process is mystified and mythologized and, thus, becomes a useful tool in the service of the media and the political process (ibid., 22). Bad news sells newspapers and the media has desensitized us to watch bad news in progress. So, a presidential affair becomes a Saturday night joke, a talk show debate, and a book writing event as well as a movie idea. We are saturated and bombarded with bad news. The victim, Monica Lewinski, is lured to tell her story with a monetary reward. "The hurts of the actual victim are all too often neglected in favor of society's making a statement about the behavior it defines as criminal. And the victim is often left with the question, "why?" (ibid., 23). For, again, Mrs. Clinton and her daughter are victimized in the so-called presidential affair. But, which of the lawmakers or the

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religious leaders has cared enough to help them in this crisis? I noticed that parents of unruly children do not advocate any special responsibility for their children. But I think the age of innocence is far gone. Children must be held accountable for their actions. Through youth groups, we can even ask them to police their own conducts and advise us on creative discipline for their own peers. If we start to demand this from children and empower the well behaved, I am sure we can reap some benefits. Spirituality should involve the integration of knowledge, while living should be considered as a journey into one's own consciousness that is beyond the boundaries of self and reality. We can all acknowledge divinity or a higher power, including the wisdom of the past and the present, and a vigorous examination of our internal explorations in order to be informed and transformed. Parents of drug abusers crashed their brains or their computers of any meaningful or self-defining information. They are like a ship without a sailor, a computer without hardware or software. They exist to consume, destroy, and to abuse creation. So our rage must also be directed both towards the creator of designer drugs and their distributors, not merely towards the users and their offspring who maim, kill, and destroy human lives without a conscience, because they have none. Welfare and child advocate agencies must not only prosecute child abusers, but must make sure parents and custodians have the necessary skills to raise children in order to achieve goals such as living, caring, honesty, cooperation, motivation, and high esteem. Just giving them money without skills is meaningless and wasteful. In a state of South Carolina report, Victim Services is a program offered to inmates. A staff of three is charged with the responsibility of attending to the needs of crime victims.

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Spiritual and Religious Diversity in Prisons

As advocates for victims of crimes, they may intervene on any level and may even cross all organizational lines of authority. In fact, this approach has become necessary because of the rampant crime wave in cities across the nation. In a recent poll conducted by Peter D. Hart, research associate for Shell Oil Company, it was found that holding parents of unruly children accountable for their behavior was preferable to other likely remedies. Below is the survey's key topics and the percentage of parents choosing various alternatives of dealing with violence in schools (sometimes more than once): l. 2. 3. 4. 5.

Violence/Shootings Peer Pressure Low Academic Standards Poor Quality of Teaching Equipment/Supply Inadequacy

75% 65% 59% 47% 36%

Remedies for violence: l. Hold Parents Accountable 2. Provide Alternative Settings for Unruly Children 3. Provide Counseling 4. Enforce Suspensions 5. Post Armed Security

27% 210f0 18% 15% 6%

P.R. Newswire (Christian Science Monitor, September 15, 1998, Page 2).

In the South Carolina program, again, victim notification is the key, and it is said to permeate the entire agency. Because victims want more than just information about a release or an escape. They also want to be included in the criminal justice system because they want to know and understand correctional programs and their impacts on inmates' lives. So, to make victims inclusive in departmental decisions, the following decisions were implemented: 1. The South Carolina Department of Corrections has stopped face-to-face media interviews and photographs of inmates in order not to glamorize the

crimes of the offenders and, also, not to re-victimize the victims and their family members. 2. They have removed violent offenders from their community-based programs such as work release. 3. They have stopped furloughs. 4. Before placing offenders in designated facilities, every registered victim is informed for input and concurrence. 5. They have installed a toll-free telephone number for the use of victims and their families. 6. Inmate organizations are mandated to give 15 percent of all their fundraising proceeds to victim service organizations or to a charity. 7. They garnish 5 percent of prison industry inmate's gross wages for their Victim Assistance Program that awards grants to victim service organizations. 8. According to the state's law, prison industries inmates are garnished 15 percent of their gross wages for the Victim Compensation Fund that awards financial assistance to crime victims. 9. They raised $92,000 by confiscating inmate's jewelry in 1995 and 1996 for scholarships to their Victim Assistance Network for Victim Scholarships. As a result of these efforts, more than 11,500 active victims have registered for notification. There are more than 6,000 inactive victim records that are automatically reactivated upon the return of the offender. In the last five years, the number of registered victims has grown by an average of 28 percent. The correctional department maintains the largest data bank of crime victims in the state and makes it available to other state agencies on a confidential basis. Both victims of violent and non-violent offenders are registered. They have registered 31 percent of all their inmate records

Crime and Delinquency and Other Perspectives and their victims. The South Carolina Department of Corrections feels this method has a positive effect on their crime victims. Their victim services staff is well trained to handle inquiries, calls, letters, and special requests (ibid., 24). Restorative Justice is not a new concept, but it is a concept which time is due. The Religious Society of Friends was among the first to conceive this notion. They said, "Restorative Justice is quite unlike what most of us call 'justice at present.'" Few families today and no nations even attempt to live without punishing those who have harmed them. Our faith is that God is calling all, the women and men of our world, to live a radically different way. We ask our creator for the wisdom to live lives of restorative justice and invite all women and men everywhere to join us in co-creating a world in which the goal of justice is to restore and to heal (ibid., 25). This concept was established on very deep religious connotations, based on their understanding of how God is leading them to do justice. They sum it as a paradigm in process, visionary. It is a theory of justice that embodies compassion, because they believe compassion to be the dominant quality of God and it is, therefore, "to be the ethics of the community that mirrors God" (Marcus Borg, MeetingJesus Again for the First Time, San Francisco: Harper, 1994, pg. 54). It is a system of justice that will hear the hurts and needs of the victim and incorporate them into the plan to obtain a sense of responsibility in the offender and healing both. It sees the hurts and needs of the offender in the context of his or her life situation. It is also a commitment to the principle of least drastic intervention and to models of non-violence. Finally, it is inclusive and practical in addressing both sides of the crime equation.

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People with foresight, like the Methodist theologian and ethicist L. Harold De Wolf, wrote: "The probability that the criminal justice system will suffer a complete breakdown before the year 2000 should not be discounted. If the law and social control systems are to accommodate change in their environment at the necessary rate, a new philosophy, as well as quite different operating procedures, must be worked out . . ." If we wish for a better kind of future for criminal justice, we must start to invent it now (Annals of the American Academy of Political Science and Social Science, vol. 408, July 1973, p. 13). Dr. DeWolf's book was titled Crime and Justice in America: A Paradox of Conscience (New York: Harper & Row, 1975), and he quoted Leslie T. Wilkins. He also concluded that the required new philosophy was "Social defense and restoration (p. 173). This is why ACA President Reginald Wilkinson implemented programs that work or the best correctional practices that work. It is also part of the intention of this work to demonstrate some programs that work or assist in correctional management (ibid., 24). Restorative justice is proactive rather than reactive. It recognizes the community'S need for healing. It evaluates the hurts (crimes) in order to find the best possibility of preventing future hurts. It is an ethic of peace, in seeking the well-being of the entire community. It also causes the community to undergo a radical shift of mind in order to foster a restorative vision (ibid., 25).

Example of Restorative Justice David Lerman, Esq. In March 1994, the members of Temple B'naiJeshurun of Des Moines, Iowa, awoke to find neo-Nazi graffiti and swastikas scrawled on their synagogue. Des Moines rallied around the Jewish community. Zealous investigation led to the arrest of the

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Spiritual and Religious Diversity in Prisons

perpetrators: a 19-year-old male disciple of the Aryan Nation and his 17-year-old girlfriend with no prior records. They were charged with felonies for their hate crime. However, prior to trial, Fred Gay, a deputy district attorney, approached the Temple's Rabbi, Steven Fink, with the suggestion: would the Temple members be interested in meeting with the two perpetrators to explain to them the damage done by their act of hate-vandalism and possibly to work out a sentence? Rabbi Fink and Temple leadership agreed. The defendants pled guilty and sentencing was put off to accommodate the proposed meeting. A four-hour facilitated session, part of Des Moines' Victim Offender Reconciliation Program (VORP), was held during which the Temple members, including two holocaust survivors, and a former Israeli military officer, met with the offenders. It soon became clear that the two were classic "wannabes." The boy came from a broken home, was a proverbial 98-pound weakling, and had a hearing disability. When he was 16, he ran away from home and was taken in by the Aryan Nation, whose members brainwashed him. He later returned to Des Moines where he hoped to become the leader of the disparate groups of neo-Nazis in the area. The desecration of the Temple was his first public "action" against the enemy. The young woman was extremely unsure of herself. They had been inculcated into neo-Nazi thought as just "something to do" without really understanding what it meant. During the VORP session, various synagogue members expressed the opinion that the "book be thrown" at the offenders. Others argued that simply putting these individuals in jail would only create true hardcore neo-Nazis or victims of another sort. After much debate, the synagogue

members and the defendants agreed upon the following sentence: 100 hours of service to the synagogue under the supervision of the Temple's custodian, 100 hours of study of Judaism andJewish history with the Rabbi, a referral to a hearing specialist for the young man, a requirement that the young man remove the Nazi tattoos on his arms, and attainment of employment skills and psychological assessment of both offenders as well as fulfillment of requirements for aGED. After successful completion, the charges against them would be dismissed. Thus, instead of simply being put in jail, the offenders learned about Jewish history and culture, including the Holocaust, had individual needs met, and took responsibility for their actions. Their future connection to the community-at-Iarge was also considered. While working with the custodian, an older, wizened jack-of-alltrades, they gained confidence in themselves and, eventually, finished their high school equivalency exams. They got married and had a child. Rabbi Fink and the custodian were invited to the wedding.

This innovative disposition occurred because of the foresight of the Polk County (Des Moines) attorney's office in adopting programs reflecting Restorative Justice principles. While our current criminal justice system determines who broke what law and, when and how we punish that person, Restorative Justice explores the ways in which crime harms relationships between people and within the community. Crime is viewed as a violation of the victim and the community, not only the state. Therefore, the offender becomes accountable to the victim and the community, not the state as represented by the prosecutor. Punishment for past behavior and concern for public safety are not cast aside, but empowering

Crime and Delinquency and Other Perspectives individual victims in their search for healing, impressing upon offenders the human consequences of their actions, and promoting community involvement in the justice

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process becomes equally important. The process focuses on healing for the future of the main actors: the victim, the offender, and the community (ibid., 26).

RACE RELATIONS Race relations in America, and perhaps Europe, is a problem for all people because the American Church is still segregated and even though some churches call themselves united, they still practice racism and segregation, when they are engaged in the worship of the "God of all Mankind" (ibid., 27). There are several race-relations conferences, inter-racial dialogues and meetings, brotherhood assemblies like Promise Keepers, but racism still manages to survive first in the church and in the housing distributions, in job promotions and hiring, in behaviors and epitaphs. The American past still manages to plague us today. Some deny it, but you have to be on the receiving end to experience it. For example, when Tiger Woods won the Masters, he was not seen as a young American male at the best of his skill by the media commentators, but as a young African-American or Asian American male. However, the children and the youth who model after him see no race about him and his ability to play his game of golf. The real racists, of course, do not belong to any of the above mentioned groups, who recognizing the problem are trying to do something to understand each other by talking to each other. Some play the avoidance game. At work, they refuse to respond when greeted by a person from another race or, if they are the boss, they may refuse to talk to employees or sit with them for lunch or may be very brief in their contacts and conversations, except when they are required to give disciplines or evaluations. Some have selective racism. They may socialize with any person from a

different race, only if it would promote their careers. So, if the boss is an ethnic minority, he or she may have several friends from various races. I recall it was difficult for the congregation of the University Park U.M.C. because they were not used to having a black person in their pulpit. However, with time, they had me reading scriptures and leading liturgy. They would not sit with me during the Wednesday evening's potluck dinner until Dr. William Farmer, a professor of New Testament at SMU, came to tell them that it was okay for them to socialize with me and they did. That was my inter-ethnic training experience. At the same token, one will assume that the black churches will absorb and nurture black Africans in their congregation. But, to the contrary, the black Africans in major cities like Dallas, Columbus, Washington, D.C., and other places are forming their own congregations. Perhaps tribalism also exists in a milder form among Blacks here in America than the violence experience of Liberia, Rwanda, Burundi, and Zaire, not to deny that it does not exist in Ghana or Nigeria, because it does exist. And this seems to contradict the gospel according to Paul because to Paul, there exists no distinctions! Simpson and Younger (ibid., 5) summarizes the effects of contacts of prejudice in four propositions: (1) incidental, involuntary, tension-laden contact is likely to increase prejudice; (2) pleasant, equal-status contact that makes it unnecessary for the individuals to cross barriers of class, occupational, and educational differences are likely to reduce prejudice; (3) stereotype, breaking contacts

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that show minority-group members in roles not usually associated with them reduce prejudice; (4) contacts that bring people of minority groups together in functionally important activities reduce prejudice. Proponents of neoracism are trying to withdraw affirmative action gains with the thought that things will work out by themselves without government regulations, but history has taught us otherwise. The synagogues and the churches are not desecrated willingly. In fact, these are the places where racism has its foothold. And, for that matter, the mosques are probably doing a better job, sadly for a Christian minister to admit it. Not admitting that Muslims do not practice racism; of course they do. I remember a very unpleasant incidence at the Islamic Center in Columbus, where I was invited to pick up some Korans, only to be told on arriving at the Center that I could only receive them on condition that I stayed for prayer and worship, which I declined. Religious preference must not be forced on people but through personal conviction. A look at the President's Committee (ibid., 5) on civil rights sum up the doctrine of separate, but equal as a failure on these grounds (that the separate, but equal doctrine stands convicted on three grounds): (1) It contravenes the equalization spirit of American heritage. (2) It has failed to operate, for history shows that inequality of service has been the omnipresent consequence of separation. (3) It has institutionalized segregation and kept groups apart despite indisputable evidence that normal contacts among groups tend to promote social harmony. When the boss never invites you to his home or never pays you a visit even when you are sick or have a death in the family, there is still no social cohesiveness. When employees who work together cannot invite

each other into their homes because of racial prejudice, and inmates refuse to cell with other inmates of different ethnic backgrounds, where is the church in America going with this subject of racism so-called equal but separate? Where is our leadership in this area? Are we not supposed to be the light in the world? The problem of tribalism and racism is an issue, perhaps one major issue that the church universal needs to address. It is very depressing and very disappointing that we are in the year 2000 and humankind has not learned to live in harmony with one another. We are still building destructive weapons of war and still hating each other because of pigmentation differences, nationalism, religion, and so on. Perhaps our greatest contribution to the human race, or for that matter, the whole creation, is to work on our relationships instead of spaceships. We make racial or tribal remarks intended to dehumanize another human being and we laugh at them without having any sensitivity toward the other person. Men against women, women against other women, and men against other men. The gospel of Jesus calls us to be in relationship with one another for God is love and hatred is destructive. With all the books and poems, songs and literatures on love, we are still flunking the test of love-the love commandment Oohn 14:15). I believe this command has no racial divide but is universal. So the theology of the church in the new millennium must address universal or global problems instead of truncated and divisive theologies. The happenings in Kosovo were shameful, genocide and satanic. It is against everything Jesus taught (Anti-Christ in nature). If we have to compose global songs like, "We are the world" or a call for a global fast or a global summit, I believe we have the resources to carry it out. Because what is

Crime and Delinquency and Other Perspectives happening in Liberia or Rwanda or Burundi or Zaire or Bosnia or in our racially divided churches is disgraceful. God does not call us into hate and divisions but into love, unity, and solidarity. If we can work together, plan together, and fight our wars together, surely we can work out our differences, if any, together. But we need to change ourselves, one at a time, in order to be able to change the media and the rest of society. Kosovo was a bitter lesson for hatredness and intolerance.

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Laws are made with the purpose of guiding society to a moral standard, but when they become restrictive and one-sided or subject to the courts or even agencies that are corrupt or inflexible, the laws of the United States need revision or overhauling in order to give minorities breathing room, since some were enacted when certain minorities were treated as less than persons. In other words, all animals are created equal, but some are still better than others, in the eyes of the laws.

SUBSTANCE ABUSE AND CRIME Does emotional disturbance cause delinquency? Criminal behavior is a problem in jurisprudence or public morality or in education and social organization. Study shows that muscular boys were significantly more delinquent than non-muscular. The energetic, muscular boys seems to be more likely to relieve their tensions in ways that are delinquent. Physical features alone do not cause crime, but physical characteristic may be socially defined and treated in ways which encourage criminal behavior (ibid., 5).

Psychological Theories 1. Of all lower-class youths who are officially delinquent, one-fifth have demonstrated emotional disturbance and four-fifths have no demonstrable emotional disturbance. 2. Of all middle-class and upper-class youths who are officially delinquent, two-thirds have demonstrated emotional disturbance and one-third have no demonstrable emotional disturbance. (Source: Walter B. Miller, Some Characteristics of Present Day Delinquency of Relevance to Educators, 1959.)

Sociological Theories Clifford R. Shaw found out that certain slum areas in Chicago maintained extremely high delinquent rates consistent over many years, irrespective of racial or ethnicity occupying the area. So he also concluded that crime is not a by-product of the kind of people living in the area but rather a product of the physical and social life of the area. Other contributing factors may include transiency, low income, parental neglect, school failure, parental alcoholism, or substance abuse, and other social circumstances. Environmental factors alone are not the root causes of delinquency but can be listed as "risk factors," because they increase the risk of coming into contact with and learning criminal behavior. Criminal behavior is learned and not genetic. A. The theory of differential-association states that most criminal behavior is learned through contact with criminal patterns which are present, are acceptable, and are rewarded in one's physical and social environment (ibid., 5). B. Group-conflict Theory: Minority groups, feeling defeated by discrimination and inequality, may turn to crime in frustra-

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tion and bitterness. C. The theory of delinquent and subculture states that a delinquent youth associates mainly with other delinquents, who may later become adult criminals. None of these theories show how criminal behavior is transmitted and rationalized; they merely explain how the habit can be reinforced and perhaps ingrained. THE PERSONAL-DEVIATION ApPROACH: In this approach, a criminal is viewed as a deviant person (one who turns away from prescribed behavior). The individual fails to absorb and internalize conventional attitudes, habits, goals, and values. The criminal fails to form normal value judgments, ambitions, and habits, and instead develops socially disapproved ones. THE VALUE CONFLICT ApPROACH: It analyzes the problem in terms of the conflicting values of our society, for example, gambling and prostitution; some citizens approve of them and others disapprove of them, thus becoming a conflict in value judgments. THE SOCIAL-DISORGANIZATION ApPROACH:

Social change disorganizes the existing network of arrangements and values of a society. Its analysis of crime emphasizes how a change, from say a rural agricultural society to an urban industrial society, can revolutionize values and disorganize traditional social control machinery. Parental supervision of small children and adolescents suffers due to transportation, commercialized recreation, the smallness of homes and apartments, mothers working, and daily scattering of the family for work and play, divorce and separation, etc. Social change can produce many new situations and practices for which the traditional values have no clear-cut guide (ibid., 7). As we notice, there is no one reason why people commit crimes or become delinquent. But knowing the explanations can

help us to reshape our thinking paradigms, which may in turn be taught to our children and filtered into our communities. My personal study of black history and the development of African-American social thought is that since there is a resistance by whites (the majority) in accepting African Americans as equal in all aspects of life, there seems to be a subculture, even though unwritten, that seems to suggest that deviant behavior or antisocial behavior is a protest to rejection, especially among the AfricanAmerican youth in poor neighborhoods. In other words, if whites won't accept African Americans as humans or as equals, then they should leave us alone to do our own thing. Our own thing here suggests that we can kill ourselves, or maim ourselves and it should not concern society. My general observation is that in some American communities, when crime is occurring in an ethnic community (be it black, Latino, or Asian), the majority which happens to be whites and therefore the governing authority, seems to stand aloof until crime filters down to their communities; then quickly they want to do something about it when it seems to be almost too late. A typical example is life in south Dallas in the early 1980s. Churches were being robbed, ministers killed by parishioners, businesses were held up openly by armed robbers, prostitution was rampant, and drug dealers paraded the streets without interference. But when the problem shifted to Oakcliff (southeast Dallas and north Dallas in the 1990s), anti-crime task groups were quickly put into place. This behavior is a typical American problem and we need to be concerned. We need to be about caring for our neighbors, respect for their race, nationality, religion, or creed. We need town meetings, community task groups to talk through our problems. We need to teach our youth negotiating skills, not guns or knives to resolve their problems. The so-called laws

Crime and Delinquency and Other Perspectives of this country are disproportionally applied to blacks and other minorities as against whites, and the incarceration of blacks reflects this concern; so is police brutality in some cities. The policy is likely to suspect a black person or a minority person of a crime before considering a white person. Clothes do not define a person or his or her personality. Modesty is divine. Starter jackets and sneakers are nothing for anyone to lose his or her life about. But this is what is happening every day on our streets, in our neighborhoods, and even in our schools. We need to talk and we need to develop selfhelp strategies for our youths and their parents. Anger vented toward the black middle class and the white rulers will not resolve the problem unless we can give our youth some self-esteem and some hope for the future. I do not claim to have all the answers, so at this juncture, may I ask a question: "What do you think we can do about the drug problem?" (ibid., 28). What do we mean by drug? A drug is any substance, licit, illicit, that is addictive (induces dependency). The dependency is characterized by compulsive drug-seeking behavior and drug consumption in amounts harmful to human health and to society. These substances can be divided into legal addictive dependence-producing drugs, and illegal dependence-producing drugs. Some examples of legal dependence-producing drugs are alcohol and tobacco and also those prescribed by physicians and supplied by pharmacists such as amphetamines, analgesics, barbiturates, opiates, quaaludes, and tranquilizers. The illicit dependenceproducing drugs are also called "narcotics." Narcotics were supposed to induce sleep (pharmacological property), for example, opiates and cocaine, which are pharmacological property stimulates and produces insomnia (ibid., 8).

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DefinitiOns 1. Opiates: Derived from opium poppy

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

(Papaver Somniferum), the opiates are the oldest drugs known. A German chemist extracted morphine from opium to induce sleep. Then heroin was produced from morphine, first believed to cure morphine dependency, because of its briefer action. Other derivatives are codeine, used for controlling acute pain, and methadone, a long-acting opiate used in detoxifying a heroin addict (ibid., 29). Cocaine: A chemical extracted from the coca bush. It is available in two forms: (a) cocaine base soluble is fat and can be vaporized at the temperature of a cigarette; (b) The "cocaine paste" as in "ice"; (c) Rock cocaine (salt), cocaine hydrochloride, a more stable form than cocaine base, soluble in water, but destroyed by heat. Amphetamines: Known as "speed, uppers, or black beauties," have similar effects to cocaine and are long lasting. They are known to produce euphoria associated with feeling of increased strength and mental alertness. Overuse, "speed balling," can cause death. Alcohol: It is a depressant and should not be given to adolescents. It is already in the body in small amounts and used as fuel, so we must discourage its use as a recreational drug. Barbiturates: Known as "yellow jackets, downers, and red devils," are sedative drugs and also addictive. They produce disorientation and tranquility. An overdose can produce coma and death. Tranquilizers: Examples such as diazepam or Valium relieve anxiety, but at the same time, induce disorientation and lethargy (deep sleep).

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Spiritual and Religious Diversity in Prisons

7. Methaqualone: Quaalude or "lude" is the most dangerous and addictive sedative. When used in combination with alcohol, it can lead to overdose suicide and homicide. 8. Cannabis Sativa: The hemp plant from which rope is made, and the eight-foot drug type from which marijuana is derived. It contains a substance called THC (hash oil) also some 421 identified chemicals such as esters, alkaloids, terpenes, and anthracene, a cancerproducing substance. Smoking releases tar, acid, aldehydes, and other irritating substances (ibid., 10). The use of this drug can cause impaired short-term memory and slowed learning, impaired lung function, decreased sperm count and sperm motility, interference with ovulation and prenatal development, impaired immune response, adverse effects on heart function, and byproducts remaining in body fat for several weeks with unknown consequences. 9. Hallucinogens or ''Psychedelics'': (a) LSD or "acid" (lysergic acid diethylamide) produces hallucinations, pleasant and frightening, panic reactions or bad trips, flashbacks and severe psychosis; (b) PCP (angel dust)-confusion, sedation, agitation, madness, and also permanent brain impairment. 10. Volatile Substances (inhalants): Ether, nitrous oxide (laughing gas), and amyl nitrite used in producing an altered, euphoric state of consciousness. Also gasoline, lacquer thinner (paint), and glue are highly toxic and can produce lung, heart and brain damage. 11. Nicotine: Most-addictive, long-term use may damage heart and lung. 12. Caffeine: Consuming five or more cups a day can increase the risk of heart attack. 13. Designer Drugs: MPTP, a deadly neurotoxin creates a condition like

Parkinson's disease. MDMA (ecstasy) stimulates the effects of amphetamines and hallucinogens. They are also very addictive (ibid., 29). Some common properties of dependenceproducing drugs 1. The reason people take these drugs is because they act on the pleasure centers of the brain, producing a pleasurable reward. While at the same time they give unpleasant feelings, they decrease anxiety, give some sort of detachment from the world, and give a feeling of perhaps an entrance into a new dimension in time. They tend to produce or induce a positive reinforcement in the brain by leaving a desire to repeat the same experience (high). The end result is that they temporarily impair the function of the brain (ibid., 28). 2. Temporary impairment of brain function or inability to interpret reality. The effects of drug addiction on the brain's electric network (wiring) and its chemical switches will produce strange behaviors and irrational thinking that can affect emotions, awareness, and impair judgement. The result is that psychological (thinking process) and psychomotor (motor response) functions will be impaired. These are temporary symptoms and they will go away when the action of the drug is over. 3. Withdrawal symptoms or abstinence. When an addict's regular use of drugs is interrupted by imprisonment or lack of supply, he or she becomes irritable, uneasy, anxious, nauseated, nervous, has diarrhea, sweating, and other symptoms. With heroin or opiates, the symptoms are more severe. The addicts become extremely unpleasant, laden with anxiety, almost like a bad bout of the flu. It is my understanding that the "cold turkey" withdrawal from heroin is

Crime and Delinquency and Other Perspectives not life threatening. Barbiturates, however, can cause the most severe withdrawal symptoms, including convulsions that can be deadly. Following withdrawal from the use of cocaine and amphetamines, addicts experience symptoms like prolonged sleep, general fatigue, depression, and anxiety. 4. Tolerance is when addicts have to increase dosage of a substance in order to obtain the initial effects. One may start with cigarettes, then graduate to one joint a day to two a day and so on. The casual smoker may move to a pack a day or one hundred times what one started with initially. Tolerance may increase the need for larger and more frequent doses (ibid., 29).

Drug Addiction and Mind Control There is a limited power to control the intake of a dependency-producing drug once the user has started to take it. This is because one of the properties of addictive drugs is its ability to interfere with brain mechanisms associated with pleasure. The brain mechanism centered in the limbic system of the old (primitive) brain controls instincts and drives emotions and the endocrine glands. This mechanism also controls activities like nutrition and reproduction that are essential for individual survival as well as that of the species. These same functions are impaired by dependency-producing drugs. To the young adult who is very vulnerable to dependency-producing drugs, because of the derived pleasure immediately, only education can help free him or her from such a destructive habit. Long-term usage of drugs can enslave anyone into a damaging habit that no one can control (ibid., 29).

55

Can the Drug Addict Be Treated or Rehabilitated? The primary goal of treatment of an addict is to help the person to abstain from using the drug. Abstention is also the basis of prevention. So the message should be put out early. Referrals to qualified physicians and drug rehabilitation centers for early treatment are essential for saving the life of an addict.

Urine Testing for Drug Screening During the early stages of dependency, the addict may deny or try to hide the habit while the symptoms displaced are very noticeable. Early intervention is still the key to saving an individual from death by overdose or from contracting the AIDS virus because of his or her vulnerability. Factors that appear to facilitate drug usethe ready availability of drugs; general public acceptance of the use of mood modifiers; increasing mobility, particularly of young people; peer group pressures; an abundance of information about drug effects and sources; and an unstable or broken home.

Why Kids Use Alcohol

and Other Drugs "The very nature of adolescence is to find out what things feel like." Since the nature of adolescence involves expressions of defiance and rebellion, many kids use drugs simply because they know their parents are against it or because it is illegal. The use of false I.D. cards to obtain alcohol or cigarettes is a thrill to kids (ibid., 28). Adolescents use chemicals (drugs) because using them is fun. The user displays pleasant

56

Spiritual and Religious Diversity in Prisons

feelings such as becoming uninhibited, more talkative, playful, daring, relaxed, or boisterous. It appears the drugs of choice are alcohol and marijuana because of their abundance in the market place. The second consideration is role model providing images to emulate as youths make their transitions into adulthood. The first consideration is the media. By falsely advertising the use of alcohol in a positive, often glamorous way to represent maturity and sophistication, it may be giving youth a false message. This could even include Hollywood's use of substance abuse as well as gambling in the movies. How can we combat such images when convicts and drug pushers are the cornerstones of our entertainment industry? Such images, including soap operas which promote promiscuity and infidelity, are elements which reinforce a negative self-image at the individual and community levels. To prevent alcoholism among blacks and, especially in females who are high risk, we must mobilize all our resources, including health and mental health professionals, churches/ clergy, social workers, and the entire community. Let us consider inviting input to find various ways to resolve the problem. Miranda outlines five steps to prevent black alcoholism, including the following: 1. National

Black Alcoholism Council (NBAC) to develop a policy demanding that the N.LA.A.A. respond to the black alcohol prevention needs in the United States and a committee to monitor the effects. 2. The N.LA.A.A. must fund priorities directed at prevention programming for blacks. 3. A National Clearinghouse for alcohol information that would stimulate and assist community-based organizations in developing programs for black youth through working relationships with black churches. 4. National Black Church affiliations to pro-

claim black alcohol prevention problem prevention as a major concem of the black church and black community. They should also sponsor programs to address the concern. 5. The church must respond to the need of self-solution by initiating community-based social change efforts (20, Miranda, 1983). The message of alcoholism and substance abuse must include the following: (1) that alcoholism and substance abuse can be deadly; and (2) alcoholism and substance abuse has costly, psychological, emotional, economic and health casualties in the black community that are too great to bear. Recently, there has been a rude awakening concerning the plight of black males in the United States filling prisons and jails, with the root of the problem being alcohol and substance abuse related. Without the use of the drugs, these people are good human beings. But, with the drug, they can become lethal. President Clinton tried to address the problem in his crime bill, but the Congress killed his efforts. Incarceration alone cannot ameliorate the problem. Prevention and treatment of the addiction should be the goal of any well-wishing politician.

Prevention of Alcoholism Among Black Youth Prevention is defined here as keeping youth from developing the use of alcohol or taking actions that will change into harmful drinking practices. Factors to consider are enhancing self-esteem, developing a sense of purpose, promoting individual dignity, developing personal and social skills necessary for effective functioning in society, and avoiding alcohol-related problems. First, youth can be affected by developing healthy attitudes that will in turn change behavior. Second, they should be educated about alcohol and its effects on an individual as well as communities (ibid., 30).

Crime and Delinquency and Other Perspectives The target group must include non-users, non-severe drinkers, and those with severe alcohol drinking problems. Non-severe drinkers are those casual drinkers whose alcohol use does not prevent them from carrying out the basic functions of life. Severe drinkers are those who the use of the substance hinders them from carrying out the basic functions of life (ibid., 28).

Drinking Behavior Drinking behavior is affected by the following: • the value system • influence of role models • influence of the media • unemployment and easy access to liquor A value system is the sum of forces and influences that shape one's life and part of this is the image that drinking creates in the person. One composes standards as a result of information acquired during childhood and adult life which informs the value system. Role models (Significant persons) are the key to development of these standards. These examples can influence negative or positive character and behavior: (1) people drink in order to relax and have fun; (2) as part of a social function or something to do; (3) to be acceptable by peers or to be part of the "in crowd"; (4)to release tensions (inhibitions); and (5) to cope with anxiety, pressure, or conflict. Media advertisements on television, billboards, magazines, and so on tend to influence drinking behavior. They play on the unconscious desires of people to be somebody when they promote glamour and sophistication, often using successful actors and models. The use of alcohol as a problem-solver or as a recreational element in the movies, during parties, and so on tends to attract young people and adults. Other influences to consider are unem-

57

ployment, discrimination, availability and the social habits supported by the community.

Models for Prevention of Substance Abuse in Black Families Three concepts of prevention have been identified in the public health field, mainly: primary, secondary, and tertiary. 1. Primary prevention involves altering the individual or the environment (ex. We can assist the person in developing conditions by which substance abuse and addiction are reduced, thus removing the injuries social and physical effects (ibid., 30). 2. Secondary prevention refers to early identification of at-risk populations and appropriate interventions. 3. Tertiary prevention refers to treatment in general. Other models are the postscript, the socialization, the distribution, the public health, and socio cultural. 1. The postscript model regards alcohol use as a problem and proposes abstinence as the only viable prevention strategy. 2. The socialization model believes that the use of alcohol and related drugs develops from inaccurate information and faulty attitudes and values regarding drugs. Prevention efforts based on this model attempt to increase knowledge and change attitudes and values to promote responsible decision-making about drug use. 3. The distribution of consumption model, based on research, indicates a direct relationship between the level of alcoholism in a population, the prevalence of heavy drinking, and the rates of certain alcohol-related problems. Proponents advocate stabilizing or reducing

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Spiritual and Religious Diversity in Prisons

per capita consumption by restricting the availability of alcohol. 4. The public health model identifies three factors responsible for health and social problems: the host, the agent, and the environment. The host is the drinker or substance abuser; the agent is the drug; and the environment is the physical and sociocultural setting in which drinking decisions are made and in which drinking occurs. Prevention efforts are in trying to change the host's behavior, the exposure to the agent, and! or environment influences so that alcohol-related problems will be reduced (ibid., 28). 5. The sociocultural model emphasizes the relationship between alcohol problems and the normal patterns of alcohol use within a society. Some proponents believe that alcoholism/drug abuse prevention measures must modify and/or eradicate patterns of belief and behavior about drugs and their use, and oppressive and hostile systematic arrangements. It is believed that black alcoholism and substance abuse may be rooted in psychological, biological, environmental, and sociocultural phenomena (ibid., 30). Therefore, prevention programs must be based to address all the above mentioned factors. Undue attention to one apparent drug abuse may lead to the neglect of others and can lead to fragmented approaches to both prevention and treatment. From this standpoint alone, a sermon in a black church must attempt to address all the areas of the psychological, behavioral, biological, environmental, and sociocultural phenomena. Evangelism alone without pastoral care, without ministry to the entire person, is a fragmental approach to ministry and will not correct the disease of drug abuse in the community. All the tools of grace, as well as the means of grace, must be mobilized and used to bring the communities to wholeness.

Blacks and Alcohol: Significant Dates

Research Findings Social and cultural factors have a greater impact on both the root cause and the treatment of drug abuse among blacks than is the case among other groups. Dr. Creigs Beverly of the Atlanta University School of Social Work suggests that a psychosocial model of substance abuse treatment program tends to blame the victim for social dysfunction. So he suggests that there is a greater promise in fighting substance abuse in the black community by applying a "sociopsycho model." By this, he means examining how socioeconomic conditions impact intrapsychic (internal mental process). Another area of concern is that blacks do not use existing substance abuse programs and other counseling programs. Others who are involved in such programs, who are black, have a high dropout rate. Black colleges are encouraged to develop strong research programs to aid in prevention and treatment of addicts. Also, financing can be sought from both the public and the private sectors. I would challenge the historical black churches to start self-help programs for the recovery and also for the prevention of substance abuse. Also, after-care programs are important to keep ex-addicts sober (ibid., 30).

Treatment Approaches 1. Counseling approaches must be culture specific or must understand the client's frame of reference and incorporate it into therapeutic philosophy strategies to maximize effectiveness. 2. Counseling must relate to the history, strengths, values, and attitudes in the ethnic culture.

Crime and Delinquency and Other Perspectives 3. Counselors must address problems like poverty, unemployment, poor housing, poor nutritional habits and adopt nontraditional roles or become agents for social change. 4. Holistic approaches should be taken in order to understand black clients in the context of family, community, and origin.

Reaching Black Addicts Employment Assistant Programs (EAP's) have been known to help with early intervention, but it is also noted that black clients referred by EAP's seem to be underrepresented due to the following reasons: inability of blacks to be involved in the participation of union politics; inability to absorb costs when not included in insurance coverage; few black service providers on EAP's staff; programs oriented to white middle-class; few blacks on policy-making committees for EAP's; few service providers for blacks in rural areas.

Prevention Approaches It is essential to reach the black youths between the ages of 5 to 18 and, especially, K-6, because this is the age when they are still gathering information that will later be the foundations for attitudes and behaviors. The following are the three types of models or concepts in use in different variations across the United States. Model 7 promotes a positive self-image as a deterrent to alcohol abuse by training teachers to conduct open-ended education sessions in K-12. Classroom sessions address alcohol information, values clarification, selfesteem, coping skills, and peer pressure. Perhaps it is time to start testing teachers for drugs, also. This model will only work if the teacher is sober, which I think it assumes. However, I

59

think it can be better if parents are involved. The PTAs and pastors can be trained as support groups to these teachers. In this way children can obtain information from these three sources, thereby, reinforcing what they already know (e.g., King County, Washington). Model 2 encourages interaction between youth and adults such as adult nursing homes, retirement homes, and so on to identify a structure for appropriate drinking behavior. It also trains teachers and school counselors to conduct open-ended alcohol and education workshops in grades 3-12, also training of peer leaders to conduct supervised activities among peers and other youngsters, together with community outreach and education efforts (e.g., Somerville, Massachusetts). Model 3 uses a major university community to affect overall cultural and community drinking norms at multiple levels: individual, affiliate group, and the entire campus community; encourages activities ranging from training dormitory counselors, conducting peer-led workshops to media campaigns; and influencing school alcohol policies (ibid., 29). The criticism of the above models are that they do not provide any culture-specifics and are not targeted as demonstration to minorities. My contention is that it is up to black leaders to accept the hard fact that we have a problem in our communities. For example, in Dallas, Texas, Commissioner Willey Price took it upon himself to deface alcohol and tobacco billboards in minority neighborhoods and went to jail several times as a protest against the corruption of black youngsters by alcohol and tobacco businesses. What do we say about the rampant liquor stores in black neighborhoods? How about the presence of drugs at black nightclubs and parties? Do we recognize who is the drug dealer in the

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Spiritual and Religious Diversity in Prisons

neighborhood and what do we do about it? Law enforcement alone cannot keep the neighborhood drug free. We need to acknowledge the problem and take back the communities. Prevention efforts can be geared toward black youngsters with emphasis on the importance of black history, positive selfconcepts, survival skills, a demonstration of sensitivity to the special challenges of adolescence, and a provision of a balance between specific and non-specific strategies. There are guidebooks for planning alcohol prevention programs with black youth in place, but there is also room for creative programs. Also, the weakness of past programs is to look to state and federal government grants for intervention. We need to develop such programs ourselves. The black church should be able to develop self-help programs for this important project. Relying upon government is a very unreliable way of funding projects. If the funding is from the community itself, it stands the chance of succeeding. Instead of government funding, I recommend private philanthropy grants such as foundations, corporate gifts, voluntary nonprofit organizations, individual donors, volunteers, and self-help organizations like Alcoholics Anonymous or Narcotics Anonymous. Other charitable organizations like Salvation Army, United Way, Boy Scouts, the Urban League, and CARE should be able to assist (ibid., 31). Modern approaches to prevention of alcohol-related problems have been derived from three models, namely: public health, distribution of consumption, and sociocultural theoretical. Here's what these research models have to offer: 1. The Public Health Model identifies three points of intervention: the host, the agent, and the environment. The host refers to the user, the person's knowledge about

the alcohol (substance), the attitudes that influences drinking patterns or drug use patterns, and the substance itself. The agent refers to the alcohol (the drug), it's contents, distribution, and availability. The environment refers to the setting or context in which drinking occurs, as well as the community customs that influence the user. 2. Distribution of consumption model Supply and demand suggest that there is a relationship that exists directly between per capita consumption and the prevalence of heavy use of alcohol (drugs). Studies show that changes in the overall consumption of drugs or alcohol have a bearing on the health of the people in any society. Popham and associates (1976) conclude that highly restrictive controls on accessibility lead to lower consumption levels and fewer alcohol (drug) related problems. For example, in Australia, extended hours for on-premises consumption indicated no change in injuries pertaining to motor vehicle accidents or even in the percentage of evening accidents; but, it shifted accident's peak hour to one hour following closing time (Raymond, 1969). In Finland, when the retail and licensed sales of alcohol was restricted to weekdays, it resulted in decreases in arrests for drunkenness and public disturbance (Salis, 1978). Popham and associates (1979), after reviewing the effects of controls, noted two separate opinions: that an increase in drinking opportunities results in drinking and drunkenness or, on the other hand, that widespread availability promotes moderate drinking. So their conclusion is that the prevalence of drunkenness is not dependent on the number of outlets unless there is extremely low accessibility or where a situation suddenly changes to increase accessibility.

Crime and Delinquency and Other Perspectives 3. The sociocultural model approach to the prevention of alcoholism emphasizes the relationship between alcohol problems and the regular patterns of alcohol use within a society (Blane, 1976). In the sociocultural approach, alcohol problems can be viewed at levels ranging from the individual to the community (Calahan & Room, 1974) to the national and international (Frankel & Whitehead, 1979). Alcohol problems can be seen as difficulties because if you combine the properties of alcohol with the sociocultural scene, you generate more problems. From debates by various public, health, and non-health agencies, six major problem areas have been identified in the prevention of alcoholism: chronic illness; acute health problems; problems of behavior while or after drinking; casualties, injuries, death, and property loss; problems of the default of major social roles; and mental or existential problems. A prevention problem must be specific and realistic in order to address the problem once identified.

Other Concerns The public health model speaks to three levels of prevention: primary, secondary, and tertiary. Primary prevention concerns itself with removing the cause of the condition before it occurs; secondary prevention concerns the early diagnosis and treatment of the condition before it is fully developed; and tertiary prevention concerns the treatment of the condition after it has emerged as a disease but before it becomes chronic or causes a permanent disability.

The SOcio-Psychological Model This model insists that alcohol problems cannot be understood without the incorpora-

61

tion of problem behavior theory. One component advocates changing of the opportunity structure by limiting access to opportunity, e.g., jobs, education, adequate housing, and group membership. Unlimited opportunity tends to increase the pressure to deviancy and leads to excessive use of alcohol and drugs. Problem drinkers are also likely to be involved in other socially unacceptable behavior. Finally, attention should be paid to the role of the personality because individuals respond differently to similar stimuli.

What Have the Models to Do with Black Alcohol Prevention? Black alcoholism emanates from multiple factors such as historical, sociological, psychological, ecological, sociocultural, and environmental experiences. Some of the key factors being the following, but not exhaustive: 1. Black females have higher rates of both non-drinkers and heavy drinkers as compared with white females (61% of white women were drinkers compared to 49 0/0 of black women, 7% of white women were heavy drinkers compared to 22% of black women). 2. Blacks have higher incidence of alcohol-related homicide than whites. 3. Blacks tend to drink more than other alcoholics, drink most heavily on weekends, are more dependent on the black community, and less knowledgeable and depend upon free social services. 4. There is a status symbol attached to the type of alcohol consumed over the weekend (30% of Scotch whiskey is purchased by blacks). 5. Black treatment problems and therapeutic effectiveness differ from those by whites.

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Spiritual and Religious Diversity in Prisons

6. Black alcoholics tend to be younger than whites. 7. Black alcoholics tend to create their own alcohol or drug language often foreign to mainstream. 8. The location of liquor stores at black residential areas increases visibility, accessibility, and frequent use. This is likely to be a dehumanizing effect as alcohol or drugs can be an oppressive tool in the hand of an oppressor. People try to escape reality by taking drugs which seem to help them escape the pain of being oppressed for freedom and justice. Ron Taylor, staff writer for the Atlanta Constitution, cited the following negative consequences resulting from drug or alcohol abuse: traffic deaths, homicides, suicides, spouse abuse, birth defects, decreased productivity, brain damage, falls, fires, drownings, and violent crimes all costing over one billion dollars in the state of Georgia, alone. Several prison inmates on death row or convicted with homicide, rape or child abuse, admit to using drugs or alcohol prior to committing their crimes. Most of these prisoners would not have committed these crimes without the help of these substances. Similarly, divorced spouses cite the use of alcohol or drugs causing depression which leads to suicide. Many high school graduates die on the eve of their prom nights or after prom in vehicular accidents. So how long can we be in denial as a nation? Physiologically, relatives of alcoholics have a higher rate of alcoholism than nonalcoholic families (Cotton, 1977, p. 33). Other theorists suggest that one's personality traits predispose alcoholism, including feelings of inferiority, low tolerance level, dependency, fearfulness, low self-esteem, and feelings of aloneness. Psychoanalysts believe alcoholism is caused by unconscious

motivations (for love, belonging, and selfrespect), oral fixation (preoccupation with sucking and tasting or overly using the mouth as a source for gratification), and latent homosexuality. It serves to sublimate or gratify unconscious needs and motives. Sociologically, attitudes, values, and drinking patterns of a given culture contribute to the rate of alcoholism in that culture. For example, the custom of Ghana, my land of birth, is to serve alcohol to guests during funerals and memorials, as well as for recreation and parties. When you visit a Ghanaian society in the United States, this old habit of drinking excessively follows the natives. The culture sustains alcoholism because anything worth celebrating requires alcohol. Ghanaian chiefs customarily use alcohol for entertainment to the extent that some of them are alcoholics by definition and, therefore, prone to making impaired decisions. Yet the culture regards them as leaders and role models. Institutional racism is one of the factors to consider when treating or considering a prevention program for blacks, along with the cultural environment and availability of the substance in their community settings. Among black youths, nine specific prevention strategies have been identified, including: cultural specific ideas, liquor advertising surveys, drinking practices of other cultures, and so on. The youth must be taught responsible decision-making about alcohol use (ibid., 29). Some noted causes of alcoholism are: 1. There is a tendency to deny the condition of alcoholism among blacks. 2. The community exhibits a greater tolerance of the alcohol user. 3. Escape drinking and depression is prominent among teenage abusers. 4. Frustrations from institutional racism. 5. Drinking practices are viewed as a rite of passage (Ghanaian babies are given

Crime and Delinquency and Other Perspectives

6.

7. 8. 9.

alcohol during ceremonies of outdooring or naming). Socioeconomic deprived have a lower threshold for self and alcohol as a problem. Broken homes produce alcoholics. Alcoholics tend to seek treatment at a very late phase in the illness. Fewer black women drink, but when they do, they are likely to drink more heavily than white women. This is because of their unique racial and sociocultural heritage. When black females take to drinking, they run a much higher risk of becoming heavy drinkers than white females. Most heavy female drinkers are either divorced, heads of households, or

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impoverished. They belong to a subculture which tolerates drinking behavior. On the other hand, black female drinkers are likely to seek treatment for their addiction more than their male counterparts. The success rate of treatment among black females is higher than black males. Treatment offers for black females must consider or include the following strategies: a black cultural approach, a communitywide approach, and a gender-sensitive approach. Other considerations include the value system-the set of influences which sanction behavior through approval! disapproval or ignored standards (ibid., 30).

WORSHIP: WHAT DO CORRECTIONAL CHAPLAINS DO AND WHY? As clergy, we provide meaningful worshiping opportunities to our communities. Dr. Thomas Oden informs us that there are five incomparable days in a believer's life-the day one is born, the day one is baptized and admitted into the community of faith, the day one is confirmed or reaffirms one's baptism, the day one is married, and the day one dies. The number one common factor in all these days is clergy. We are either present or involved one way or the other in all the above mentioned situations whenever we are made aware of them (ibid., 32). So, in prison, we may be called on to baptize, to marry, to confirm, to deal with a grieving inmate, or to offer a memorial service for a dead inmate, relative or staff member. Whenever we do not have the expertise in any particular religion with which we are not experienced, we do invite professionals from that religion as volunteers or even on a paid basis to assist.

We do visit inmates at their housing units, at the infirmary, and at segregation or isolation when they are locked down for disciplinary reasons. However, we offer them a humane-ness aspect of the missionary statement in corrections. We offer them the love of God and offer during worship the prayers of the people before God. During the afternoon and evening, we offer ecumenical worship services, mostly led by volunteers. We try to recruit volunteers from all denominations and different faiths in order to meet the spiritual needs of our residents. Catholic priests take care of Catholic inmates, Imams take care of Muslim inmates, a native-American spiritual leader takes care of the spiritual needs of the native Americans, a rabbi takes care of the needs of Jewish inmates, and so on. We do not encourage proselytizing, but it occurs very frequently in prison whether we like it or not. Because sheep beget sheep, shep-

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herds do not beget sheep (Rev. Jeffery Lambert). Our method of offering Pastoral Theology is scripture, the primacy for our understanding the pastoral (chaplain's) office and its functions. We also use our denominational traditions, reason, and our personal experiences. The word of God is still relevant to us today because it offers us healing experiences, instructions for our spiritual growth, and benefits us as to how to walk in the journey of faith. Christian traditions offer us very rich historical experiences we can bring to ministry to enrich our flock. In reasoning, as in ethics, we are forced to reflect on our calling, to think constructively and consistently, and even to urge us in a systematic and consistent order. Inmates have a lot of time to spend in a given day, so they take time to visit and to either debate or ask a chaplain to address various problems or about correspondence courses they are taking. It is our job to offer them that opportunity to satisfy their curiosities and to assist them in overcoming their doubts. In listening, we offer some words of wisdom and encouragement. Others minister to us, too, by sharing their insights on various programs and activities. Finally, we cannot deny them the fact that we are human beings like them, and we also have personal and social stories to share with them. They want to share their stories, but sometimes they want to compare our stories with their own stories. I end by sharing with them, "but by the grace of God, I would have been one of them." Because I did not always obey my parents, and I do not always obey the word of God. But God showed me His mercy and His grace, by saving me just before I turned 20. Even after that, my Christian walk has not always been a straight line. However, when I use the means of grace, I am able to rebound and be reconciled with my folks and with God.

Preaching means the proclamation of the good news that Jesus Christ is Lord. It is among the most important visible act of our public ministry. The apostle Paul said, "Faith comes by hearing, and hearing comes through the word of God." We must have somebody to declare the word of faith before anyone can hear it. So, in worship, we declare the word of faith to our audience. They listen and respond by accepting God's love as shown to us by Jesus (ibid., 32). In preaching, we declare the good news by inviting people to Christ. We seek to confront them, encourage them, to inspire their devotion, their dedication, loyalty, and discipline to Christ. It is also in this act that we wish to impart a clear, understandable teaching of Christian doctrine as suggested eloquently by Dr. Oden. In preaching, we aim at building a moral sensitivity awareness and encourage behavior changes or modifications. Therefore, preaching has four dimensions: evangelical, pastoral, doctrinal, and moral. There are different styles of sermons: exegetical, pastoral, doctrinal, and instructive. Some theologians argue three: deeper life, higher life, and inner life messages. It does not really matter what stand one takes, but the caution is to be well instructed in order to impart all four elements rightly. It really makes a difference when a preacher is well prepared and feels duly authorized to speak representatively to the whole body of Christ. This is what we seem to be missing in society today. Many say they are called to preach; even inmates want to preach the Gospel. However, only few are getting themselves prepared for such a difficult task. Even though preaching speaks from experience, the larger picture must include scripture, experience, tradition, and reason. It must be a Holy Spirit-led experience that is rooted in revelation and can endure through time (ibid., 32). We communicate

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the word through hymns, during the sacraments, and in various testimonies, but that is still not preaching. Preaching in worship is still a spoken word that builds a bridge between listener and scripture. As chaplains, worship is just one of the functions we perform. It is one of the functions that can make or break a congregation. Inmates love to hear a good sermon, "a sermon with some meat in it," they say. So a good sermon has to be well researched, well prepared, and well delivered. Sometimes they may try to patronize a preacher by saying the usual that they "enjoyed the message." But, back in the chaplain's office, they will tell the truth. Some preachers have the attitude that they alone have a message that can transform a prison audience. But, if they don't research their message and back it with facts, the inmates will say later that they enjoyed the message, but cannot remember anything that was said. Emotional sermons are popular in Pentecostal and some Baptist congregations. These sermons may make some feel good, but feeling good momentarily is not good enough to instill any long-term skills for making moral judgments, if one can remember what was said. We must both teach and preach the gospel when we are presented with the opportunity. To me, it does not matter whether a preacher uses a manuscript or not during a sermon as long as the message is heard and understood by the listeners. Relying only on feeling good or emotionalism will not fully equip believers to sanctification or Christian perfection. Also, merely claiming that a person is holy and living a sanctified Christian life is not necessarily true because actions speak louder than words. So I do not buy such claims. Sanctification is a daily activity through confession and obedience to the word of God.

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We sing during worship and say liturgies to affirm the faith of the worshiping community. We pray for one another and for various concerns in society. We have prison choirs and gospel bands. We try to present a full gospel perspective. Preaching requires both a spiritual preparation and some rhetoric imagination that can address the inner hearts of the listeners. Karl Bath says that the best preaching prays earnestly that the Holy Spirit will illuminate the hearer through our frail attempts to speak God's own word through the human language (ibid., 33).

Section L: Modern Treatment Theories of Substance Abuse Experts theorize that three major factors appear to determine a predisposition to chemical dependence: 1. The addictive potential of the chemical of choice. 2. The environmental conditions or setting lived. 3. A genetic predisposition to alcohol and other substance abuse. a. Peter Bell tells us that people may come from supportive families with no family history of addiction, with no peer pressure as well as being well-adjusted individuals emotionally. Yet, when they come to use a highly addictive substance like crack, they may run a high risk of becoming drug dependent (ibid., 30). b. Some people who come from drug infected neighborhoods and who may have few emotional coping skills with significant peer pressure to use drugs, may just succumb. Otherwise, they may have no prior history of addiction, yet when they use a drug with a low addictive potential, they may become dependent

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c. Another group of individuals from environments with limited exposure to drugs and with adequate emotional coping skills or even with a little peer pressure can become dependent because they may have a genetic predisposition for addiction. The two basic theories currently used for addiction are: 1. The Disease Theory 2. Environmental-Secondary Theory a. The disease model states that chemically-dependent people can never learn to use mood-altering chemicals responsibly. It is widely used by Alcoholics Anonymous and some third-party-payer private inpatient and outpatient abstinencebased treatment programs. It is closely linked to the theory of genetic predisposition to alcohol and other substance abuse or addiction, i.e., Teen Challenge. b. The environmental-secondary model considers the addict's environment or setting as a factor to addiction as well as the underlying causes such as family instability, crime, unemployment, etc. If these factors can be resolved, the addict or alcoholic can be cured. This theory is supported among minorities more than whites because it tends to be more responsive to their cultural issues. Many substance abuse counselors would say that an addict should not be concerned with why he or she became an addict or alcoholic but be only concerned with his or her recovery. I believe that considering all of the above factors, including families, can reduce recidivism among offenders. In general, both theories have relevancy for treatments, but minorities have been

criticized for using the environmental model as an excuse to evade treatment. There are cultures, like mine, that call for alcohol in all celebrations of joy or happiness as well as in sorrows or griefs. I believe both theories can apply to both middle and lower classes because of the way they socialize (ibid., 34). Whether we call it a happy hour, a small social party, or a get-together, it is the same thing, as long as alcohol or a chemical substance is abused. And, if we agree that our choice can impair us in any way over the long run, we must seek treatment. I believe this problem is not a majority or a minority problem. It is a fundamental problem among both the rich and the poor. But the rich can hide the problem better than the poor because they can afford to store more of the substance for a long time without having to purchase more. They may even have a "warehouse" at home, as my father did, with the excuse that they have to entertain guests. However, it is still a habit that leads to chronic alcoholism that needs treatment. I do not buy the argument that black Americans use alcohol and drugs because of the effects of racism because of my personal roots from Africa. In Ghana, alcohol is used for recreation and entertainment, and I believe this is the same among all social classes throughout the world where this is custom. However, some people are predisposed to be addictive more than others because of economic disadvantages or social status, depending on the potency of the drug or alcohol used. The rich can afford to buy beer, whiskey, and other higher-priced products, while the poor may go for moonshine, crack, or other cheap products to get the high. So, we cannot afford to point fingers. Also, the availability of a product can predispose why people become addictive in all social classes (ibid., 30).

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Methadone for Treatments Bell says that the environmentalsecondary theory of addiction can result in a non-abstinence approach because of the use of methadone, which is also used for treating heroin addicts, is much more likely to be used in minority communities. He favors methadone usage for a short period of time for detoxification. However, its usage for the maintenance and treatment of substance abuse over an extended period of time, according to Bell, runs contrary to the principle of cross-addition because heroin addicts have a higher propensity for abusing other substances. He suggests that all prospective methadone clients must first be considered in the following manner: (1) they must have failed in a minimum of two drugfree programs; (2) they must have passed a MacCan challenge (Mac Can being a chemical given to addicts to ensure that they have developed a true tissue tolerance to a narcotic); and (3) they must have eliminated the practice of an ongoing methadone maintenance program for a rapid (14- to 21-day) methadone-assisted detoxification program. Bell also predicts that we may see a significant growth in methadone maintenance programs in the future because they serve as a form of social control with the following advantages: (1) it is unlikely for methadone-dependent persons to commit crimes in order to support their addictions because the drug can be provided by clinics; (2) they are unlikely to be sharing needles which will help check the spread of AIDS; and (3) methadone programs are inexpensive. Finally, Bell recommends that treatments based on the disease theory would need to develop a mechanism in order to allow addicts to talk about racial/tribal identity issues as well as cultural differences while, at the same time, not allowing those differences

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to be used as excuses to avoid treatment or to cop out. He concludes that the environmental-secondary theory is gaining ground among racial minorities in the USA because it allows the clients to recognize their cultural issues. With the backdrop that what works best in prisons or corrections are carefully structured and implemented treatment services with training programs such as life skills and so on may work better in reducing future criminality than incarceration alone (Larry Fehr, 1995). The idea that nothing works in corrections is because of the inability of correctional officials to educate policy makers and the media because we all know that in every prison, there are some people who respond to treatment and change their behaviors. However, we need consistency and perhaps a control environment. For example, let's create a same environment where we can house, say, Protestant inmates, Catholic inmates, Muslim inmates, Jewish inmates, etc. Then, let's implement treatment programs that work as well as job skills and education, focusing on the religions of the inmates with the full service and practices of the population and monitor the results. I am sure we shall realize lifechanging populations that are well behaved, assuming that all the staff and officers are models of the same faith groups. I am sure what I am advocating is radical, but it will work because faith is contagious and when the right people are in place without pessimism, which sometimes beguiles some correctional employees, we can stop recidivism. Chase Riverland urges correctional practitioners to resist rhetoric by showing to humanity pragmatism that demonstrated repeatedly that things work. Dr. Paul Gendreau describes programs that work that can reduce recidivism from 10 to 60 percent in the following manner: (1) they must have intensive services that are

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behavioral in nature; (2) they must target the criminogenic needs of high-risk offenders; (3) they must match treatment, offender and counselor styles; (4) the program elements and strategies should be enforced in a firm manner; (5) it must place the offender in situations where pro-social activity predominates; (6) they must include quality community-based services for offenders and, let me add, for ex-offenders. Three clinicians, Drs. Michael L. Prendergasb, M. Douglas Anglin, and Jean Welisch, all report the following research and clinical findings: (1) that supervision is needed for an extended period of time to reduce the possibility of relapse; (2) that both aversive conditions and incentives are necessary for substance-abusing offenders to be responsive to substance abuse treatment and services; (3) that a stage abuse is best because clients should receive appropriate services at the appropriate time so that they are not overwhelmed or unprepared to take advantage of the services being provided. Also, that effective treatment involves some matching of clients to services and no single treatment has been found to be effective for all or most drug abusers; (4) that the continuity of care in the community is very critical and the program must be implemented and sustained by management and staff with adequate experience and training; and (5) that networking of programs should be included or that programs should be linked with other services to address the variety of additional problems and needs that are typical of substance abusing offenders. In supporting the above named recommendations, Dr. Jeffery Fagan articulates effective intervention programs as such: (1) they must emphasize therapeutic integrity instead of elective methods; (2) they must include behavioral, cognitive behavior, or

cognitive life skills or be skill-oriented; (3) they must focus on specific offender groups and avoid mixing risk levels and behavior problems; (4) they must carefully match offender risks and needs with program models instead of just haphazard or convenience assignments; and (5) structured programs with overlapping phases that stresses reintegration are more effective than those seeking only intra-program behavioral adjustments. In the Canadian approach to substance abuse treatment, all the above named factors were taken into consideration. They underscored the need for differential treatment models by considering the following: (1) ensuring that offenders receive appropriate and sufficient dosages of treatment; (2) by prioritizing offenders according to risk and need; (3) by targeting the substance abuse to link with the criminal's behavior; (4) by avoiding the overprescription of treatment; and (5) by ensuring a timely and costeffective delivery of intervention services during incarceration and following reentry into the community. The Canadian program tends to blend a national core program with other programs and services in order to target what the individual offender actually needs. This program does not consider total abstinence as the only positive outcome for treatment. But, instead, it recognizes that some individuals can moderate their alcohol use successfully and that the reduction of highrisk drug use behavior itself is a solid indicator of success; however, by the end of the program, some participants voluntarily make decisions to abstain from all intoxicants. Their program inculcates the harm reduction approach so they employ an institutional bleach program in order to reduce the risks associated with offenders

Crime and Delinquency and Other Perspectives sharing contaminated needles. They have also initiated a methadone maintenance treatment for serious opiate users who are also incarcerated. It is note worthy to acknowledge that the state of New York's Ricker's Island Prison is also using the methadone maintenance treatment (ibid., 25). Black American Nationalists who are advocating for segregation and racial divide have no vision for the future global market. They are probably looking at themselves as becoming leaders of this new community of the future or professional leaders. However, at some point in history, if this segregation is allowed to occur, they may want to reintegrate. And, at that point, we shall have a racial war or a tribal war like Bosnia or Rwanda or elsewhere. We need to resist this temptation that only African American professionals can help African Americans in a segregated environment, because this mentality assumes that white racism is the cause of black substance abuse, which is false. It may have been one of the contributing causes but not the main cause. How about blacks in South Mrica? Second, people are predisposed to take drugs or abuse substances because they like it or because their peers pressured them to start using the substances and they liked it and thus became addicts. What we need most in America today is racial tolerance and understanding of one another instead of segregation. We need the town meetings, racial therapy group meetings to talk and to confront each other sincerely and to come to terms as one America, one people, one nation under God. Racism, segregation, religiosity or divisions according to beliefs, and so on are wrong. We are not learning our lessons from the world scene. Some of these so-called advocates for segregation may well be considered as politicians

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seeking their own constituencies, and conservative politicians love them because this is what those politicians have been advocating in the first place! To segregate the masses and to put some races or those experiencing problems on reservations is not good news. It was not good for Native Americans and black South Africans, and it would not be good for black America! If life in the reservation is a good life, then why is the Native American trying to reintegrate? Why is the Australian Aborigine or the South African black trying to leave the village in order to live in Johannesburg? Let us open more dialogue groups and consider our various cultural backgrounds and let the addict be treated as an individual person, according to the type of substance he or she is addicted to without racial segregation! I suggest faith grouping as a way of treating substance abuses because of the ability of faith to birth hope, instead of racial or tribal groupings. Also, sectarian groupings such as racial advocates can perpetuate racial overtones that may not be productive, such as the blaming of other racial or tribal groups for their addictions. Dr. George E. Vaillant, a non-alcoholic trustee of AA from Cambridge, Massachusetts, says, "experience has taught us that hope is vital to the treatment of alcoholism. Alcoholics feel defeated, helpless, and without the ability to change. If their lives are to change, they need hope as much as relief of their symptoms" (ibid., 35). The Christian faith, for example, instills faith and hope for all beliefs. The prison chapel represents the presence of the church or religion which is the house of God (ibid., 36). It should be a place of sanctuary and repose, where we lift our souls in worship. It is a place of both private and corporate prayer, rest, and meditation. Hymn books, books of prayer, and bulletins

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are provided and arranged in a careful order for this purpose. Bibles are also provided through the industrial and educational funds, and by private donations by the Gideons and other like-minded Christian organizations such as the American Bible Society, etc. The Roman Catholic Church recognizes seven sacraments or holy rites while Protestants recognize only two rites: baptism and holy communion. These functions are provided by the chaplains, credentialed volunteers, or contract chaplains.

Inmate Marriages We process inmates requiring marriages and schedule the ceremonies at the visiting area. Our marriage policy states that all primary resident inmates who require marriage should kite (write) the warden or his or her designee, who will process them in terms of assisting them on how to obtain the marriage license, the minister to perform the wedding, the rings, etc. Because of security restrictions, music, decorations, receptions, and other wedding activities are eliminated. The inmate photographer usually takes care of the pictures, when requested. They marry in their prison clothes and no special clothing is requested from the bride.

Baptism When an inmate requests baptism, care is taken to help him or her understand why Christians require baptism and what different denominational practices are available. Then his minister of record or pastor from his home community is contacted to perform the rite because this is where the inmate will be going to live after parole. It gives him a nurturing community,

a supporting community we cannot extend to him beyond his incarceration. Also, it gives him a chance to be ministered to. In both ways, it is a win-win situation for both parties involved. Families are supported and a liaison between the inside and the outside is established.

Serious lliness and Death Notifications In the course of chaplaincy work, one of the problems we have to deal with is to notify inmates of serious illnesses or deaths in their families. Honestly, this is a challenging aspect of ministry because nobody knows exactly how the bereaved person is going to react. However, learning how to listen and leading them through the grieving process, as identified by Elizabeth Kuber Ross, is important for this grief management to be successful. I will deal with this process under the topic, ''Anger and Emotional Management." However, in all cases of dealing with loss, a good chaplain has to develop attending and listening skills (pastoral presence), empathy and trust, as well as the ability to permit the inmates to cry by telling them it is alright to do so. I emphasize to them that real men do cry, because it seems that men are not allowed to be emotional humans in this society. The word often expressed to me is that they are trying to be "strong" for their families in society. But to the contrary, inmates are the ones needing help. They grieve their incarcerations as well as their current loss of relatives. Feelings of shock, denial, blame, sadness, anger, depression, anxiety, hopelessness, irritation, loss of appetite, loss of sleep, general loss of interest, difficulty concentrating, withdrawal from normal activities, weight-gain or loss, and suicidal and delusional thinking all have something to do with loss of all kinds and

Crime and Delinquency and Other Perspectives grief. So the work of the chaplain in dealing with these issues at the onset is crucial to his or her well-being. Sometimes we find it necessary to refer severe cases to mental health services. I do not jump into prayer for inmates, unless requested or necessary. However, I deal with asking open-ended questions concerning their feelings at the various stages of the grieving process with which I feel they are trying to reach. There are all kinds of videos on this subject and, sometimes, it becomes necessary for me to organize a class for these hurting people. When they (inmates) come to accept the loss, they can become a resource or a support group for a chaplain, when given the right training. I, therefore, encourage the Hospice of Madison County from time to time to come to the prison and to train inmate volunteer support groups. However, constant turnover in prison is a major problem so training has to be ongoing to have a standing support group. When an inmate or staff person dies in prison, it becomes necessary to offer them a memorial service. Even when an inmate requests a memorial service for a relative, I never turn them down. It is an opportunity to offer them pastoral care. I help them in choosing the text, plan the service, and schedule the date. Sometimes, if allowed by the superintendent, it is necessary to involve family members. The song selection, the text, the sermon, and the liturgy must all relate to dealing with death and dying. A good resource is A Service ofDeath and Dying, Abington, Nashville, 1979 (ibid., 37). In this service , we can affirm that death witnesses to our faith in God, the work of Jesus Christ in conquering death, and His ability to raise us from death to eternal life. We inspire hope in the gospel proclamation with the job of the Holy Spirit, celebrating the life of the

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deceased. Other congregants (inmates and staff) are encouraged to eulogize during this service. This is a time for closeness and support. Depending on the church or religious affiliations, communion mayor may not be offered during this service. However, Roman Catholic priests are permitted to bring in wine which they (the priests) consume themselves.

The Sacraments The Sacraments of God's self-giving must be duly administered and practiced. Lindgreen encourages all ministers: (1) to clarify their own theological interpretations of baptism and the Lord's Supper; (2) to share the meaning of the sacrament with their congregation through the pulpit, through discussion, Bible study, etc.; (3) the church to remind worshipers constantly of the responsibilities they assume as the body of Christ to nurture the new believers; (4) to give adequate preparation to this service as given to a usual worship service; (5) to be sure all the elements are ready with all details, including inserts, music, grape juice or wine, and wafers; (6) to use the denominational ritual if one is available and read it clearly with meaning; (7) to prepare the communion meditation as carefully and thoroughly as a full-length sermon; (8) to announce the communion/baptism service ahead of time and urge the worshipers to prepare for it; (9) to provide or administer the Lord's Supper regularly to the sick and shut-in (segregated) or in isolation (ibid., 38). Leadership in a worship service is as important as the planning of the worship itself. I recall how some inmates got upset earlier in my ministry at Lucasville because a minister announced he was going to preach on "the book Jesus wrote," but instead preached on how he and his family

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went to look for mushrooms. The inmates were disappointed that that was all he had to say instead of his original title. So, the preaching and the preparation for worship must all be well-planned and well-delivered. Inmates have a right to be treated with dignity and respect; but, sometimes, zealous preachers who mean well encroach on their liberties by not being prepared as indicated earlier. The statement was well meant, but lacked any meaningful meaning and understanding. Besides, it is unethical if the title is used just to attract listeners. We are responsible for the inmates to grow in their understanding of the church and its mission. Discipleship is the core of prison ministry because if we take the time to disciple them, then it is like teaching them how to fish; they will continue in the mission of the church. Merely counting the number of conversions of each worship service is not enough because just being birthed into the Kingdom of God without the nurturing, the guidance, and teaching is inadequate. We must teach through our sermons, through Bible study, through formal class sessions, through special courses. They may need to succeed in the natural world as well as Christian education in moral and character building.

Conversion versus Ethics Conversion is turning from some other faith, world view, or from nonbelief. Christian conversion involves repentance and faith, but in all other respects, each person's conversion is unique to him or her. There is no fixed sequence of events or rituals required. At the new birth or at the point of regeneration, one realizes or is convinced of his or her sins and seeks forgiveness by calling upon the name of the Lord (ibid., 39) because Jesus said, "Unless a

person is born again, he or she cannot see the Kingdom of God." While conversion describes a person's response to God, the new birth describes God's work in a person through the Holy Spirit, to give him or her a new dimension. The Christian is not simply forgiven and called to try again in his or her own strength, but he or she receives a new life of relationship with God. God lives through the believer, in the presence of the Holy Spirit. This miracle occurs through the preaching of the word of God, under the anointing and conviction of the Holy Spirit. In some churches, the new convert is automatically called a sanctified saint. But, in reality, sanctification is a continuous process of being made holy. The new convert is progressively being empowered by the indwelling Holy Spirit, to conform to the character ofJesus Christ. The person is justified because of conversion while sanctification continues the cleansing aspect of the believer's soul, character, and actions. This process continues until death. Repentance is a change of mind. A radical change of the way of life and a brokenness of the heart, as the believer turns around from all other ways to follow Jesus. Sometimes people feel a great sense of remorse, like Zaachaeus: "If I have cheated anyone, I will pay back four fold" (Luke 19:8b TEV). Faith is the personal commitment to Jesus. For it is felt in the heart and expressed by mouth (Romans 10:9-10). Belief and trust in Jesus in spite of all the odds is because He has proven throughout history and in our life experiences that He is worthy of all the honor, praise, and the position we offer Him in our lives, in all our actions, and in all our imperfections. Ethics, on the other hand, relates to the study of morality and moral choices. Christian ethics deals with the teaching of the Bible and the tradition of interpretation

Crime and Delinquency and Other Perspectives of the Bible's moral teaching to contemporary thinking and decision-making. In our instant world of solutions, unfortunately, there are no ready-made solutions to all our problems. In fact, we are more confused than ever. For example, is having test-tube babies moral or immoral? It depends on from which view you are looking. For example, if you are an infertile person and this is the only way to have your own baby, you would jump at the chance and thank God for it. On the other hand, if you are a medical ethicist, you might think differently about the manufacturing of say body parts. But the ontological and epistemological question can still be debated by the experts asking, "What will do society the greatest good?" Wogaman tells us that we, too, easily forget that there is a gap between moral commitment and moral judgment, that there has always been the possibility of the unintended mistake, his reason being a difference between the will and the mind. Sometimes we may find some good people who are also wise as well as intelligent. However, this combination is an illusion (ibid., 40). The Apostle Paul was able to remind us that even though we understand the good, we do not possess the will to do it, and, at other times, we have the will but lack the understanding. Even some good and loving people do evil things unintentionally. Some evil people we know do good things by accident or for the wrong reasons. Most of us are a little bit of both, and we do a little of both. Inmates are not all deviants, and all deviants have the propensity to be inmates someday, but all of them are not inmates. There are the white-collar criminals such as the business person who fails to keep accurate records, or the law enforcement personnel who used excessive force in the

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line of duty, or the homeowner who used deadly force to defend or protect his or her property. In the eyes of the law and the criminal justice system, they are all inmates. H. Richard Niebuhr pointed it out that in spite of all the ambiguities that exist in our time, nevertheless, all our values are still held in relation to a center of value, that is Christo-centric. Are there implications of the Christian faith for our actual moral judgments? What does Christian faith imply in relation to the circumstances oflife? (ibid., 41). Wogaman again answers that our questions of moral judgments remain distinct from the question of commitment. Commitment can be expressed categorically as an "either/or," whereas ethical judgment operates in a climate of uncertainty. Formally, we are capable of making a definite choice; we can choose to be a Democrat, a Republican, or an independent. But in our choice of candidate, how definite can we predict that our choice will be the good we intended for our country? So, conclusively, the objects of our judgments, unlike our commitments, are not immediate to us (ibid., 40). Many pastors and victim advocates call to ask me if I think a particular inmate rehabilitated himself enough to be released. Well, inside the fence here, some inmates are very illusive. They have learned how to play staff well enough to release them. They attend all the life skill classes, Bible study, spiritual formation, substance abuse classes, and so on, but once they are released, we have no way of predicting their behaviors. We are totally committed to giving them the best training we know how to offer them, but are they willing to practice what we try to instill in them? With that thought in mind, we all face uncertainties in our desire to do God's will,

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that is to provide inmates with good moral training and conversion experiences that, hopefully, can help them in making good moral judgments, just as a parish pastor does with his or her parishioners. But our ways of conceptualizing the moral life depend upon how we distinguish between the good and that which frustrates the good. So we can conclude that our ways of conceptualization require us to arrive at judgments from a situation of uncertainties in the actual world. If this is true, then how are we to go about judging, so that our ethical uncertainty will not frustrate our moral commitment? Because if we cannot know the good, our commitment is still incapable of fulfillment in the real world. Sometimes we feel bad when ex-convicts repeat the same offenses over and over again, and when they arrive in prison, they just may say something like, "I goofed, please give me another chance." Of course, everybody deserves another chance, but how can society blame us for not doing our jobs well when some of us try to do the best job we know how, and our best does not look adequate. Unlike professors and instructors, we are on the practical end or the delivery end of the theories they propose. How about them receiving theories from us for a change? Maybe it is about time correctional workers feel relieved to tell the other end of their frustrations, struggles, and stories which are unending. The object of our discussion is to try to introduce our readers to conversion experiences in prison and some ethical discourse. Every time I preach on Sundays, I have several inmates coming forward to declare their personal commitments to the Lord Jesus Christ. When I take the same sermons I preach in prison to churches in society, I get all kinds of positive feedback. Some even offer the position of being their local pastor. However, my calling is to minister to those

incarcerated. I took it as a challenge and, perhaps, I am getting good at it. And, if need be, the ones operating from the inside can share some of our skills with those of our counterparts operating on the outside. We learn and lean on them for support, training, and development. Perhaps they can lean on us, too, for feedback and direction. Society on the outside seems to be experiencing a crisis in the sources of moral authority in our time. Whether it is the President, the Supreme Court, or the Congress it makes no difference. Christian workers and leaders are not exempt from this lack of confidence. How are we to lead our lives in order to revive the confidence invested in us by our parishioners? We are supposed to be the role models; once we fail, we see athletes, movie stars, artists, and secular people taking away what is rightfully ours. So, how can we reclaim the lost honor? We cannot tell society how to behave or who to honor. But there is one variable we can change; that is ourselves. When we start respecting one another instead of tearing each other down, when we start supporting those fallen among us, like the Jim Baker's and the Jimmy Swaggart's, without being so judgmental and cruel, like we are without sin, perhaps God will heal us from our own failures and install us to places of honor and esteem. It is great to have a person like Dr. Billy Graham or Mother Theresa or Dr. Larry Evans as a role model. But how long can they stay there-just until we hear something negative about them? Are we in the market for gossips and slanderers and even libel? May God forbid. We need a new attitude and a new code of ethics towards one another and towards those among us whom we consider fallen from grace. Whether it is divorce, bankruptcy, or crime, it makes no difference. They are still God's children, believers of the

Crime and Delinquency and Other Perspectives gospel message, needing redemption, grace and mercy. We, as a church, can no longer preach grace, but keep on practicing law. We need to practice what we preach. If the Prodigal Son can return home as a son, loved and accepted by his father without precondition, why can't we learn from this example? I do believe with all my heart that the Gospel message still reaches down to the vilest criminal on death row or the one stigmatized as a sex offender. I also believe that prisoners do have the capacity to have real conversion experiences and that some of them will stay saved and will practice what they learn from the staff and volunteers. However, no matter how hard we work at achieving our goal of rehabilitation, there are some who will remain unchurched, unsaved, and will lack moral judgment as it is in general society. However, when we do all that we can do for them, we will count all our works as filthy rags before our Creator. We are just civil servants trying to do the jobs we are trained to perform. For no amount of monetary reward or recognition, citations, or honor can adequately compensate for what we do. We fix society'S defects and help those experiencing problems in living. They indeed are capable of conversion and capable of being equipped to exercise sound, moral judgements when given the right motivation and opportunity.

Parenting How can a child like me, raised by a 14year-old mother, be talking about parenting at a time when many teenage mothers are being blamed for not raising their children well? Perhaps the corporate community concept that it takes a village to raise a child came to my rescue, and it is sometimes

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worth investigating. Parenting demands a time commitment, a 24-hour-a-day job, 7 days a week, 365/366 days a year. With modern prenatal training, both parents can start bonding with the child right from the delivery room until they become adults. Children need our time commitment, emotional commitment, economic commitment, and spiritual commitment. They are supposed to be a gift from God and come out of love, not hatred, in good times and in bad times. They come when they are ready, not when we are ready for them, most of the time. Sometimes they may surprise us with an early entrance (ibid., 42). For people who are incarcerated or are divorced parents, all the other factors like time commitment, emotional commitment, and spiritual commitment are removed. The only avenue left to divorcing parents is the economic one for men, and the rest of the commitments for women. In rare cases, this is reversed when it is the man who gets the custody when the woman is in prison. In both cases, it is the child who is victimized because of the parental fights, arguments, and disagreements. Nevertheless, in spite of what the media makes out of the problem, there are more good parenting parents than bad ones. There are more black and African American males in society functioning well, having good jobs, or being well adjusted than there are in prison. We can argue that the statistics of this race incarceration is high compared to the general population, but it does not negate the fact that there are more African Americans in colleges, in the military, in government, in law, in medicine or in any other profession than there are in prison. Therefore, somebody somewhere is still doing a good job, even without the money or material or economics that parenting requires; the emotional, time, and spiritual commitments are still being

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delivered. Most divorced parents, like inmates, are parents from a distance. Being without our children may increase our worries of fear, guilt, and anger about the separation and anxiety about what is going on in their lives without us. We may worry about their schooling, meals, discipline and several other child-rearing factors. In the case of inmates, however, the only time they get to see their children is when they visit. While they are trying to entertain the kid's mom, the kids are fighting for attention. So, emotionally and physically, both parents and adults suffer silently. Walker offers us ten guidelines for parenting from a distance: 1. Work to reduce stress in your personal life in order to conserve your energy for the task of parenting; 2. Recognize that your own needs are secondary to the children's needs. 3. Work with the other parent or primary care provider to reduce tension as much as possible. 4. Show empathy to your children by active listening or show your concern and caring by telling them that you love them. 5. Offer encouragement, not criticism. Don't criticize the children or the other parent in front of the children. 6. Learn your limits-what you can and what you cannot do. 7. Do not give up when obstacles become so great. Work to break up patterns of behavior that can victimize either you or your children. 8. Avoid blaming others for your failures. Accept your own responsibilities and work them through to free yourself of hang-ups. 9. Know your rights and responsibilities and use them.

10. Avoid trying to get even with the primary care giver because of feelings of unequal balance of power in relationships with the children (ibid., 43). Self-esteem and unconditional love are keys in parenting. If we do not model good behavior and good attitudes to our children, we should not expect them to be better than us. At best, they can only be like us, so let us practice forgiveness and trust in our ongoing relationships. Labeling our children as good, bad, or naughty starts earlier, even before they are discovered by law enforcement officials who then give them the official label of being a deviant or criminal. So, we must be careful in the names we give our children. Labeling can be a self-fulfilling prophecy, if they are named after bad people. Children of divorced parents suffer from separation anxiety, always fearing that the other parent will abandon them. Left alone when they are compared with their other non-custodial parent as being bad like them destroys their self-esteem and personal well-being. Sometimes it creates hatred and contempt for the absentee parent. This can be minimized if the courts would consider the involvement of both parents when granting custody. Before I told my children that I divorced their mother because the marriage was getting in the way of my personal health and well-being, and that divorce was the only option I had, I was moved to tears. They asked me if I was their father in spite of the fact that I supported them financially and I was there to visit them whenever I could. For, all of a sudden, they were planning for a family reunion with their mother, and when I would not respond, they began to doubt if I was their father, so I had to tell them. I wish I had had the guts to tell them earlier, but I felt they were too young to understand. No

Crime and Delinquency and Other Perspectives doubt, children mature earlier than adults credit them. However, sharing the information with them brought us close as we confessed and forgave each other. It freed us up by venting our feelings. Parents incarcerated are confronted on four fronts: (1) explaining their disappearance from the home to their children; (2) sometimes faced with divorce by their abandoned spouses who may be very angry; (3) they are embarrassed to tell even their closest friends about their whereabouts, and sometimes may even refuse visits; and (4) may even be traumatized by the events that led to their incarceration, especially when they are in denial of the charges. I hope those parents will seek counseling in order to tell their children the truth before the children feel betrayed or lied to. To these parents, Walker recommends taking classes in self-esteem and reading selfhelp books such as Louise Rosenkrantz, Telling a Child You are in Prison (1984). In both cases, we need to help the children vent their feelings of anger, frustration, and disappointment. If we do not tell them our stories, children will think we left because it was their fault. Children would also like to know that we (the departing parents) are okay (ibid., 43). Parenting is a difficult job, let alone parenting from a distance. Telephone calls have to be frequent and of substance. From prison, the telephone calls are collect and may be expensive to a divorced spouse, so letters should be long and of substance covering all areas of life including home, school, recreation, friends, church, and other activities. Every inmate needs a minister of record (a pastoral visitor) who can act as a liaison between the parents and children and become a bridge to the home church or place of worship. All prisons are opened for

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the clergy person who can provide this needful service for Christian education or religious education, pastoral care, skill development, and emotional needs of the incarcerated and the family beyond. Now, with modern technology, we can correspond with audio tapes, video tapes, etc., so there is no excuse not to communicate with our children. Even when we do not get answers, we should keep writing anyway. Children can vent their anger in several ways and they can hurt our feelings, too. I remember one of my son's wrote me a one-sentence letter once because he was angry that I did not buy him the shoes he wanted at the mall. Even though it was the same brand I bought from a bargain store, it was not good enough. I held my cool and kept on trying to communicate until my next visit, when I confronted him with his rudeness. Blended families are families in which children are involved from both sides. It is very difficult with adult children. Frequent family council meetings, contract negotiations or renegotiations, and communication can help make them work. It is better when the immediate family member does the discipline, if any, and the other communicates problems with the immediate family at a regular family council meeting with empathy. Non-custodial families may try to hurt other family members during visits by saying the wrong things to the children. So the children should not be blamed for some of the mean words they may say during a visit. However, they should be encouraged to vent their feelings. Just giving children material things is not enough. The hugs, the visits, the stories, and activities done together as a family are the memories they will have as adults, so make memories lasting events. At least, let us not forget birthdays, parent's day, major holidays, etc. and always remember to say "I love you." It

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means a whole lot to a child to be loved by a parent. I wish I had known this information before my children grew up. However,

from my mistakes, I hope others can learn and rise to be good parents.

Chapter 3 PROVIDING A WHOLESOME (HEALING) MINISTRY

D

Van Burskirk teaches us that these negative emotions can be overcome by positive emotions such as faith, trust, confidence, goodwill, love, forgiveness, and reconciliation, which can all be attained when one experiences a genuine religious experience of the love and power of God. This basic premise sets religion in healing the whole person for healthy living and places it with science in healing (ibid., 44). If this is true, then irrespective of the afterlife promised by religion, it has immediate rewards such as sound mental health and moral rewards in the present. In fact, alcoholic and narcotic support groups have shown us through practice that personal religious experience is the highest and perhaps the truest form of psychotherapy. A therapist, who is immoral, can do more harm than good as he or she has no boundaries or conscience, and such a person can easily transfer his or her immorality to the client.

r. James Dale Van Burskirk, a medical doctor and a Methodist minister, tells us that religion is a vital need for wholesome, healthy living, but, it is too much neglected as a help in healing for health. Using religion for healing is not a magic or miraculous thing but based on well-recognized facts of physiology and psychology. Understanding the physiology and the pathology of emotions should help us in avoiding many ills such as nervous disorders that arise out of emotional disturbances or complexes. Religion is not only an emotion or feeling but a philosophy for living; it is not a set of rules and ceremonial rituals, because the same God of religion is the one who ordained the laws of science. In fact, science does not create any matter; it merely uses what is available and changes its physical or chemical composition. Emotions such as fear, anxiety, worry, anger, resentment, hate, hostility, shame, and guilt can all affect both body and mind.

FAMILY FEARS AND STORIES attached to external things, things that may happen to us. We worry about our finances and jobs, about security, about our families, about sickness or injury, and about death. Other family fears include the fear of failure

Dr. Burskirk informs us that fear is the psychological signal to the sympathetic nervous system, when we step up on the physiological accelerator, which is the adrenal gland. Fears and worries are 79

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or disgrace to the family, fear of panic, the spirit of self-defeat or struggle within a person, fear of estrangement by the family, fear of failure of siblings to succeed when a family member is successful, fear of what people may say, fear of just having a normal baby, etc. (ibid., 44). Jack and Jerry Scheur (ibid., 4S) tell us that fear as an emotion is not all bad, because it preserves us from self-destruction. If this is true, then fear can have a negative or a positive effect. If positive fear motivates us from destruction, then negative fear drives us to destruction. Negative fear can turn us into controlling and manipulative people. For example, a mother seeing her teenage daughter growing pretty and men or boys starting to notice her, decides to give her a haircut in order to divert the attention. This could alienate their relationship if the child is not convinced that this action is in her favor. Or it could be a controlling father sending his son or daughter away to boarding school because he does not want to spend time with the child. In a typical Christian family, there are five distinct family fears: (1) fear offailing to succeed as a family, especially a family with more than one child; (2) fear of unbelieving children, especially among the clergy; (3).fear of using drugs or being involved in a gang or devil worship; (4) fear of a child becoming a homosexual; and (S) fear of what the neighbors think. In prison, inmates are afraid of the following: (1) being raped, (2) being taken for granted, (3) being disrespected, (4) being regarded as weak, (S) being manipulated or used, and (6) being hurt by other inmates. The need to identify our family fears centers around five basic principles or reasons: (1) fear paralyzes us, (2) fear causes us to deny the providence of God, (3) fear causes us to become controlling people, (4) fear causes anger, and (S) fear urges us to run

away from our problems. When we become models for our communities, we are expected to model for our children. When the children cannot cope with our success or our wishes, they become deviants or misfits. How can a clergy child be an unbeliever, we ask, and sometimes we find theological reasons to be defensive or worry about the problem. People are different. Only the clergy is called by God, not the children, so the children would like to claim their own uniqueness or independence, and that is alright. If our fear is that they would use drugs or join a gang, then education and early intervention may be the key if, indeed, the problem exists. We must not be defensive or even think that our children are sheltered just because of us. Some children make bad choices that can affect their quality of life. But, like the prodigal son, we can allow them to make some mistakes, even though we can be embarrassed by their actions and sometimes may cause us financial hardships and loss of status in the community. Fear of our children becoming homosexuals can cause us to overreact. We can be overprotective, limit their experiences, and foster dependence instead of independence. People make bad choices all the time, but they learn from these experiences (e.g., David and Bathsheba, 2 Samuel 11 & 12, Psalms SI). I was speaking at a Methodist church where I told the audience about some gang symbols I saw at the local gymnasium when I went there to work out. The next day, the superintendent of the school was notified about my observations and immediately went into denial. He had all the signs painted over, called me to say the perpetrators did not come from his school, and even closed down the gym from the community's use. Once my wife called me to a local library where she works to come and videotape a

Providing a Wholesome (Healing) Ministry series of graffiti inscribed on the outside walls of the library. The police and sheriff's departments were quickly notified and involved, but everyone concerned was very uptight and nervous concerning gangs. Gangs are disruptive, but we cannot panic or overreact over them because that would not help the problem. What can help is maintaining our cool and to trying to understand their mentality and their modes of operation; then we can act to help them in resolving their deviant behaviors. Jack and Scheur (ibid., 45) give us some basic principles in dealing with our children: (1) we cannot control our children when they are away from us; (2) we need to learn to "let go." We can start gradually and then go up to them as they mature; (3) we need to teach our children to make good decisions; (4) we need to allow them to fail in small ways while we can still help them; and (5) we need to rely upon God (1 Peter, 5:7). We are also encouraged not to place our own failures on our children. Failures such as our unfulfilled dreams, low self-esteem, and our own idea of success. However, we must encourage the following principles in the lives of our children: (1) encourage them to pursue their dreams; (2) realize that we cannot allow others to set the standards for their success; and (3) realize that true success does not depend upon what we do, but rather upon who we are. The fear of failure can affect us in several ways: (1) we may feel guilty; (2) we may feel inadequate; and (3) we may feel frustrated. But the good news is that when we do our best, God compliments the rest. Again, the following principles can be helpful: (1) all we can do is what we can do; and all we can do is usually enough; (2) we need to allow our children to take some responsibility for their own actions; and (3) even when we fail as Christians, there is forgiveness. Worry cannot correct the past (Col. 2:13).

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Another basic fear parents have is the fear that our children will grow up with different values and beliefs than our own. The following principles can help us deal with these fears: (1) children need to grow and establish their own values; (2) we cannot force our beliefs on them; and (3) all we can do is to pray for them to be converted, and the rest will be complemented by God, the Holy Spirit, as we model the acceptable behaviors to them. Recovery from these mentioned and other fears come when we admit to ourselves that we are afraid. Second, we need to use the following process given to us by the Schreurs: (1) we need to look at ourselves and our actions honestly; (2) we need to also realize that it is okay to be afraid; (3) we need to share with some significant people our fears; (4) confess this fear to God (1John 1:8-9); (5) we need to acknowledge and know our limitations. If we or our children need professional help, let us use the counseling service; (6) we need to believe in our family by focusing on the positive and refraining from the negative; (7) we need to do all we can for them; (8) we need to allow ourselves to grow from experiences. Another way to look at fear is that it is normal and healthy when used in the right perspective. It is an emotion warning us of an impending danger and, therefore, a defense mechanism against danger. It may be a reaction to real or imagined circumstances. The spirit of fearfulness can cause anxiety and tension in others. We need to develop some counseling strategies for coping with fear. For a Christian struggling with a personal inadequacy, the following are suggested: (1) God does not ask us to be successful, but only to please Him (Psalms 37:4); (2) learn to accept ourselves, and not to make excessive personal demands (1 Cor. 15:10, 2 Cor. 12:9); (3) do not compare ourselves with others; just be who we are (2

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Cor. 10:12); (4) God has given us all we need to be confident (2 Tim. 1:7); (5) learn to trust God implicitly for what we want to be and to do (Proverbs 4:5-6); (6) make our fears a definite matter for prayer (Phil. 4: 6-7); (7)

the Lord is mindful of us Oohn 10: 14, Jeremiah 29:11); (8) God has promised us His presence (Hebrew 13:5); and (9) the opposite of fear is love, and the perfect love drives out fear (1 John 4: 18).

POVERTY IN AMERICA Is poverty a condition due to adverse social, economic, and cultural factors or the lack of opportunity and motivation? (ibid., 46). Mental retardation is a social pathology and perhaps a different form of mental illness. Poverty in all nations seems to breed prostitution, juvenile delinquency, criminal behavior, unemployment, and behavior problems. Poor people do not have equal opportunity to services such as education, employment, medical care, social services, etc. They do not get to meet the people with power and affluence to help them advance. At best, society (the upper and middle classes) tends to make them servants with tokenism as rewards just to meet their basic needs. Human beings everywhere want to eat real bread, not crumbs. So, the dissatisfaction with the crumbs and the victimization by the system that keeps them down in ignorance frustrates the poor. They are unable to figure out how to work out of their social class and tend to unhealthy behaviors for their mere survival needs. Unlike slavery, which is ownership, these people have a so-called freedom but are limited by laws that are designed by the ruling class to keep them in their place. When they rebel, as in Los Angeles, Miami, Zaire, or Liberia, the results are still the same, destruction of lives and property. Welfare in America and elsewhere was the right thing to do for the underclass, by easing the guilty consciences of the upper and middle classes. Even though there is a cry by the moral majority to stop welfare as

it is and move people to work, the same forces will not guarantee work for every American. The same forces will not educate prisoners or spend money to educate the poor in the ghetto or the migrant worker. In fact, they are more afraid that by educating the lower class, they will rise up to take the jobs from their children or even rise up to their level. So they want to abolish equal opportunities for the poor and the underclass, assuming that by doing away with programs that help the poor and underprivileged, only their children will stay in leadership forever. But we have learned that the poor are not inferior to anyone, if they are given the same opportunity to participate in education, employment, housing, and all other social areas. In fact, the rich are afraid of them because of the ability of poor people to learn fast and to be creative. Inmates who come from poor families are creative people and they are not lazy either. They are hard working people dissatisfied with the status quo with labels placed on them by society and the assumptions of how they ought to behave themselves. So, perhaps what we need for the future is not abolishment of welfare and entitlements but a creation of equitable wages or income for all Americans. Let everybody work to earn dignity, respect, and self-worth, then supplement the income of the poor to some parity as determined by each state. Also, we must eliminate overtaxation of the poor when they work.

Providing a Wholesome (Healing) Ministry It is the state that determines the poverty level of its citizens, so let the states supplement their income to an equitable state limit. This can be possible if we cut defense budgets, cut waste from government and unnecessary programs that give welfare to the rich and punish the poor and underclass. Culturally, if the bushman can design a test for urban America or affluent America, they would be culturally bankrupt, not knowing anything about forest trees, forest animals, and their movements as well as the roots and leaves required to heal certain snake bites or soothe poison ivy. However, the Westerner would like to test every culture by Western standards and put the labels on them as retarded or deficient. This is unjust because the comparison is unfair and without merit or without any reference to culture and traditions. Since some have come out boldly to announce that certain races are more intelligent than others, let us assume we take the same bushman and westernize him, given all variables and equal opportunity, he can rise up to be a Secretary General of the United Nations or a congressman, a senator or a scientist. Perception is not a fair playing field. When a black family or an Asian family or a Hispanic family cannot afford to go to a museum or an art center or a theater, testing a person from the one culture point of view of the affluent and the privileged class is unfair and even unjust. If one really wants to make those kinds of racial comparisons or intelligence comparisons, then level the playing field and we can prove our mete. I am sure that poor children with the right nurturing, motivation, and equal opportunity will advance as rich children with parity. For example, soccer was invented by the British, but with all the rules of the game taught to several nations, Nigeria won the Gold Medal in Soccer during the Olympic Games in Atlanta. Also, the king of soccer is not Sir Stanley Matthews but Pele of Brazil,

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who is black. Therefore, intelligence is not a factor of skin color or how much income a family earns; nor is organic dysfunction. So we can say conclusively that low brain functioning has nothing to do with economics, even though the rich could afford medical treatment, if there is a cure, and the poor could not. So, poverty can be defined as lacking adequate financial resources or information. Poverty is an equal opportunity plague for the disenfranchised, the oppressed, the weak and the subordinated classes of all nations. As long as the poor accept their place and do nothing about it, the rich and the powerful will assume that they (the poor) like their position in life and are happy and satisfied with little or nothing. When they rise up in arms and challenge the powers that be, the poor can be very unforgiving and very destructive to society-whether Liberia or Burundi or Rwanda or Zaire, the result is always the same, destruction of the ruling class and replacement with the underclass in revolution. This is not a Marxist theory but an observation from life experience. Sometimes lack of information along with prejudice can keep a person poor. For example, people tell me that they did not go to college because they could not afford it. Surprisingly, though, these people never heard about Pell grants and federal loans being given to all Americans for college education. Some also never heard about state and federal title programs to help them update their skill levels to use technology. So, lack of information is not a mental retardation. Ignorance and fear alone can trap people into poverty as well as complacency and apathy. While the rich are constantly trying to find new ways and means of increasing their income, the poor lack motivation and curiosity and the people who seek their way out of poverty among the poor find doors opened to them. The

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rich also seem to find ways to rebound after a business failure, while the poor may result to destructive alternatives like drugs or sex or alcohol after a crisis. To liberate the poor,

they need education or information, motivation, and self-esteem to free themselves from their destructive ways.

CLASS IN AMERICA It is no secret that most Americans prefer to be called middle class (70%) rather than upper class (7%) or lower class (22%) (ibid., 5). However, with government programs, job training, education, and opportunities, the upper class has increased since 1963, the middle class has expanded, and the lower class has lost some numbers thanks to trade unions and other advocate programs for the poor and the under class. Tribalism, racism, religious apartheid, and sexism victimize and create a problem of social class for the excluded minorities within a society. In a male-dominated society like North America, the color of the skin alone can relegate people to a subhuman or an inferior class or elevate to a superior class in spite of money, religion, or education and the church seems to look the other way, when in the past, the practice of the church has been to develop theologies to affirm such practices. In spite of the biblical mandate that in Christ there is no Hebrew or Greek, Gentile, male or female. So, the black church, as well as the Latin American church, has taken vigorous criticism of the white hypocrisy and insensitivity towards the poor and minorities, not sparing the African and European tribalism which has prolonged years of hatred and bloodshed. What I want to share is that oppression and dehumanization proceed out of pride, arrogance, and hatred by the rich and powerful towards the poor, the weak, and the stranger in the midst, and this is universal. Citizens and natives always have a sense of pride, thinking they are better than

their new neighbors and, therefore, can dehumanize and oppress them for the fun of it or for sport, while their children are contemptuous and rude to them. It took much traveling for me to realize that this is wrong. It is a painful thing to travel and be unwelcome among your hosts or to be treated with contempt and prejudice. Even in the Law of Moses, special provisions were made for aliens: "The alien living with you must be treated as one of your native born. Love him as yourself, for you were aliens in Egypt. I am the lord your God" (Leviticus 19:43, NIV). Also, special provisions were made for the poor who get treated in their own lands like strangers: "If one of your countrymen becomes poor and is unable to support himself among you, help him as you would an alien or a temporary resident, so he can continue to live among you" (Leviticus 25:35, NIV). The present move to discontinue services to resident aliens in America is ungodly, un-Christian, and even shameful. How can people like Senator Jesse Helms or Mr. Pete Rosen in California justify themselves by being so unkind and uncaring? However, social security must not be used by the government to care for refugees. Robbing citizens of their hard savings is criminal. Private donations or foundations should be established to care for our refugees in order to empower them. Justice means a combination of the notion of observing the law, doing the right thing, being honest, showing respect for the other persons' property, and observing rights and fair play [equity] (ibid., 47). In peace times,

Providing a Wholesome (Healing) Ministry the work of the United Nations involves helping poor nations to be self-sufficient in agriculture production, health maintenance, and other social concerns. I think something has gone wrong with the mannerism which some of our leaders are interpreting justice and universal concerns. We are eager to drop bombs on so-called dictators like General Khadafi without concern for the rest of the people of Libya, who knew nothing about any political or moral problems their leader had with the U.S. Just because we have bombs does not give us the right to drop them intentionally or unintentionally on another nation. If Libya was to retaliate by dropping a bomb on the White House, assuming they have the capability, then we are at war with each other. These are just a few of the dilemmas and the challenges confronting us in the new millennium. Politicians are accountable to citizens by telling us the truth and their real motives in starting a conflict, especially where citizens stand a chance of losing their lives. We must start cherishing human life and start pursuing justice in love to our other creation, in enhancing the quality of life as we become partners with divinity in repairing the brokenness of our fallen humanity. Picking a quarrel here and a fight there is not only improper, but also satanic and diabolical. Our agenda must be a politics of unity and not division, a politics of wholeness and not brokenness, a politics of healing and not hurting any longer. So our

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theology and vision for the future of our planet is a theology of restoration, healing, and wholeness. The Bible gives us nine basic values for dealing with each other: (1) the inherent dignity and value of all human beings that we are all made in the image of God; (2) the equality of all people, rooted in a tradition of our common descent from Adam and Eve; (3) the capacity of all people, given the will and the right educational opportunities to improve themselves; (4) the concept of wealth (Psalm 24) as lent by God is a trust relationship that requires sharing with the less fortunate. Hence, the special concern that God has mandated for the poor, the widowed, the hungry, and the orphaned; (5) The belief that out of the same trust relationship, we have a responsibility of stewardship over the earth and must protect it; (6) the existence of certain laws Uewish Seven Noachide Laws) that are regarded as basic to any civilized society, including prohibitions against murder, robbery, blasphemy, idolatry, sexual crimes, and the eating of living flesh, as well as requiring every community to establish courts of justice; (7) The rule of law to which even the highest human ruler is accountable; (8) Freedom of choice and responsibility of each person for his or her own actions; (9) The paramount obligations of individuals and societies to pursue justice, righteousness, and peace, i.e., to be involved in the work of social justice.

PROSTITUTION AND CRIME Prostitution is argued (ibid., 5) as a moral crime that perhaps does not belong to the criminal justice system. But unlike adultery and fornication, the prostitute may be unattached and poor. Of course, adultery is

condoned by males as long as it is the male who pays for the act. When a woman or a minority person does it, then it is blown out of proportion by the powers that be, who who often are males who also control the

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media. There are prostitutes who have regular jobs but supplement their income as escorts. There are also married people who engage in call service, topless dancing in bars, or other sex trades or activities that can be called prostitution. Currently, we have also seen the advent of male prostitutes, and some of them are in prison for different crimes. Some try to convince themselves that they are women, while others want sex changes to become transgendered individuals. How about fornication? There are many unmarried couples living together in the U.S. who are not married. If the laws in the books at present were enforced, estimates are that up to 95 percent of the male population would probably belong in prison. The more educated people are, the more likely they are to engage in sex outside of marriage. Also, the higher their income, the more they could be involved in illegal sex. Who is the criminal here, the prostitute or the client or both? It depends on with whom you are talking to. Some people prostitute themselves for money but, exceptionally, there are some who do it for fun, especially married people who, for some reason, are not being satisfied by their partner at home. Others do it for revenge when they are upset in a relationship. Rapists and criminals do it for power and control. Now, with television and the liberal media, it is difficult for a stranger to determine a prostitute from an average citizen. For example, you will expect a prostitute to go out in provocative attire. Today, youth are also attracted to this type of culture. Whether parents or professionals, it makes no difference. It is okay to smoke, drink liquor in a bar, and pick up a guy or gal if one is an adult and has money to pay. Some people go to church in revealing attire. Some fashion designers focus on sex instead of decency. Sex sells cars, homes, anything on

Front Street. So, with many females giving sexual displays, is prostitution still a problem in the U.S.? When males do the same thing, they can be charged legally for indecent exposure, but when women are seductive, it's just laughed about. I think morality is a family concern and perhaps does not belong in the courts. Because one person's pornography could be another's way of life. For example, when a person living in a nudist colony goes to town on a visit during the summer, a bikini and a bra could be enough clothing for a female while, at the same time, it may be offensive to a nonnudist. Using the media to educate may not be a bad idea. Nude programs like Pacific Blue and Beach Party and so on need to be looked at critically because they are also pornographic, even though legal. I do not believe freedom of speech has anything to do with freedom of exposure. With all the sex crimes in the U.S., especially during the summer, you would think that fashion designers and women (espeCially the victims) would be careful. However, the emphasis is placed more on exposing the body than the covering of private parts. How far can one be exposed before one can be labeled as an exhibitionist? Again, the answer is in the powers that be, the local authorities. If they think it is okay, then people can go to grocery stores in bikinis, while others would even try to go to church, assuming the minister would overlook their poor tastes. No wonder sex crimes are on the rise and our prisons are filled with sex predators. Is promiscuous behavior normal or abnormal? Some sex predators tell me that they caught their behaviors by watching a lot of sex videos or sex movies. Does that mean that all sex movies are bad or in poor taste? Again, there are no easy answers to the ontological question. The authorities and the consuming public should know the conse-

Providing a Wholesome (Healing) Ministry quences of the overexposure to obscene materials. Powerful images, once printed on the mind, can become ingrained habits, so is the habit of prostitution or promiscuity also? The sex business complements a drug habit, an alcoholic or just looseness to an addictive behavior that is difficult to stop once started. Juvenile prostitution is a business whereby the rich and powerful usually prey on the poor, the immigrant, and the youth. In the Canadian experience (1), sexual exploitation of young persons produced these reports: The Report of the Committee of Sexual Offenses Against Children and Youth (1984) or the Badgley Report; and The Report of the Special Committee on Pornography and Prostitution (1985) or the Frasier Report. What the authors found out is that there is a flurry of legislative activity in Canada on juvenile prostitution and sexual consent. They also observed that prostitution represented the intersection of three important institutions of sexuality: the family, prostitution, and the free market economy. Most intervention strategies ignore the economy while focusing on individuals and families as objects of blame and points of intervention. How about the club or business owner or pimp who runs the business by either kidnapping young people from third world countries or poor homes by promising their families wealth and support? In the Canadian experience, it was the working class and immigrant families who found their children apprehended by the police or who served time in prison (ibid., 7). Here racism and discrimination cannot be ignored. In open sex markets, like Thailand, the Philippines, or Vietnam, men from Western countries like Germany and the U.S. take tours that include sex packages. The clients themselves profit little as against the owners of the bawdy houses, the hotels, taxi drivers,

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police, lawyers, doctors, social workers, and other professionals. Most of these young prostitutes have poor education, few marketable skills, no social security card, no driver's license, no health insurance, credit, and no means of support. The Badgley Report (1984) showed that 80 percent of the female prostitutes and 63 percent of the male prostitutes had no other form of employment. The rest were employed in low skill jobs like waiters, cashiers, ice cream vendors, kitchen aides, and housekeepers or babysitters. The same report stated that 40 percent were full-time prostitutes; 25 percent, part-time; and 30 percent, worked occasionally. This gave the typical female an annual income of about $40,000 a year, assuming she worked four days a week and took six holidays per year. Like drugs, it gave the young people opportunities for rapid financial gains. Most inmates talk about life on the streets or being street-wise. Rehabilitation must focus on employment, job creation, and retraining of workers who are dissatisfied with no change from tedious and dead-end jobs with no opportunities. The Canadian government came out with multidisciplinary programs aimed at child protection, police retraining and involvement, education, medical and youth job training services for five years (renewable) designed to reach and serve the needs of their youth offenders, focusing on affordable immediate protection, counseling, education, and job training. Currently, in the U.S., we are responding by denying inmates access to higher education, job training, and programs that work. Habits that are ingrained cannot be removed overnight with boot camps, weekend programs, and a single discipline program. It has to be a total package geared toward the emotional, spiritual, physical, and holistic personality. The economic plans alone which

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generated profits for the rich and cut people out of welfare alone without adequate housing, education, job training, and work incentives, drive the poor to illegal trades like prostitution and drugs. Because the American dream without adequate plans and coaching to reach the dream, like the Contagious Disease Act of the Victorian Era (Marcus 1955, 1964; Ober 1982) creates unwarranted subculture among the poor who can see the promised land but have not been adequately equipped to get there. They are left to unwillingly feed on the crumbs of the rich, and resolve their own forms of creative, but illegal ways of getting there, the sale of their bodies and other illegal activities. Sexual addiction, like any other disorder (Carnes, 1985; Forest, 1989) and obsessivecompulsive sexual behaviors (Forest, 1983) have now been identified as diseases or addictions. Their treatments are still new and I would not pretend to know how to treat them. However, since cognitive behavior therapy and support groups have been known to work for other addictions, I am sure it would still help our course here. The work of pioneers like Bandura (1969, 1977), Mahoney (1974, 1977, and 1979), and Meichenbaum (1977) can still be employed. They involve focusing on self-speech, i.e. what the inmates say to themselves. "For as a man thinks, so is he." A therapist can assess their thought patterns and beliefs by helping them to think aloud or to write their thoughts down (ibid., 5). In the Spiritual

Formation class, they are taught to keep journals to try to help them understand the sequence of events that got them in trouble. Then they can be taught more adaptive selfspeech that can lead them to more adaptive behavior-to non-delinquent behavior. Neil T. Anderson's Steps to Freedom manual (1992) or video is also a very helpful tool in terms of getting to hear their stories and gaining access to their thought patterns. Another helpful method is self-control training. Kanfer and Karoly (1972) describe three stages for self-control or self-regulation training: self-monitoring, self-evaluation, and self-reinforcement. In the first stage of self-monitoring or selfrecording, the inmate can be taught to measure or count his or her own behavior and is reinforced by doing so (e.g., counting number of times the thoughts flood the mind per day, per week, on a daily and weekly behavior card). In stage two, self-evaluation, they are taught to evaluate the results of selfmonitoring and also to compare them to what they should be doing. In the third stage, positive reinforcement is the key. This involves learning to self-praise for the little victories won on a daily basis. For example, I did great by not seducing anyone today. I can live without sex. I can abstain from suchand-such behavior. Even a bully can be taught to redirect his or her energies to something else. Through self-evaluation, he or she can talk loud to self for not being a bully, etc. (ibid., 48). This is cognitive behavior therapy.

TREATING THE WHOLE FAMILY When one person belonging to a family unit is in pain as a result of a phobia due to an emotional problem because of underemployment, unemployment, or prostituting oneself, the whole family suffers. This is

because every family has some sort of unit code of morality, and that included honor or respect for the family. Any kind of disrespect would be met with resistance, threats to excommunicate, or sometimes disown the

Providing a Wholesome (Healing) Ministry offender. Therefore, a good therapy must focus on the family as a unit. However, with prisoners, this is only an ideal and not a realized goal. When the inmate leaves prison well-equipped with wholesome ideas, the real test comes when he or she has to defend him or herself against relatives who have no clue as to what has become of their brother or sister. The only thing we can tell them is to seek counseling or continue in therapy. When one family member is incarcerated, the whole family, in some way, is incarcerated, too. For example, there are no conjugal visits, only the free family member works and the incomes are reduced. Children need to know the whereabouts of the missing parent. Bills-especially telephone bills-will increase and only one person will be paying, and many other problems may arise. They are angry from both sides: inmates grow angry with themselves for what they have done, and their spouses are angry with them for what they are being put through. Among inmates serving long prison terms, divorce is inevitable and so the pain becomes monstrous. As a chaplain, you watch them go through depression, sadness, anger, fear, withdrawal, apathy, shock, denial and several other negative emotions. What can you do? Who has been hurt? Are inmates also victims of society? What are their needs? There are no easy answers, but, at least, we can be there for them to give them permission to express their angers or negative emotions without fear of being punished. We can attend to their stories and help them individually to experience the language of emotions. We can help them to communicate accurate empathy by allowing them to experience our own humanness by self-disclosure, selfconfrontation, and by practicing immediacy and empathy. How are we experiencing their horrifying stories? We do not have to

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pretend that hearing how a child was kidnapped, raped, and strangled does not make us feel like killing our clients. We feel terrible, not for our clients or inmates wanting us to hear their stories, but for their victims also. Such a self-confrontation or disclosure will help to free us to communicate the accurate empathy needed for the task we are to perform. There is no need going into a counseling session with our own fears of our clients (inmates) all over our faces. If you have that much fear, refer to psychology or some other discipline like mental health. The problem is that the inmates will trust a chaplain more than our well-qualified professionals in the other disciplines. If you decide to refer, ask the inmate's permission and tell him or her how you feel about him or her or the reason you suggest the referral. Most of the time, I tell them that due to the nature of their stories, I will feel more comfortable if, in addition to my support, they seek counseling with psychological services or mental health at the same time. That way, they do not feel let down by me. If I feel the need, I would seek help from their counselor as to how best to treat our client as a team and talk to each other. As in any other counseling or unpleasant situation, always do all the following: (1) think; (2) judge; (3) act; (4) help the inmate to explore his or her own behavior and examine his or her personal problems critically; (5) try to understand or help your clients to understand themselves in order to own the consequences of their self-exploration. Then, act on your understanding of your client; (6) before encountering your client, try to be in your own best frame of mind in order to respond to your client's frame of need. Your responses must be with accurate empathy, genuine, concrete, and with respect; (7) try to stimulate the inmate's alternative frame of reference by using advanced accurate

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empathy in his or her self-disclosure, by confronting and giving immediate feedback; (8) help your clients to act by using problemsolving techniques, behavioral strategies, and action programs. For example, if an inmate feels remorseful about a violent act done to a victim, I would ask him to write a letter and bring it to the next session, and we would tear it up together. If it were something he wants to tell a divorcing spouse, we would approach it in a similar manner, after reading it together. Sometimes during our sessions, inmates ask me how they can change their behaviors. Of course, the Gospel can do that as well as the spiritual disciplines as taught by Richard Forster and David Watson. However, in a therapy session, writing a contract to change a behavior is very effective. The following is just an example I took from a video on alternatives to violence: (1) I accept my responsibility for my own violent behavior. (2) I have repressed anger because .... (3) I am committing to nine weeks to attend the class of Alternative to Violence and beyond. I understand that I must keep on attending group meetings in order to manage my temper or behavior. (4) I am committed to the group's goal of non-violence, whether by verbal expression, physical or emotional. (5) I do agree that violence is an inappropriate, learned coping mechanism of dealing with anger. (6) I do agree that men who batter their wives are solely responsible for their violent behaviors. (7) I, as a batterer, must first increase the awareness of my feelings in order to change. (8) I will take responsibility for my violence and stop using profanity as my first step to change my behavior. (9) I will keep a diary or a journal to monitor my progress. (10) I will self-evaluate myself at the end of each day to see how I am progressing. (11) I will stroke myself or selfreinforce myself with every progress I make. For example, "thank goodness I did not use

any fighting words or profanity today. I am glad I did not talk back to the correctional officer today." Other helpful techniques are the prolemsolving techniques. People resort to violence, delinquency, and so on because they do not know how to cope effectively in social situations (Little & Kendall, 1979). Spivak, Platt and Shure (1979) developed interpersonal cognitive problem-solving skills (ICP's) which includes teaching means-end thinking, alternative thinking, and perspective taking (role taking). D'Zurilla and Goldfried (1971) have given us five stages of problem-solving techniques: (1) a general orientation or "Set"; (2) problem definition and formulation (brain storming); (3) generation of alternatives (in engineering create, blast, refine); (4) decision-making; and (5) verification or follow-ups and evaluation. Another useful behavior management tool is called Stress-Inoculation and Anger Control Training. Meichenbaum (1977) developed this behavior therapy, which involves three phases of control, especially in anxiety and stress situations: (1) Education phase (prOVide inmate understanding of his/her particular response to stressful events after a behavioral assessment) for example, divorce, death, child removal from home, facing more charges or denial of early parole. (2) Rehearsal phase (provide inmate with a number of skills to cope with stress) for example, reflexology, foot massages, and relaxation techniques. (3) Application of training (once an inmate practices coping techniques, this behavior has been shaped and reinforced in the office or class and, finally, the inmate tests the coping skills by actually using them in real-life stressful situations (ibid., 11). Some useful questions for the spouse barterer: (1) Why do some men batter their loved one? (2) Why do you batter your loved one? Answer only using "because" sen-

Providing a Wholesome (Healing) Ministry tences. For example, "Because I feel insecure." (3) Why am I a violent man? "Because I ... " (4. What possesses me or what do I think about when I become violent? (5) What makes me angry or what escalates my anger? (6) How do I transfer this anger to others? (7) How can you claim power over your own life? The answer can lead to another behavior change contract. On the topic of the Curative Power of Religion, Dr. Van Buskirk taught us that fears and worries are generally attached to external things that could happen to us (ibid., 44), for example, worries about finances, jobs, security, family, injury or sickness, and about death. Most of these worries may never occur or even happen to us, but we spend a great deal of time worrying about them. He said anxieties generally center about self and may come from our sense of inadequacy or an inferior feeling. These may progress to neurosis, anxiety neurosis with accompanying physical symptoms, and even mental health problems. He said several of these complexes have their own origin in our childhood experiences. For example, a child may feel unwanted and unloved or may be mistreated and, thus, may be entertaining a deep anxiety or a feeling of insecurity. In this respect, it is the child's emotions that count, not particularly what the parents do. This inadequate feeling is one of the main causes of delinquency and can be carried over into adulthood. Since most of our inmates come from broken homes, this is the general characteristic of most of our inmates-they suffer from a lack of self-esteem. Some appear to have a store of suppressed or repressed anxieties. Others have guilt feelings about their crimes and that causes them a lot of anxiety; and, rightly so, a lot of them are on different mental health programs and medications.

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Therefore, a good chaplaincy program must also focus on pastoral counseling in order to clear up many of these emotional problems. A focus on faith and hope are the sources of cure for some fears, worry, and anxiety. Faith in self, faith in fellow citizens, and faith in God are what anxious spirits need. Religious faith can give them the power to overcome anxiety more than psychology or psychiatry. The effects of drugs are temporary, but faith on the sound basis of God's power and goodness, His fatherhood, mercy, and forgiveness can pick up the hopeless and the needy into eternal realm of peace, security, hope, and victory. Faith, when properly taught, believed, and practiced can say: "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me" (Philippians 4: 13). Therefore, a proper trust and obedience in the source of our higher power can give us the confidence and the assurance which is needed to do our jobs, as well as to instill them in our clients and inmates. But, we cannot give something we do not have, so we must go back to the foot of the cross, to the place where we first believed the Gospel and ask for faith, teach faith, preach faith, and live a life of faith. Pray and believe God for the answer. Utilize every opportunity to pray and spend time in prayer on a daily basis before leaving home and before starting work. Study alone, without prayer, causes many chaplains to jump ship by transferring to psychology or sociology. We have a job to care for troubled souls and that is our calling. Faith and prayer are the vehicles of support, comfort, and protection we need in our daily walks. We need to set daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly goals. With every successive achieved goal, the more we progress in confidence, faith, and hope.

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JUVENILE CRIME PREVENTION DiluisJr. argues that effective law enforcement can combat juvenile crime and I concur that the police presence, such as with foot, horseback, bicycle, and automobile patrols can help. However, parenting training and parental cooperation during divorce can be one missing factor in the current legal system. Currently, once the court garnishes the wages or salaries of the absentee parent, there is no parental contact or efforts made by the courts to allow the absentee parent any involvement in parenting the children. There is no effort for the absentee parent to be sent any report cards, if the children are in school, no efforts are being made for the children to write or call or vice versa. So, when the children rebel or become delinquent, the natural reason is to blame the absentee parent or shift the blame on the custodial parent who is often blamed as being permissive, alcoholic, drug addicted, or mentally retarded. Incarceration helps delinquents only if they are educated, taught life skills, given therapy, and totally reformed. However, long prison terms without any proper longterm planning to rehabilitate the offender clearly leads them to commit more crimes, even behind bars. Prison inmates still rape each other and sometimes staff, they still steal and blackmail one another, or even commit murder behind bars without the media or the general public knowing what is going on. So, to say that tougher incarceration policies alone contribute to falling crime rates without proper treatment programs and education is just like sweeping under the rug to hide the problem. Many wardens and prison officials know that education, especially higher education, is one method that really works in rehabilitating inmates. What can they do when politicians cut this successful program through cost-saving

budgets? Gone are the days when most criminals come from urban areas. Current criminals are not all fatherless, Godless or jobless. They come from all areas of America with one common denominator, drug addiction. They are raised by a grandparent or someone other than the natural parent or both. The recent three strikes, and you are out laws are a temporary solution to a long-term problem. Unless prison officials are given all the resources needed, including higher education and vocational training, for those currently in prison, it would not matter much at what age they re-enter society. We still have a long way to go and perhaps a lot of our program ideas should come from the prisoners themselves because they know their own internal and external struggles and can articulate what they lack, with exception of a few who are mentally ill. And even then, we need to be planning for their long-term needs after they complete their prison sentences. We should be asking questions like, "where are we going to house our predators, the violent offenders, and some of our rapists?" For, you see, we cannot keep them in prison forever. Therefore, we must start planning ahead with what to do with them. I suggest training ex-offenders as role models to other wannabes. However, there are some offenders who take advantage of their incarceration as a wake-up call to change their life styles and behaviors. Are we going to keep those behind bars forever also? No. So, instead of making parents responsible for juvenile crime, let's make the juveniles accountable for juvenile crime. We talk about trial by jury, but we do not trust juveniles to try their peers and to recommend punishment. Maybe it is about time adults start to risk some power to these kids and empower

Providing a "Wholesome (Healing) Ministry them to come up with creative ways of resolving their problems. We need to start training the youth in resolving their own problems, to start them in mediation with some adult guidance or to refer them to arbitration when necessary. Also, early intervention programs for them to stay in school by keeping them away from gangs, drugs, and other delinquents. However, if parents or adults keep guns openly, some juveniles will try to use them as a show of power but in the end, end up hurting somebody. So, adults need to deal with the problem of guns. Society has a right to punish juvenile offenders. However, some young offenders never have a chance to develop, mature, or grow up. They may have learned their violent behavior from movies, television, or music. We are a compassionate society that fights even for the life of a fetus, so we can rehabilitate a person who did not ask to be born in order to be abused. We can give them a chance to contribute their God-given assignments in life. If they do the crime, let them serve the time. But, by all means, let's rehabilitate them because nobody on earth should be a throwaway (ibid., 49). Other crime prevention methods are community watch, curfews (day or night), well-lighted playgrounds, and church programs. Kids without any sense of God have no morality, and they can be deadly.

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However, when juveniles commit adult crimes, they need more than incarceration and beyond. They need all the help they can get because sometimes the crime itself is a call for help, which may be too late. Incarcerating juveniles in an adult facility should be the last resort, instead of the first option. Sometimes, a mere desire for excitement and status in a gang can lead to violence. Kids like to be respected even though they have no respect for others. So the key is to empower them at the earliest opportunity since most juvenile offenders lack self-esteem and they are immoral because their sense of justice is not grounded in any higher power, but in street sense. If they are left alone, they would think that only the powerful should survive, forgetting that the rich are the powerful and can out gun them if there is a breakdown of law and order. Others blame racism and poverty, but that is no excuse. About 30 to 40 percent of all boys growing up in the United States will be arrested before their 18th birthday (ibid., 50). If you are black, Hispanic, or a boy of color, the percentage is higher. Media hype of violence acceptance of gang clothing as fashion and violence lyrics supports delinquency. This includes language like cool, bad (to mean good), and so on.

THE MADISON CORRECTIONAL RESIDENTIAL PROGRAM FOR JUVENILES The Madison Correctional Residential Program for juveniles is targeted towards high-risk youthful offenders. It addresses their individual needs such as substance abuse, anger management, educational needs, behavior and cognitive treatments, and life skills (ibid., 49).

The Buckeye Branch Campus of Madison Correctional is a campus of the Ohio Central School District. Established in 1973 by the issuance of a special purpose charter by the Ohio Department of Education, it houses one of the school sites within Region III. It is a fully-accredited high school by the State

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Department of Education and staffed by fully certified teachers. It offers a variety of academic and vocational programs without any cost to the inmates. It provides an opportunity for all incarcerated juveniles to work toward their high school diploma. If they wish to obtain a GED, they must request to take the pre-GED test at age 18, because federal guidelines mandate that all inmates under the age of 18 participate in educational programs. All inmates do participate in the high school diploma classes until they reach their 18th birthday. Mter that, they have the option to stay in school until they obtain a diploma or they may choose to pursue a GED certificate. However, after age 18, students with disciplinary problems or very poor work evaluations may be removed from the school. Incoming students can transfer their transcripts at the time of reception or have their transcripts transferred to other schools when they leave the institution. However, once again, I do not think federal mandates are important attachments to federal grants. Of course, the state needs the funding, but state officials as well as correctional officials may know best as to where these funds are needed and what needs to be achieved. Politicians should work with the care providers inside to use these funds to meet the needs.

Alternative Schooling as a Discipline When students become disruptive to the educational process and make it impossible to teach other students, they are placed in alternative schooling. It is a tool to discipline them by confining them to their cells during regular school hours, but they are held responsible to complete their school work assignments. They are also required to meet with a teacher once every two weeks to

review their work and behavior. To get back into the regular classes, the student must demonstrate signs of progress. This progress report must be evident in all phases of their housing area, recreation, timely completion of assignments, and attitudes towards staff. If they do not maintain a high level of competence in the areas mentioned, they cannot re-enter the regular school. In addition, they may lose commissary privileges as well as their out-of-unit recreation. They may recreate in their units in the evenings and weekends only. To be considered for alternative schooling, students may be showing poor behavior and/or poor academic performance. There must also be a consensus among all the teachers in the decision. The final decision is then recommended to the school administrator and the deputy warden of special services for approval. The student thus approved for the alternative schooling status will spend the remainder of a quarter in his housing unit. However, if he is recommended within the last two weeks of the quarter, he shall remain in the alternative school the following quarter. A lot of students complain about the morality of alternative schooling, but without this discipline, no teacher can work with them, thus proving to these juveniles that they are unteachable. Also, if left to some of them, they would not be compelled to go to school at all. So teaching these juveniles is a very tough job and several teachers have already been casualties to them.

Return to Class It is the responsibility of the student to request to return to regular class. He is evaluated in the areas of his class work assignments, behavior towards staff as to whether he is free of school-related tickets

Providing a "Wholesome (Healing) Ministry during his alternative to school placement. If he meets all the stipulations, the school administrator will request his reinstatement and restore his out-of-unit recreation and commissary privileges. He will then be placed on a 30-day probationary period. He must continue to do all his assignments, demonstrate a positive attitude toward staff, and have a hearty cooperation with his

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peers. If he fails to meet these stipulations, he will be returned to his alternative school placement status (cell isolation). For juveniles, school is their institutional job. They are also required to attend other programs such as Anger Management, SelfEsteem, Life-Skills, AA, NA, and so on after school hours (ibid., 51).

DEALING WITH LITERACY AND DELINQUENCY By the time our correctional facility receives youthful offenders, they are already delinquent. Second, they are unable to get help under the Department of Youth or their crimes are so heinous that they were convicted as adults in an adult court (ages 1417). Among these offenders are those who are mentally retarded, those with behavioral problems, and users of profanity. Some of these boys look so innocent that one may wonder why they were placed in adult corrections, but when their files are checked, they are no angels, unless perhaps angels from hell. These offenders become a focus group and are targeted for high school and programs with positive rewards to change their behaviors. At first, they are tested on the Comprehensive Competencies Program (CCP) and learn basic skills, such as elementary reading, arithmetic, high school mathematics, humanities, writing, social studies, and basic computer skills, as well as lifeskills, communication, self-esteem, etc. They cannot move on to the next grade until they have mastered a lesson. These lessons are taught through different media, via computer, workbook assignments, audiovisual aids, video, and supplementary reading materials. At one time, we had 75 juveniles enrolled

in high school programs. Fifteen students graduated last year with a high school diploma. There is a high turnover due to their age classification at 18, which makes them adults. Some of them transfer to adult institutions at 18 and would rather obtain a GED. Others have chronic behavior problems and would not continue their education. Currently, 60 students are enrolled with eight expected to graduate in the fall and five in the spring. They need at least 2 112 years to graduate, so students who enroll at 16 or 17 have to work harder in order to graduate. Juvenile offenders act out the definition of the title of "juvenile offender" to the letter. Delinquent comes from a Latin word meaning to "leave undone" (ibid., 11). They are expected to not smoke, drink liquor, drive automobiles, or leave home without permission. Parents know better, that these are rule breakers, even for the fun of it. Once the child becomes delinquent, the state is supposed to assume responsibility for the child, diagnose the problem, and even take an appropriate remedial action. Our job as correction professionals is to rehabilitate them, not to punish them. We assess their needs as individuals and apply the necessary programs we feel will help our clients the most. The only problem is that our clients

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are difficult and resistant. What we need most from the academic community is partnership, support, and cooperation, not doom-saying and bashing. We need a relationship that will improve our research capabilities as well as the sharing of information that can help us to service our clients better and protect the public from harm. We

have resources that they can use and they have ideas from which we can learn. Such a hearty cooperation can be mutually beneficial for study as well as for delivering good rehabilitation programs, as envisioned by the director of DR&C's book, Best Correctional Practices (ibid., 24).

Chapter 4 DEALING WITH SUCCESSFUL PARENTING ISSUES SELF-ESTEEM

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good person. In our growing process, we receive our self-esteem from several significant persons like our parents, siblings, relatives, teachers, grandparents, friends, etc. When people are affirmed, complemented generously; celebrated, especially on special days like birthdays; well bonded with love, affection, hugs; etc., they tend to have a high esteem of themselves. They feel capable, lovable, productive, and effective. In fact, they can also have meaningful relationships and be able to love others. Self-esteem affects the way we think, act, or feel about ourselves and others. The scripture says, "As a man thinks, so is he." To achieve goals of success and accomplishment, we need a high degree of self-esteem. Children from abusive homes where alcoholic parents physically or emotionally abuse them tend to have low self-esteem of themselves. Here, they are told constantly that they will amount to nothing, that they are stupid, ugly, boring, and useless. So, they tend to feel negative about themselves because they feel unloved, incompetent, worthless, and become ineffective in their decision-making process. Their past abuses become mental blocks to self-actualization. To recover from low self-esteem, we would need to make a conscious effort to decide to

ebster defines self-esteem as the confidence and satisfaction in oneself; a sense of purpose-ness and anticipation towards the future in the hope that one will fulfill his or her dreams. A sense of selfworth, self-value, and a good self-image is a necessary ingredient for success (ibid., 3). When a person has a firm self-esteem he or she is able to prosper in relationships because he or she is not crippled by severe feelings of guilt, fear, or failure and has the ability to assert self. In relationships with such a person, feelings of worth can grow because there is no manifestation of others to take care of him or her as in the case of a person with a low self-esteem. When inmates are trained to feel better about themselves, they function more responsibly because their personal needs are met within themselves. The caution here is that selfesteem is not a cure-all for inmate problems, but lack of self-esteem or low self-esteem is one of the contributing factors that lead people to withdraw into a world of fear, worthlessness, anticipated uselessness, or intense feelings of loneliness and vulnerability (ibid., 52). Self-esteem can be positive or negative. It is positive when you feel good about yourself because you can think about yourself as a

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start over. Starting over may mean we would need to reprogram our positive influences. Soap operas and mafia and sexually oriented movies may weaken our morals, so we may decide not to watch them. We also need to avoid self-destruction by comparing ourselves to others, and, as Christians, we need to let God love us. This love, we would need to communicate with others by communicating our love and affection to others (ibid., 53). Joan Wallace tells us that we need to understand that God got excited when we were born. God saw the possibility of our contribution to change the world. In my self-esteem recovery class, I tell inmates to write ten positive things about themselves, and read them daily in front of the mirror. For example: I am capable. I am important. I am productive. I am competent. I am inspirational. I can do anything with God's help. I can achieve success if I plan. I am excited about life. I am enthusiastic. I can cope with life. To recover from a low self-esteem, we need to have these three senses: 1. A sense of competence. 2. A sense of worth and value. 3. A sense of belonging or wanted. A child who is called a bastard all his or her life may feel unwanted and when a person feels unwanted, he or she may become defiant or self-destructive. Low selfesteem destroys the following: 1. Our potentiaL 2. Our dreams. 3. Our relationships (ibid., 57). To recover these senses, we need to repeat the things we do welL We need to practice Thanksgiving. We thank God for our daily bread, but some children think that receiving

gifts from their parents or siblings is their birthright-wrong. We need to teach our children to be thankful. I also teach the inmates to read positive books like Norman Vincent Peale's Enthusiasm Makes the Difference (ibid., 51). With inmates' forgiveness of themselves, their abusers and dealing with their guilt become two crucial issues in helping them to recover from low self-esteem. Forgiveness is putting the past to rest. It is a process which should be done on a daily basis as a check up in our spirituality. It helps us to recover our relationships with God and with other people (IJohn 1:8-9). Forgiveness has three parts: (1) God, (2) Others, (3) Self. Joan Wallace says that forgiveness does not make the other person right, but frees you, the individual. Because the scripture says, "If you hide your sins, you will not succeed. If you confess and reject sin, you will receive mercy" (Proverbs 28: 13 TEV) (ibid., 55). In Neil T. Anderson's Steps to Freedom in Christ, he suggests Christian counseling on forgiveness to begin with the following prayer he called "Declaration": In the name and authOrity of the Lord Jesus Christ, we command Satan and all evil spirits to release (client's name) in order that (client's name) can be free to know and choose to do the will of God. As children of God, seated with Christ in heavenliness, we agree that every enemy of the Lord Jesus Christ be bound and gagged to silence. We say to Satan and all his evil workers that you cannot inflict any pain or in any way prevent God's will from being accomplished in (client's name) life.

Then, immediately, hear the story and take notes in order to come back later and help the inmate to forgive in the following situations: Family History Religious history of parents and grand

Dealing with Successful Parenting Issues parents Home life from childhood through high school History of physical or emotional illness in the family Personal History Issues with sentencing judge, lawyer, arresting officer or prison staff Eating habits Any addictions Prescription medications? What for? Sleeping patterns and nightmares Adopted? Rape or any sexual, physical, emotional molestation? Thought life (obsessive, compulsive, blasphemous, fantasy) Mental interference in the church, prayer, or Bible study Emotional life (anger, anxiety, depression, bitterness, fears) Spiritual journey (salvation: when, how, and assurance) Dr. Anderson says that prayer is simply asking God who they need to forgive from their hearts. God will bring them to their minds and often they will not know why. Explain that they will know why and when they get to the person on the list. Ask them for names as you keep a record on a separate piece of paper. After hearing their stories, you may want to offer suggestions of people they overlooked. Take enough time to ensure that the list is complete. The next step is to ask the question, "If you forgive these people, what would you be doing?" Because most people do not know what forgiveness is or how to forgive from their hearts. Just make sure they understand what constitutes forgiveness. They need to know the decision they are making, how to make it, and what the consequences will be. Here are some critical points to include: Forgiveness is necessary to have fellowship with God

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It is not forgetting It is a choice Letting them off the hook is what frees them But, the offender is not off God's hook God says, "Revenge is mine." Forgiveness is agreeing to live with the consequences of another's sin That justice is in the cross (for Christians) Choice is between bitterness and freedom of forgiveness They are not to use the past against them Why? Stop the pain! They are still hurting you! It is between God and them They are forgiven for their own sake, for their personal freedom They must acknowledge the hurt and the hate Then, follow up with questions as to whether they are willing to forgive for their own sake so they can walk out free in Christ, with the past and specific people no longer having any control over them. If they are so willing, then give them the names recorded and help them go over the entire list. They need to do this aloud to ensure that it is being done right. They must stay with each person until they have dealt with every remembered pain before they go on to the next item on the list. Expect them to be drained when they are done, but they will not see the freedom until the last step. It can be an emotional experience if they can forgive from the heart, so have tissues available. Clients are asked to say aloud, "Lord, I forgive (name) for (specifically identify all offenses and painful memories)" for each name on the list. Clients are encouraged to do this exercise, even if it is painful, because it is for their own sake. God wants them to be free. They should not rationalize or explain the offender's behavior. For forgiveness deals with our personal pain, not the other's

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excuses. Assure him or her that positive feelings will follow in time by freeing self from the past. Another approach with couples is to ask the client to ask the other spouse, "Will you forgive me for the things I knowingly did to you?" The next step is to forgive self in order to grow to help others (ibid., 55). Jim Smoke offers the following on forgiveness: 1. Focus on your strengths 2. Learn from failure 3. Go over your script by asking, "What do I need to know?" 4. Put the past to rest 5. Remember this is a continuous process 6. Practice daily check up by confessing 7. God is the author of new beginnings, so practice a heart check up daily (ibid., 54) Other helpful suggestions for recovering self-esteem: 1. Accept challenges by trying new things-identify and accept your strengths and weaknesses

2. Enrich your life by developing closer relations as you enjoy others 3. Maintain self-confidence by being the person you want to be 4. Remain flexible by offering more of yourself to others 5. Set realistic goals and meet them by learning new skills and developing your abilities and capabilities 6. Be encouraged and take charge by setting a reasonable timetable for meeting personal goals. 7. Take pride in your achievements and smell some of the roses now 8. Take the time to be in solitary with your thoughts and feelings-practice imagination and dreaming-work out, learn to relax 9. Trust your gut feelings and thoughts 10. Respect yourself by explaining your own special talents - find a hobby 11. Love yourself by accepting your shortcomings and celebrate your successes (have some fun) 12. Seek professional counseling if it does not improve

GUILT Guilt is a real human emotion that speaks from inside the human mind with the voice of our conscience. It accuses, nagging at us for the mistakes we make, or failures and our hidden and known faults. Sometimes this voice may be our rude awakening to repentance or a reminder for our failures in our relationships. Christianity is a relational religion with God and other human beings. When we break this relationship, we are condemned by the morality tape in our heads, sometimes in a destructive way. If we do not give it our most urgent attention, the effects can be destructive instead of redemptive. Like other negative emotions, it can

lead to mental illness if we do not seek help, even for normal people. So, how about inmates who have been accused, tried, and found guilty by a court of law? Some of them are plagued with extreme guilt, tormented with self-blame and self-hatred that can trigger them to attempt or even commit suicide. Finding them immediate medical, psychological, or psychiatric help is a major concern of correctional chaplaincy because the chaplain may be the first person these people can approach and feel that their confidentiality can be protected. But, again, in the severe cases, mental health professionals should be consulted or

Dealing with Successful Parenting Issues referred to as early as possible, with the chaplain's involvement, as a member of the treatment team. Counseling these individuals is a private thing, not in a group setting because openness to the group can inhibit some of the real feelings these people would like to vent out. The first process in dealing with guilt feelings is to try to help the inmate to clarify and understand the feelings. They may seem unreal, vague, and unrealistic to you, but for the person feeling them, they are real, and none should be discounted. Instead, we must be empathetic to attend to them as we help them to clarify them. A case where an inmate's wife is divorcing him and the child is going to call somebody else father, or the inmate imagines that he will never see this child again can be troublesome, especially if the child is a girl and he is convicted of molesting a child. Dr. Dunnam realistically says the most guilt is produced by sin against, or the violation of, another. The next is the guilt over a relationship, blaming oneself for not doing his or her best to repair the relationship until it is over (ibid., 55). So the crucial step is helping the inmate to accept responsibility by confessing and then initiating the forgiving process as mentioned earlier by Dr. Neil T. Anderson. If the guilt is the result of an inmate's taking responsibility for a situation he or she cannot control, then we can help him or her to pray about it, and trust God's grace to help the inmate not to be blaming him or herself. If it is a relational problem, we can again help them to ask for forgiveness as well as to forgive themselves (I John 1:8-9). If it is a problem with a low

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self-esteem, then education and motivation is the key. We can train them in social skills, listening skills, eye contact, negotiation skills, mediation and arbitration skills, personality types and traits, parenting, selfmanagement, and self-awareness skills. Low self-esteem has been recognized to produce a negative self-concept, feelings of inadequacy, inferiority, and an external loss of control [Milner, 1986, 1990]. When they feel that they cannot do something, they will not even try. For example, if an inmate was ridiculed as a child for singing and believes he or she cannot sing, the person will not give it a try. They may have dreams of becoming a musician or an artist performer and the significant person like a teacher or a respected authority figure may have destroyed their dreams. One of the excuses I hear most about a broken relationship is that the other spouse or couple is too negative. I think we all like positive people and even funny ones. But when we take away their emotions and give nothing back by complimenting generously or showing respect and affection or recognizing how important these people boost our spirits, we are taking them for granted. However, we do not count our blessings or even verbalize our feelings until it is too late. This is why teaching social skills in our institutions and churches may be an important aspect of maintaining marriages and relationships. It seems like everybody assumes that we are supposed to have these skills, but nobody is actually teaching them. We are missing the boat, and we might have to go back to basic theology and basic social learning roots.

ANGER CONTROL AND EMOTIONAL MANAGEMENT Anger is a natural human emotion which we feel from time to time that can be helpful,

if vented properly, or harmful when ignored. It becomes a barrier to communication in

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several ways as unclear messages, indirect messages (spoken to someone else other than the person intended), disguised assertions (in the form of questions), devious assertions (not saying what the person really means), incomplete messages (vague or incomplete sentences), dishonest messages, manipulative communication (in which the desire to manipulate is hidden but sensed by the hearer), ambivalent or conflicted messages (in which verbal content and metacommunications do not match) (ibid., 56). For example, when we hide anger behind a facade or praise, we sound very ridiculous because the hearer can read a lie in our eyes or our body signals. In troubled marriages, for example, marital attacks are calculated to diminish each other's self-esteem and both individuals can declare, "we cannot communicate!" Even over a simple issue like forgetting an anniversary, couples can attack each other with mean words or give each other the "deep freeze or cold treatment." Such marital attacks coming out of anger can hurt the relationships and even break down further a fragile relationship. In fact, as mentioned before, low self-esteem makes our communications dysfunctional, while poor communication increases low selfesteem. When anger is expressed negatively, it can hurt oneself and others, too. In prison, where wild rumors are rampant, it can cause fights among inmates, quarrels among staff, and even disruptive relationships with labor and management. Knowing some of the underlying causes of anger and dealing with them effectively can free us to live productive and meaningful lives as well as to maintain healthy relationships and have a high self-esteem. Repressed anger can be like a cataract or veil over the eyes so that we cannot see the good in another person. For example, I had

a roommate at college who would eat my dinner but would not wash the dishes, but in his good moments, he would save me food when he cooked. However, my unvented anger blinded me to the fact that I would say no to his desire to make up things with me. We deliberately turn off our own feelings within, to prevent us from being aware of our own feelings, but when we unplug our repressed anger, we see the light, the fun, and the humor we miss in life. Instead of confronting our fears of rejection or fears of selective inattention to our spouses and children, men turn to working overtime in the office because they are angry about something they do not want to discuss. Sometimes we are frustrated in traffic because the other driver is slow or does not give us an accurate signal, and we yell at them, or we are annoyed because our children or spouses are sloppy, not cleaning up after themselves. Some people use threats on their teenage children only to reap negative results. Disappointments in program or schedule changes can hurt our feelings because one person wants to keep a rigid schedule while the other is flexible. Finally, constant criticism without praise or compliment causes harassment as it threatens the other person's self-esteem. So as it happens, what do we teach our clients or what feelings and attitudes are needed to change unwanted behavior like repressed anger? The three most important ones, or those needed in all pastoral counseling situations are: 1. Accurate empathy 2. Non-possessive warmth 3. Genuineness When we sound phony or fake a smile, people notice and inmates sense rudeness or disrespect. These characteristics will help us gain their mutual trust before we can begin to be effective. I guess the same qualities are needed at home for effective relationships.

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In a work situation, if a supervisor ignores the needs of his or her employees, but focuses on production goals or quality goals alone, he or she is often disappointed, because humans are not machines; we all want to be recognized as feeling beings, not just tools for production. Fear of harassment charges, distrust of people and other defenses hinder productivity. A climate of acceptance and trust will release the growth forces in relationships, while fear, threat, judgment, and rejection will paralyze them. In fact, when it is safe to communicate oneself honestly, experts say relationships become "island of growth." When a correctional facility becomes plagued with vindictiveness, lack of communication between labor and management, and there is a constant battle for grievances to be resolved, inmates take advantage and they take over the facility. Because the fighting staff may tell things to inmates or even socialize with them, security is compromised. Thus, openness, honesty, and hearty cooperation go hand-in-hand. In fact, supervisors with low self-esteem can cause more harm than good because they will undermine employee morale, instead of boosting them up. They would steal good ideas from employees instead of affirming them. How does the body react to anger? According to experts, certain chemical reactions take place when we are angry. Adrenaline and other chemicals (enzymes) enter the blood stream, causing the heart to pump faster, while the blood pressure rises, allowing the blood flow to quicken and the muscles to tense (ibid., 46). This is our reaction or alarm to an impending danger, thus shifting into high gear and generating energy required for action. However, when emotions are expressed appropriately, we can avoid losing our cool in power confrontations with bosses, wives, and even

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colleagues (ibid., 58). Also, counseling and psychotherapy can help us to remove communication blocks, heal conflict-broken relationships and even teach us new communication skills. Perhaps the way counseling and psychotherapy has been publicized to the public, has deterred people who ought to be in counseling, because the moment we recommend counseling, the initial reaction is "I am not crazy." Okay, counseling or psychotherapy is not for "crazy" people. Crazy people are mental patients in institutions, who among them are not what we call crazy people. They are just normal people experiencing difficulties or problems in living. Counseling and psychotherapy are for normal people to maintain normal mental health. These are some methods helpful in counseling as well as educating clients or inmates for socialization: 1. Introducing a coach and referee. When a third party is present with a couple experiencing marriage problems, the presence changes the nature of the relationship as well as the communication flow. The outsider faces up the participants to expand their communication skills, especially when there is a closed system or a dead-end center in their relationship that is paralyzed by frustration, misunderstanding, and pain. The presence is like a mediator, listening to both sides, helping them to listen actively without escalating mutual attacks by blaming and counterblaming each other. In fact, it can help vent their anxiety-induced, constricted, and maladaptive responses. 2. Establish a relationship of accepting trust. By trusting the counselor, we learn trust or relearn the trust of others and ourselves, reducing the fear of self-disclosure, closeness to

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3.

4.

5.

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others, and even being hurt, which blocks communication and growth. We are helped by the counselor to establish trust, by accepting help from the outside source, to repair our relationships. Diagnose communication problems. We give the helper a chance to observe repetitive patterns in our communication efforts that are ineffective or harmful. Drain off hostilities and fears. The helper can help us to vent our garbage list of pent-up negative feelings of each other, thus enabling us to begin to learn new ways of communicating. We are forced to release our frozen or repressed anger, work through it, and grow from the experience. Encourage the constructive handling of natural conflict and assertiveness. We need to learn to value conflicts as growing edges in relationships. The absence of conflict can also produce indifference, taking each other for granted and bury disagreements underground until it is too late. So, we all need to be involved in the struggle to deal with our conflicts. The helper can help us to be assertive and empathetic, instead of critical and insensitive about our feelings. Some mean words can destroy our self-esteem if not challenged or corrected. Provide skills-practice opportunities. A face-to-face discussion can help us in increasing our mutual understanding of each other, making our communications more open. Teach active listening. Too often, we miss out on what someone is trying to tell us by not listening. So the skill of listening is very important in relation-

8.

9.

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ships. Usually, mirroring what the other is saying or acknowledging by nodding, sounds, or by saying yes or no can help the client (inmate) know that they are being listened to. This helps them to learn how to listen actively to their significant persons. Teaching skills in checking out meanings. Oftentimes, we assume we are being understood, only to discover later the opposite. So, we need to teach them to ask for feedback and clarification to determine if we are being understood. Teaching skills in "straight talk." We need to say things like we mean them. Some people will say something and then change the meaning later on, thus giving ambiguous messages. Usually, using "I feel" statements without profanity or shouting is good enough to clarify straight talk. For example, one might say, "I feel neglected when you bury your head in a book while I am talking to you," instead of "Do not bury your head in a book again when I am talking to you!" Teaching skills in translating coded and nonverbal messages. This culture assumes that one should look at each other in the eyes when talking to one another, but nobody teaches immigrants or even citizens from the lower class or blue collar workers how to do this. If we communicate enthusiastically, we will receive enthusiastic feedback. Inmates will usually say, "You know what I mean." But we need to ask them to explain because we are not mind readers and we do not know what they mean until they tell us in verbal statements. Teaching communication to satisfy needs, to make decisions, and to

Dealing with Successfol Parenting Issues work out compromises. Negotiation is a daily task in relationships. We need to teach how to resolve conflicts, especially to our juveniles, without resulting to violence. When a need is deprived, feelings need to be expressed and compromises can be reached. My experience is to ask couples to bring a "laundry list" of unmet needs. As we hear them and talk through them, I hear them say at the end of the session that "I do not feel that way anymore." The grievances seem to disappear and they are able to work out a compromise. Anger, when uncontrolled or unchecked, can lead to deviancy or "I don't care" behavior (apathy), which may lead to aggression and even violence. A violent act like an assault on a person or property is the leading cause of crime. For example, the bombing of the federal building in Oklahoma, causing the lives of some 168 innocent victims could have been avoided if the perpetrators sought help for their anger. To recover from anger or to manage the emotion of anger, one must take the following leads: 1. Recognize the problem and admit that you are angry. Pay attention to frozen anger signs like tense muscles, being accident prone, feelings of frustration, or disappointment and

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sarcasm. 2. Identify the source of your anger. 3. Decide to do something about it. If you do not know what to do, consult a professional like a psychologist, psychiatrist, counselor, social worker, or a chaplain. 4. Take time out when you are under pressure to avoid saying something you may regret later. 5. Try to understand your motives before saying things in anger, especially if you are trying to resolve a problem. Angry words can make them worse. 6. Practice assertiveness with tact and advanced empathy, not with aggressive words, fighting words or profanity. 7. Remember that insults, accusations, sulking in silence, and avoiding the issue will not resolve the problem. 8. Do not try to be direct or confront before an audience. Always approach the other person alone or make an appointment to discuss the problem in private. 9. Let us practice being humans, because God has a sense of humor. 10. Physical exercise, rest and relaxation, prayer, meditation, hobbies, and recreation are some of the ways we can manage our emotions.

GAMES INMATES PLAY Inmates play several games with staff and correctional officers that in society one might not take any notice. However, in correctional institutions, one's gut or intuitive feelings cannot be ignored. Since inmates come from numerous psychological and sociological deviance orientations, they tend to play games in order to circumvent

the social system in which they feel themselves caught. They look at staff and officers as the state's law enforcement officials who keep them incarcerated. Thus, everything some of them do is to test employees to see what rules they can successfully break. They resent their captors and silently plan revenge by making the employees break prison rules

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through coercion, intimidation, and threats or by merely embarrassing workers or even volunteers. Another reason why there exists a constant conflict between the kept and the keeper is that prisons are regarded as totalitarian communities. Prisoners are held against their wills without freedom of speech or choice, and even some movements are restricted. Escapees can be shot at or even killed. Inmates are told when to sleep and wake up, what to wear, and what to eat. Their attitudes are well defined and they are told what behaviors are acceptable. Thus, inmates learn to act out by refusing to cooperate, devising methods of circumventing rules, and defying orders that can give them status among their fellow inmates. A staff member cannot be seen as being too friendly with inmates and vice versa. The system discourages inmate/staff relationships. So, whether one likes it or not, one has to depend on other staff, especially one's immediate supervisor, for survival and even career advancement. This is because supervisors have the experience and expertise to know most of the games inmates play and they can help you learn the ropes. An inmate who becomes too friendly with staff can be labeled a "snitch" which is punishable by death by the other inmates (ibid., 60). The job of correctional employees is to keep criminals confined by humane means for the protection of society. During training, the emphasis is on rules enforcement, administering discipline, and controlling behavior. There are correctional officers who will attempt to control the behaviors of other staff, a hazard to their occupation. They are also trained in riot control, search techniques, use of force, self-defense, maintaining institutional security, escape prevention, suicide prevention, identifying mentally ill inmates, quality management principles, critical incidence management,

pastoral care to difficult clients, etc. Continuing education as well as employment assistant issues are constantly being reinforced in corrections. Simply put, there is a lot of experiences to know how not to trust inmates because, if you do, they will let you down. There is distrust for staff and staff distrusts inmates as some inmates can set you up for discipline while playing on your sympathy at will. Inmates have problems controlling their impulses, their anger, or rage against society, particularly, the prosecutor and the judge who put them in prison. There have been a few instances where inmates have tried to hire hit men to kill judges and prosecutors. Correctional employees are seen as the representatives of those people, so the playing of games of misinformation, disinformation, and manipulation continue. Although not all inmates play these games, it is safer to assume the worst and be seen as a career professional than take a risk and breach security at an institution. That does not mean that a correctional employee would not be a snitch. Whether you like it or not, somebody will try to volunteer information, but it is what you do with it that matters. Some of this information may be for sale or for an exchange of some favor. As a new, inexperienced employee or volunteer, one may not know why he or she is being selected to receive a special favor. However, several inmates could be involved in what correctional staff calls a "set up." It can be systematic, step-by-step process of misinformation, disinformation to allow you to break institutional rules that can lead you to being disciplined, fired, or even prosecuted and convicted. Therefore, working closely with your immediate supervisor is a must for all new correctional employees and volunteers to avoid such set ups. Putting things out in front or in the open is a good professional practice in order to avoid these set ups, too.

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GUIDEUNES FOR STAFF AND VOLUNTEERS Every correctional staff knows that excessive friendliness or overfamiliarity with inmates can be hazardous to one's job. However, when inmates select you for a special honor or favor, you need to ask yourself, "what is in it for that inmate or inmates?" This is because of the inmate's secret code of two for one. That is because if an inmate gives another inmate anything like a cigarette or soap or any item from the commissary, he or she may be looking for a double return on the investment. So, by the same token, as a staff member or volunteer, their self-interest is the foremost and one could be the bait needed to be used, either for a felony or for a ridicule later on. Prison fights, stabbings, killings, and riots do not occur overnight. They are highly planned and executed over a long period of time, using staff to gather information about other staff or just to make staff hate each other by using racism, sexism, religion, national origin, etc. Whatever a vicious inmate can pick up over a long period of time can be used against staff during a riot. Because inmates are constantly asking staff about themselves, their families, likes and dislikes, etc., some of them will sell this information to be used by other inmates for the purpose of manipulation, threats, and other illegal activities against staff. For example, an inmate who worked for me as a clerk at Southern Ohio Correctional Facility (SOCF) in Lucasville, knew that I leave my desk messy with papers, books, and so on. He offered to tidy up my desk every week. This was a good deal for both of us because he needed a job, and I needed assistance in tidying up my desk. One day, he was engaged in blackmailing another inmate's mother for money in exchange for her son's life (who was also an inmate) because of an address he stole from my desk. Moreover,

when I fired this inmate, he filed a grievance, citing that I was engaged in stealing state pens and pencils with my briefcase. Fortunately, all the stationary I carried in my briefcase came from different vendors, not doing business with the state. He saw my pen and pencil collection, but they were my personal property, which I collected from an American Correctional Association (ACA) Conference. Another example of games inmates play is that of hiding a known disability. Once, there was a Muslim inmate who appeared to be knowledgeable about Islam (Hanafi). He carried all sorts of books around with his Koran always carried in a folded cloth. What nobody knew about this guy was that he was illiterate. He came to my office once to ask me for help in communicating with his family, especially his wife. He said all the letters he wrote to her came back. I asked him to bring me some of these letters and the first thing I noticed was that the letter was addressed to him and not to his wife. When I confronted him, he admitted that he could neither read nor write. Fortunately for him, I was able to enroll him in an adult literacy program. Who did he think he was fooling all these years when he hid his illiteracy? Help was always available, but some of them try to avoid embarrassment by hiding their handicaps or inadequacies instead of seeking help. Generally, inmates like a professional who is fair and plays by the rules, or one who has integrity. Any favor that you cannot give to all the inmates should not be made at all to one inmate because the one favored can turn against you with that information. He or she can sell that information to a hostile inmate at a future date. For signs of caution, Allen and Bosta (1993) list the following guidelines:

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• Do not leave part of your work for another person • Do not discuss inappropriate subjects with or in front of inmates • Do not pass the buck • Do not accept compliments from inmates, especially if you are of the opposite sex • Do not lose pride in your appearance • Stop making excuses • Do not abuse your sick leave • No inappropriate or unprofessional conduct • No excessive drinking during or off duty • No sloppy security habits • Do not appear to know it all; when in doubt, ask your supervisor • Be punctual because punctuality is the soul of business Again, according to Allen and Bosta, inmates also have well-structured set-up teams made up of the following: observers, contacts, runners, turners, and point persons. Each team member has a specific task to perform: 1. Observers are the watch persons who watch and listen to a potential victim or a candidate for a set-up. They may be the experienced inmates who can theorize staff actions and decide if they are good candidates for selection. They pay particular attention to employees who use inmate jargon, who ignore minor rule infractions, who play favorites by enforcing rules for others while ignoring the same rules for some others. 2. Contacts supply information about a staff member. They may be an ex-clerk or an ex-worker who knows the strengths and weaknesses of the victim. They may ask subtle questions to gain additional information about their subject.

3. Runners are inmates who may not be active members of the set-up, but will assist the process for some reward in the form of drugs, money, cigarettes, or sex. 4. Turners may befriend an employee or a volunteer and use their friendship to coerce them into engaging in rules infractions. This person may have the same personality type or likes and dislikes of the intended victim. 5. Point persons would stand guard as look-out persons when the employee is in the process of granting illegal favors or is being harmed or compromised. 6. Trouble spots are areas of job assignments where staff members have or can be turned into mules or packhorses. For example, the office of photography and the captain's office have always been trouble spots during my employment at SOCF - anything from illegal sex to manipulation and coercion. Staff and inmates, alike, were disciplined, fired, or demoted for such illegal activities. Another important person to this inmate team is the advisor or the muslim inmate, Imam. He or she may not be in the forefront but can do a lot of harm by gathering information and deciding when to give orders for action, not leaving out the various gang leaders and their network systems. A good chaplain can be the bridge maker between inmates and correctional management because inmates can go to a chaplain with problems and, therefore, a relationship can be easily developed. However, this vital relationship can be misunderstood by other staff who may keep their distance and this can provoke write-ups, name-calling, and different reactions from other staff, unless the chaplain can be protected by his or her supervisor and the gang coordinator. Otherwise, he cannot last more than five

Dealing with Successfol Parenting Issues years at a facility without being branded as an inmate lover. The name calling also comes from our line or work as an occupational hazard, so we ought to learn how to deal with it. However, corrections officers must be taught to respect the office of the chaplain and cease from nicknaming the chaplain. How is the actual set-up planned and executed? Every set-up plan, of course, may not follow the same chronology or it would not be a set-up. The techniques may be similar or very close to the following method elaborated by Allen and Bosta: I. The Observation Step A. Body language observation 1. body movements 2. nervousness/ease 3. manner of dress B. Listening observation 1. places of gathered information a. snack bar conversation b. phone conversations c. hallway or tier conversations 2. kinds of gathered information a. likes/dislikes b. personal data c. personal history C. Verbal observation 1. inmate conversation with proposed victim a. confirm listening observation b. gather more information 2. inmate suggestion of minor rule infraction a. approval! disapproval b. employee control!uncomfortable signs D. Action observation 1. inmate actually violated a minor rule 2. tests include employees a. method of command

II.

III.

Tools IV.

V.

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b. response to emergencies c. view of job Selection of a Victim A. Intentional selection 1. excessive friendliness and overfamiliarity 2. naive and trusting nature 3. gullibility or weakness B. Accidental selection 1. hidden weakness 2. change of job assignment or family status C. Pegging employees 1. soft 2. hard 3. mellow Test limits and/or fish test A. Test of limits 1. quarter-step pace 2. constant nudge of rules a. test opinions and theories b. test tolerance levels c. test personality characteristics, i.e., can you refuse? 3. testing becomes serious B. Fish testing 1. asking for things not supposed to be given to inmates 2. persistence of a Set up The Support System A. Ego uplifting 1. offer of help 2. setting loyalty standards 3. you're the best 4. pledge of faith and devotion 5. strengthening the friendship B. Reliance on inmate to make job easier 1. developing trust 2. the indispensable inmate 3. loss of effective control Empathy and/or Sympathy A. Empathy 1. projecting one's personality

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onto another 2. sharing similar problems 3. understanding 4. the you/me syndrome 5. pegging emotions, responses, etc. 6. seeking levels of identification B. Sympathy 1. sameness of feelings 2. victim's response to pity 3. level of compassion VI. Plea for Help A. Rehabilitation-change of lifestyle 1. I need you 2. I'm a failure/I lack confidence 3. you are the only one who can help a. tragic event b. "one-time-only" rule violation B. Confidentiality 1. share with someone 2. keep it out in the open VII. The We/They Syndrome A. Separate victim from staff 1. they don't understand you, but we do 2. they're wrong about you 3. they're treating you like they treat us 4. pitting one staff member against another 5. I'm okay, you're okay, they're not okay B. Similar background 1. ethnic 2. neighborhood 3. circumstance VIII. Offer of Protection A. Minor offers 1. friendliness and trust 2. I'll take the heat 3. I won't let that happen to you B. Serious offers 1. use of fear

2. staging an event 3. a grateful victim IX. Allusion to Sex A. If the victim is female: 1. the intent/urge 2. allusions "out there"/nice guy image 3. employee response a. no comment b. Confinees are like that c. tell me more d. I've had enough 4. institutional procedures 5. effect of rumors B. If the victim is male: 1. coercion 2. used as lever 3. job security X. The Touch System A. If the victim is female: caution 1. flicking or bumping 2. pat on the back 3. prolongation 4. the accident B. If the victim is male: form bond 1. friendly nudge 2. slap on the back XI. The Rumor Clinic A. Pulling staff away from the victim 1. planting the seed 2. the street psychologist 3. peer attitudes B. The result 1. employee isolation 2. rejection 3. inmates-the only friends Turnouts XII. The Shopping List A. Contraband or favor demand 1. coercion 2. sales pitch/" one-time-only" 3. drugs, alcohol, money, sex B. Employee reaction 1. disbelief 2. time for decision

Dealing with Successful Parenting Issues C. Inmate exposure 1. risk disciplinary action 2. no turning back XIII. The Lever A. Creation of the lever 1. obtained anytime during set-up 2. "aware" /unaware 3. generated out of "friendship" B. Usages 1. psychological threat 2. inmate risk further disciplinary action C. Employee reaction 1. acceptance/refusal 2. personality changes 3. it is only a matter of time XlV. The Sting A. Force 1. physical threat 2. battle of minds 3. physical harm B. Power position 1. inmate control of others 2. loss of autonomy feared by inmates Street smart inmates will survey unsuspecting employees on a daily basis in order to put together personality profiles for sale or as needed for the purpose of circumventing institutional rules and regulations. They learn and compare notes as to which employees or staff members would bend or circumvent the rules and regulations of the institution. Inmates serving long prison sentences are capable of mapping personalities as well as being able to predict who can be used for certain favors. Since this information is stored in their heads and not written, it is very difficult to crack into this database. However, they can form accurate theories, opinions, and characteristics of various staff members. Body language and listening observations are techniques of good

III

counseling, and we should never forget that certain inmates are themselves white collar criminals with certain good skills. All the time, when a staff person is engaging in a conversation with an inmate, he or she is being studied for lack of confidence in the person's self, whether one likes or dislikes the job itself or a supervisor, family problems, nervousness, etc. Even the nature of one's clothing can convey certain hidden messages. For example, unbuttoned shirts or blouses can convey the message of sloppiness and inattention to detail. If the staff member is female, male inmates will assume that she will allow the taking of certain liberties. Then the real manipulators will read the messages and make their own determinations. A typical example is how an inmate seduced a female musician to marry him. She was a successful accountant and, supposedly, happily married. However, she constantly wore cute blouses, shorts, and miniskirts to rehearsals and tried to circumvent institutional rules by playing with the inmates. It was not long before the inmates began to gossip that she was in love with one inmate singer and that she intended to divorce her husband and marry her inmate lover. I rationalized and disbelieved it at first, but it became a reality when she was removed from our volunteer list a year later for sending her lover a nude picture with a love letter, confirming the rumors. I was shocked because I respected her and was very disappointed that we had lost our volunteer musician. She was not the first, said another prison volunteer. Some people come to volunteer because they are shopping for lovers. Recently, another woman volunteer musician brought a harmonica to an inmate. She said she only brought it for him to play, and forgot to take it home with her.

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LISTENING OBSERVATION An inmate heard a female staff member express to her supervisor that her husband had been beating her. From that statement, he sought to console her, to assure her that she was beautiful and that her husband was not the right person for her. This led to a friendship which extended to another

prison, even when the inmate who was her clerk was transferred to another prison. The inmate had her home address, telephone number, pictures, and personal items before she was confronted. She chose to resign rather than be fired.

VERBAL OBSERVATION An inmate came to my office because he had a death in his family. He asked for a telephone call to his family, but he had already been given one at his unit. Then, he started coming to see me on a daily basis, to observe my books on the shelf, just to say hello, or have a conversation. This was very unusual because he was on crutches, but it made no difference to him to walk all the way from his dormitory to come to have a conversation with the chaplain. This inmate was studying me and the only way to stop it was to share the information with my supervisor or the investigator. The inmate wanted to know if his conversations made me comfortable or uncomfortable. He came to my office frequently, walked straight to my bookshelf, went through my books, asked questions and if he could borrow a book, then walked away. I think I was selected for a test, and this inmate was observing me to find out what he could get from me. Thus, I had to be very careful as to how I interacted with him. I finally confronted him with his real intentions and he terminated his frequent visits. The last time I was set up was in Lucasville. My clerks presented me with a pack of baseball cards for my birthday which had already passed. They had done their homework and found out that I was a collector through my co-worker. Fortunately

for me, I called my supervisor and we wrote them a ticket for breaking the institutional rules not to give staff anything. This type of set-up was intentional. Another type of set-up is accidental or unintentional. This occurs when a new employee does not display an impression of confidence, good judgment, or strength, especially when a new employee or even an experienced employee becomes a star and not a team player. The inmates will isolate the employee and put him or her through the test and, at times, work even with management to set him or her up (ibid., 60). A typical example was when I was called into the security chief's office to assist an inmate who had AIDS, to inform his family. I took the inmate to my office and for three consecutive telephone calls, he did not mention his illness to his family. Finally, he left for his cell unit when two other inmates came into my office and one confronted me about why he was not told that his cellie had AIDS, and the same guy was pressuring him for sex. Without thinking, I said, "This is why you should not have sex with another man." That dreadful sentence was used to convict me of divulging confidential information, and I was disCiplined for saying so. This occurred because my co-worker and I were not getting along, and that was the set up.

Dealing with Successful Parenting Issues

Correctional work can be fun when you learn how to be professional and fair in all your dealings with both inmates and staff. Inmates who manipulate are always studying staff personalities and categorizing them into three groups: soft, hard, mellow. Although the terminology would be different, the meanings are the same. The soft employees are very trusting, overly familiar, but naive. These staff members have strong desires to help people in need and they are understanding and sympathetic to inmate problems. However, they can be susceptible to manipulation. Hard employees are hardnosed and play by the book. They grant no leeway and inmates would love to take them hostage or hurt them during a time of crisis. Mellow employees are those who know how to be flexible, when to be strict, and when to listen. Therefore, the concentration is on the hard person, to ruin his/her reputation or because they feel the hardness is a disguised weakness in the individual. The mellow employee is often left alone, due to the difficulty in breaking or manipulation him or her because he or she may be fair to all across the board. After an employee is identified, a test is conducted by rewarding the employee as he or she takes minor commands or feels obligated to do volunteer work for inmates. The inmates utilize an employee's own feelings and concerns as tools against the person. While the employee allows them to break minor rules or does minor chores for them through friendship or often create a situation where the employee would feel that all the other staff are against him or her, the inmates would offer to protect that person. This is the reason that after a hostage situation, the hostage feels obligated to defend the captors. A typical example is the Patty Hearst case, where she felt obligated to defend her captors. Also, after the Lucasville

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incident, the officers who were taken hostage, upon their release, praised their captors and appeared to be saying things in favor of their captors. The psychological and physical manipulation can take its toll until the staff pledges devotion and loyalty to the ideas and philosophies of the inmates. The manipulation process can be long or short, depending upon the staff person's emotional state of mind. The higher, the better for the manipulator who can emphasize on employees' sympathy. This empathy may be based on a shared understanding, experiences, feelings, thoughts, or attitudes. Bonding takes place when empathy is drawn from the intellectual identification in the areas mentioned from one person to the other. For example, when two people think alike, they form a mutual respect for each other which, when nurtured, grows into a relationship. They can tell a fat employee that they just like plump people and they are beautiful people and wonder why their spouses do not pay them enough attention, if they sense any family problems. They may start a conversation like, "what kind of car do you have?" You may answer, "a red corvette." And they may say, "me, too." From such a simple conversation, they can research and tell you all about your corvette because they trade information among themselves. But, if you are not careful, this simple, harmless conversation can lead to other conversations that can be used against you later on. So, the caution is to refer them to other professional correctional staff in mental health and psychology, for example, who have been trained to help such people, because bonding can be harmful to your job in corrections. However, sharing the information on an inmate seeking help with a counselor or a chaplain can save correctional staff and officers a lot of grief and frustration later on. lf the inmate seeking help is genuine, he or

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she would probably not mind your sharing the information with your supervisor or people who had been properly trained to help inmates. Confidentiality is emphasized at the training academy, but if an inmate compliments your skills and claims that you are the only professional person who can help, I would question that and ask for more clarification about such a narrow-minded remark. With mental health, psychological, and sociological services all in place, I know that I am not the only professional capable of helping inmates. However, I can help them in conjunction with what help the other professionals can provide them. We must always use the prescribed or appropriate methods and channels set up for helping inmates. We cannot overemphasize that working with inmates is a stressful job, and some of them are the best in the business at manipulation. They know when you are vulnerable and susceptible, and they select their victims very carefully, after they have compiled a personality profile. It does not matter whether you are a family member, a volunteer, or a staff member. In their eyes, you represent a system (government or the courts) that is holding them captive. So, whatever they can do to have a lever or power over you is important to them. You are dispensable when you decide to help them break a rule, and they will have the last laugh when you are punished. It gives them

a good laugh and a good release when they see a staff member disciplined. Network with other support groups, your supervisor, or other professionals before you agree to help an inmate secretly. Most of them know what is right, but they just do not do it. Instead, they choose to play mental and psychological games on anybody who is naive enough to sympathize with them (ibid., 60). They can isolate you from other employees or volunteers by telling you stories that others said about you or by trying to empathize with you when you get disciplined by your supervisor. For example, an inmate told me about a plot that a coworker had against me because he overheard a conversation. He offered to protect me against an Aryan Brothers Gang who were collaborating with another employee. Then, I started getting threatening letters from the Aryan Brothers, calling me all kinds of names. However, upon investigation, those letters came from the Muslims, whom this inmate represented, trying to manipulate me to sympathize with their cause. The SOCF insurrection clearly proved that the Muslims were in cooperation with the Aryan Brothers. If you are a volunteer, never carry anything to an inmate when requested, without first checking with your staff supervisor or placing the object on a gate pass. In other words, your good intentions could become a felony if caught.

Chapter 5 THE NEED FOR PASTORAL SUPPORT (MINISTER OF RECORD)

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or the incarcerated, pastoral support is a necessity, just like visitation for the sick. This is because we are mandated by scripture to visit the incarcerated when the Lord, Himself said: "I was in prison, and you visited me" (Matthew 25:36c GW). However, we have too many imposters who are not pastors or even related to the church who attempt to visit prisoners as chaplains. These unfortunate people sometimes include gang leaders, ex-lovers, and other false misguided people who try to abuse the privilege by trying to mislead the flock. These are those who would bring inmates contrabands if undetected. Nevertheless, this important ministry to the incarcerated can be used to build a bridge between the inmates and their families and other siblings as well as employers who are willing to rehire the convicts after serving their sentences. It should be a ministry of healing, reconciliation, redemption, and forgiveness. It has to be healing for the guilty inmates who are looking for an outlet to vent and for their angry families who may be having feelings of rejection for their incarcerated relative and vice versa. Several inmates who have come to know Christ or found religion would need initiation rites of baptism and other rites while incarcerated. Others would like to know more about their faiths as well as news from their other relatives. And no doubt, inmates

who have this support tend to do better spiritually and physically than those who have no support. They get fewer tickets and have less disciplinary problems, less anxiety, and less psychotic problems. So let the pastors, rabbis, and spiritual leaders contact their incarcerated members and help us with this much needed ministry. According to Thomas C. Oden (ibid., 32, p. 170), the pastoral visitation is a unique opportunity for social service, inmate dialogue, and Christian witness. Incarceration is no exception. Inmates feel honored when their pastor visits, and feel neglected if pastoral visits are long delayed or ignored. For even though inmates cannot afford to pay for this service, the council of Chalcedom has already decreed that no member of the clergy shall "engage in business or worldly engagements" (Seven Ecumenical Councils, NPNF 2nd, vol. 14, p. 269). Even if we wanted to, we cannot charge fees for our services. Our ministry depends on the free congregational and wider church support (Romans 12: 13; 2 Cor. 9: 1-15). In visitation, we practice grace, patience, and other Christian virtues as well as our commitment to our calling. As watchmen, we show our full proof of our ministry through this ministry of visitation (2 Tim, 4:5). Imposters also may try to use this ministry

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to proselytize. So good correctional chaplains keep a vigilant eye to weed out unscrupulous and uncaring abusers of this privilege. Also, patience is required when applying for this service, and no harm is

intended, when questionnaires are sent to be completed and returned. These forms must be thoroughly completed, in addition to copies of ordination licenses, addresses, or telephone numbers for verification purposes.

PROVIDING SUPPORT SERVICES Support services like seminars, revivals, ministry through music, angel tree programs, or providing for the physical needs of inmates' children during Christmas, Hanukkah, and other special holidays are very much needed. These programs stabilize inmates and their families. In fact, programs that really work are those that are administered to the entire family. For example, treating one member from an alcoholic or abusive family cannot help very much because with time, when the treated member returns to that maladjusted family, he or she is like a dog returning to its old vomit. So we need to come out with bold and holistic programs that can deal with entire family units before we can resolve the crime problem in America. That is because in some families, crime is a way of life, a profession, a habit that is dignified, affirmed, and supported. Inmates brag about how successful their families prospered from a life of crime, intimidation, and drug distribution. Others tell of how they killed people and they get very excited when describing these heinous crimes. So what magic do we have to transform these criminal personalities; nothing but the old time Gospel programs of evangelism, reconciliation, healing, and forgiveness through the Blood of the Lamb of God. We need programs that can minister to the whole person including psychological, social, mental health, spiritual, and life skills that can help them to adjust when they return to their communities. The old mentality of the traveling evangelist has to

be assisted with residential programs that can nurture, train, and impart intrinsic and extrinsic habits that can be acquired, knowing full well that the old habits that brought the inmates to prison in the first place are ingrained, and cannot be erased or changed overnight. Instead, a systematic and intentional approach to ministry designed to change the entire person or personality is what we are suggesting here. In fact, the emotional or political programs like boot camps, karios, and so on can be very successful when other programs are in place to instill morality, accountability, and stability in the individual. In some families, children have already been damaged because of lack of purpose or goals in their rearing, and parenting must have already been damaged because of the same reasons. Parenting must have a goal to develop responsibility, independence, cooperation, courage, and faith in children, but with the advent of the nineties, all these values were traded for material things, immorality, and cheap grace. Our American freedom has been misunderstood and misconstrued by inmates to mean their freedom and right to hurt other people, to steal, and to destroy if we do not cater to their demands on request. So we must start to reach children at an early age. Televangelism alone is not sufficient. We need warm bodies and one-on-one ministry, teaching, and witnessing; or else criminals will take over our neighborhoods, our communities, and eventually our states because inmates have their own culture,

The Need for Pastoral Support their own unwritten laws, and their own system of justice. In fact, every correctional employee understands that we appear to control them only because they let us. And we are at their mercy every time we enter and the gate is locked up behind us. It is only by the grace of God that some of our programs are successful, and our entertainment habits need to be changed. We cannot fight sin when The GodFather is our number one choice of movie, a type of movie that glorifies crime, prostitution and murder. Hollywood needs to change and we have to stand up to the powers that be, or else criminals would profit from their crimes and society that laughs at the criminal personality being glorified will continue to pay dearly. For example, making a movie out of Andrew Cunanan's serial killings or Geoffrey Dahlmer's cannibalism is the lowest way of making a profit out of sad, terrible, and despicable situations. One should ask the ontological question, "What good is the making of such movies going to do for the morals of our young people?" Should society be exposed to such horror and violence? Does freedom have any boundary or morality? How can we stop such filth from being repeated, if we allow people without conscience to dictate their inner lusts and fantasies of terror and aggression to our youth? Therefore, we need pastors who can spend some time in counseling, teaching, role-modeling, and character training for our inmates in order for them to return to society as citizens who can fit in. Chaplains, social workers, and correctional employees alone cannot reach all the people incarcerated. We need community involvement, resources and participation if we are to stop the violence trend and our youth's demise and society'S moral degeneration and decay. One of the visions of the American Correctional Chaplains Association is to

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allow volunteers to adopt a prisoner. Just like a big bother or a big sister, a committed volunteer can make a big difference in an inmate's life by giving the inmate leadership, the responsibility and the contact he or she lacked developmentally, by encouraging cooperation and respect. Inmates crave respect from their peers and staff but hardly ever give it. They do not know what it means to give it first in order to receive, due to their lack of self-esteem, self acceptance, and selfawareness. This is what well-trained volunteers and well-adjusted citizens can give to inmates. Like all of us, inmates need to be shown how to love. I remember a Catholic retreat group from Columbus, who came out with a program to instill love in our inmates. The group formed a circle, had different activities planned for the inmates to do, including hugging, touching, confessing, forgiving, and so on. I sat from a distance and watched the group work on inmates' emotions, not accusing them of any wrong doing or even preaching to them. In fact, all the various activities including devotion, prayer, meditation, holy communion, singing, and so on were based on unconditional love and accepting people as they are. The group even took pictures of the inmates at the end of the all-day retreat. At the end of the day and for days after, some of the inmates who participated in this retreat came to me with tears in their eyes, acknowledging that they never before felt loved, accepted, and affirmed in their lives until this retreat, and I concurred. I watched some lives change, some attitudes adjusted, and some morale's boosted as a result of this retreat. This group, sponsored by our Catholic Chaplain, Deacon Dan Hann, is a life-changing group. It is a program that works. Another volunteer program that works is the alternate to violence program, led by Ed Sweeney. It teaches inmates about their own

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personality types and how to deal with others who are different from them, by emphasizing negotiation skills, mediation skills, and how to seek arbitration. Indeed, I like this program so much that I adopted it myself. The KAIROS program is another volunteer-led program that works wonders for inmates serving long sentences. It is currently being offered at Lancaster, Marysville, and Marion. The hard-working volunteers in this group are professionals who care by donating their time, money, and talent for a good cause. Madison's own adapted form of KAIROS is Epiphany for our juveniles. Pastoral care involves a congregation in ministering with a professional. But in prison, this vital ministry is not encouraged because of the obvious. Some inmates would use the opportunity either to control other inmates or even abuse others. No matter how genuine their intentions, prison policies discourage such a team effort. Instead, volunteers and other staff are considered as team members. In a local church, the congregation, comprised of all kinds of professionals, can be a vital resource for pastoral counseling because it is a worshiping community. In prison, the congregation is a needing community. They rely on the chaplain for resource, for pastoral counseling, for leadership, for affirmation, and for fellowship. There is no intimate sharing because of breach of security reasons. In some cases, intimacy with prisoners can result in disciplinary action. However, the fellowship of the faith community still provides a healing relationship and some

compassion to those hurting the most. The community of faith sometimes risks proselytization by witnessing without authorization. However, the congregation becomes very creative and very secretive by organizing underground Bible study groups, prayer groups, and witnessing teams. It is a struggle, but in spite of all the rules, inmates, like many restricted groups in history, find a way to respond to their faiths. This is where a minister of record is a very needed link between the chaplain, the inmate, and the local congregation. A minister of record is merely a clergy person who visits the inmates on a regular basis by providing a nurturing and caring support. This person can provide Christian education, resources, and other means of encouragement to the inmates or spiritual resources to non-Christians. Even the chaplains need support from their denominational leaders in terms of constant debriefing, as a way of letting out their frustrations and stresses. We need access to resources in the community for placing our parolees and also for our own welfare and continuing education needs. We also have special skills as a result of our settings, that we can share with our communities if they ask us. Mutually, our endorsing organizations and denominations need us and we need them. Also, the inmates we serve need their community leaders for support and guidance, and these communities also need the skills acquired by some of these inmates to help in rescuing the deviant youths or juveniles in these communities.

MINISTRY THROUGH EVANGELISM Evangelism is the ministry of exposing people to the Kingdom of God for the first

time, and establishing them into the kingdom firmly and grounded (discipleship).

The Need for Pastoral Support It is an activity that is described as polymorphous because it is done in different settings such as preaching, baptism, testimony, telephone conversation, giving of tracts or intentional visitation, as well as in the private office of a minister or a lay person. When one has a story to share, it does not really matter where you are. People share stories on the bus, on the train, in the air, or on a ship or boat. It is the talent of soul winning or initiation of people into the Kingdom for the first time, and it is a nineteenth century word. It was first used to describe the writer of the Gospels. In Paul's theology, it meant teaching, preaching, and leading people into faith or saving knowledge described as conversion, baptism, or confirmation. The church is mandated by Christ to preach the Gospel, while every true believer is commissioned to preach the word, lay or clergy. But it is the responsibility of the clergy to train or to coach the lay people in how to bring people to Christ. Just like multilevel sales people have taught us, the more people we can train and involve in this activity, the more souls we can bring into the Kingdom. It is the duty of the clergy and Christian educators to find or locate people and train them or instruct them for the ministry of evangelism. Prison is not a training ground for an evangelist, but we have a willing audience if one has a good story to tell and they will listen. Good evangelism can help inmates as well as the unchurched into commitment to Christ. Evangelism is positive when it involves all the laity in the church. Every church must have a training program for evangelism, make the message clear and central to membership in the congregation by fostering a social relationship that extends beyond the Sunday or Saturday gathering. It must focus on the Gospel message of life, death, crucifixion and resurrection as well as

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eschatology or the end times. Testimonies are good, but too often the same testimonies repeated over and over tend to bore people as well as create dishonest testimonies. We must also take issue with assurance of salvation. Revivals are good, but too often, the same people come forward each time, because they have not been assured of their salvation. A good evangelist must be able to summarize and believe the Gospel in a simple way as Jesus did: "The kingdom of God is at hand, repent and believe the Gospel" (Mark 1: 15) The new birth cannot be fully realized without evangelism. The goal of evangelism is to enable people to believe in the Gospel that Jesus died and rose again and to confess this reality with their mouths (Romans 10:910). The affirmation can be supported with personal stories of other illustrations without too much exaggeration. Another purpose of evangelism is to ensure that the lives of people are transformed by the power of God, because a mature Christian is also a disciple maker. Evangelists bring people to Christ and Christ to people, only when they are spirit filled and led by the Holy Spirit. So obedience to the word of God is vital for becoming a disciple of Jesus. So is social action, but too much emphasis on either without the other is not obedience. Faith in Jesus Christ is a personal commitment. It is neither private nor individualistic. Christianity involves a personal relationship with God through the Son. Every member of a local church or an unchurched believer is called to the ministry of evangelism. A trained evangelist must articulate personal beliefs in order to be received as a true witness. Faith is a gift of God, especially when we open ourselves as instruments to be used by God and the Holy Spirit to sow the seeds of faith in others (ibid., 61). Now, what is our theology for evangelism

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of convicts? It is a well-known fact that inmates are aware of whom they are, where they have been, but not where they want to go. So how do we approach sin in such acknowledged, guilt-ridden, and often selfblaming or others blaming people environment? First of all, we must analyze the defenses from two ends, namely, the defenses of the self-blaming and others blaming angles. Our witness must involve both assisting the same to perceive that their old gods of false security in materialism and self-gratification have brought them into incarceration, as well as aided the broken guilt-ridden sinners to perceive that God still provides a true security and genuine meaning of life. While some will acknowledge responsibility for their actions, there are those who have the audacity to blame parents, their up-bringing, and the justice system. Robert Kolb acknowledges for us that evils assault us from two directions outside ourselves: first from nature and second, from other human creatures (ibid., 62). However, we have a responsibility in allowing this evil to grow in us and manifest itself into deviancy or crime. For example, victims have the tendency to build rage in themselves until they are compelled to exert the pain outwardly on others. So if the convict, who thinks erroneously, has become a victim of the system, who is from an abusive relationship or is a product of a dysfunctional family, he will exhale by violence. In this person, the rage is misdirected toward other citizens, their properties or their lives. So our task is to point out to both victims and the victimizer that the cause of pain from both sides is in the curse of sin. As Ernest Becker has told us, evil outside ourselves generated a sense of meaninglessness and nets of disobedience in its very process of generating rage against evil beyond our control. If we resist evil without the power of God in us, we become

powerless and more sinful. But when God's power is brought into the equation to assist us, we feel generated or awakened to hold off this evil and even triumph over evil. So this is where we come in: "to present a message of God's power, of His presence in Jesus Christ, who confronted all sin and evil in His death and resurrection and who continues to confront evil in our lives through the power of His word and His people," thus meaning that prison volunteers and evangelists must be spirit-filled, spiritled and power driven for we cannot give what we do not have. We must be prayed up, full of knowledge, wisdom, rightly dividing the word of truth. In the plan of God, we are supposed to reach our full purpose in life by making a total commitment of ourselves in love and friendship in serving our creator by meeting the needs of those of whom He has entrusted to us by giving us responsibilities of home, work, community, state, and in the congregation or parish of His people. However, most of us, including inmates, have not lived up to this responsibility. By acknowledging our false priorities and false gods which have alienated us into lonely creatures of hatred, vindictiveness, and isolation as well as distrusting of each other, we can be free. The problem now is that parents have become distrustful of their own children, while the untrusted youths also act out in ways that have caused their parents to distrust them even less. So now in prison, we do not know if staff has become distrustful of them, that suspicion, gossips and cynicism thrive everywhere on every level because we have a responsibility to protect society from the ravages of these inmates, while on the other hand, society has given us the responsibility to instill some discipline, order, and purpose in the lives of these individuals we try to assist. Instead of finger pointing and indict-

The Need for Pastoral Support ments, we must start making ourselves available to their needs by befriending them and showing them practically what is meant to be loved unconditionally. Our job is to reconcile them to the love of God as modeled in Christ Jesus. This is the reason why I would use the story of the prodigal son as a case study for a prison seminar or sermon (Luke 15:11-32). Another common example of prison experience is the problem of meaningless existence or depression. Since inmates are frightened by each other, they have a sense of withdrawal or self-isolation. Therefore, these are not the easiest people to befriend without them trying to use you. However, we serve a greater God and have a power and love to share. "For greater is He who lives in us, than the selfish God that indwells them." So we can help them by giving them self-esteem even if we have to risk being used. Because the way of the cross justifies us to risk some pain in order to restore them to both their vertical and horizontal relationships. No pain, no healing. But to avoid some of these pitfalls, we can always set boundaries, by using prison rules, which make it quite easier than in society, where the boundaries are not spelled out clearly. Paul stated clearly how God's standards are at war with sin's standards. "I know that nothing good lives in my corrupt nature. Although I have the desire to do what is right, I don't do it. I don't do the good I want to do. Instead, I do the evil that I don't want to do. Now, when I do what I don't want to do, I am no longer the one who is doing it. Sin that lives in me is doing it" (Romans 7: 18-20) (ibid., 63). We recognize that inmates are not innocent people. Because they are incarcerated for different crimes ranging from gang involvement, racial intolerance, substance abuse or distribution, prostitution, murder, rape, and so on. But among them are also some backsliding

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Christians whose consciences have been awakened, but struggling with their inner persons. These inmates feel ashamed to recognize their weaknesses in a place where weakness is denied. They don't want to appear foolish if we do not assure them that the Gospel also comes with the message that God, Himself, was clothed with the foolishness ofthis world (I Corinthians 1: 17, 23,25). He accepts our weakness and flaws and our everyday mistakes. He even goes out of His way to look out for each one of us when we lose our way and feel homeless and unloved. Television cameras sometimes depict that victims are unforgiving and very revengeful. So some inmates feel like somebody is out to get them. They spend sleepless nights and days trying to protect themselves. They are in self-imposed bondage of their weaknesses and false sense of security that itself imprisons them. So the challenge to us is to try to chase the skeletons out of the closets and be reminded to model for them to be transparent. We cannot call them out, however, like we see on television, and disrespect them. So there is a part of evangelism, that can be done even in pastoral care during ministerial visitations. Guilt can and will manifest itself at times as an expression of latent hatred. So we must be able to distinguish between genuine guilt and guilt feelings, which may be unreal. Guilt feelings can torture and torment the guilty one, its responsibility to clarify the two. However, both forms of guilt cry out for God's forgiveness. The offense is always against God and against a human creature. So our witness is to offer them a cure for sin, a new life through the forgiveness of their disobedience, and the gift offering of pardon from sin and the removal of guilt, which must come through the message of preaching (Romans 5:8). The dying seed complex, which is a theology of death and dying, is worth

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studying. Jesus replied to the people: "The time has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. I guarantee this truth: A grain of wheat does not produce anything unless it is planted in the ground and dies. If it dies, it will produce a lot of grain" Oohn 12:23-24 G.W.). Inmates and most criminals kill because of their fear of dying. The mentality is that everybody is about to get me, so I should get them first. This is weakness for the soul not dead to self because all the apostles and saints knew about the life that transcends the grave. So we must all have some theology of dying inorder to stand the stare, the intimidation and the rejection of the people we are attempting to help. For too many times, people are victimized because of their fear of dying. Fear has the tendency to drive a person to say dumb things or become nervous. But we have a mandate from Jesus that if we lose our lives for the sake of His kingdom, we shall gain it. However, if we try to preserve our lives, we shall lose it. The grain of wheat comparison tell us that death is a passage way to life eternal. And unless we are prepared to face danger and involve ourselves in serious discipleship, no one will hear our powerful testimonies and sermons. To be fruitful inJesus is to sacrifice, even if it involves the sacrifice of our lives. In

inmates' lives, self-preservation is the order of the day. "God give me parole, but not my brother or sister because he or she is a worse sinner than 1." This seems to be a typical inmate's prayer. So the challenge is how do we change such a selfish mentality like profiting from every transaction. For example, if an inmate gives another a bar of soap, he or she is looking for two more bars in exchange. Their secret code is always for selfishness and not sacrifice. Sacrifice is for weak people because inmates want to be tough and feared, but it is through the sacrifice of the cross that Christ was able to share the honor with His Father. The way of the cross is still the only way to salvation, and no one can be a Christian without the symbolism of facing death, criticism, oppression, and pain on a daily basis. We are forgiven only because Christ sacrificed and we must forgive if we are to be forgiven. Without dying to sin ourselves, we cannot convey forgiveness and new life more fully to those Christ has placed in our circle of influence. The law exposes us to the wrath of God, while the redemptiveness of the cross leads to the death of sin in believers and self. For it is only when the sinner dies that new life come forth in an individual (ibid., 61).

CHRISTIAN DISCIPLESHIP AND SPIRITUAL FORMATION My encounter with Dr. David Watson, author of Covenant Discipleship, was rather very brief, but the impact he made on my life is very profound. I experienced him as some one who is very organized or too organized, very knowledgeable, very committed to Christ and His church. But I was disappointed when he had to leave Perkin's School of Theology for his post at the Board of Discipleship in Nashville. I was disap-

pointed because after trying hard to resist his leadership as my Spiritual Director, he left just at the time I was adjusting to this new way of victorious Christian living, through prayer, accountability, sharing personal faith and feelings with other members in the group, personal and Bible study, compline, and journal keeping. However, Dr. Susan Johnson, who took over the spiritual leadership of the group of

The Need for Pastoral Support eight, also came to the post with a good attitude. She came across as a friend, a caring individual, and one who is concerned about all aspects of her students development: spiritual, emotional, and physical. I love both styles of leadership and I took it as an authority suggestion when Susan told me to consider taking a job in the prison system. Not only that, but she did the other extra things like rearranging and retyping my resume to be more functional, and she also assured me of her continuous support whenever needed. To both of these great spiritual giants, I say thank you. When I arrived at my prison post as a correctional chaplain in 1991 at Lucasville's Southern Ohio Correctional Facility (SOCF), the first question I was asked by Deputy Bill Seth was, "What is your agenda to reform the prisoners here?" And my answer was no doubt, "Spiritual Formation using video concepts." I proposed that the inmates would be engaged in watching videos on various topics that will deal with their spiritual, emotional, physical, and intellectual aspects of their total being. Then I will teach them life skills, Bible study, prayer, how to live with their families, how to get along with their peers, employer, and others in general, and to help them to deal with their anger, depression, fears, parenting, substance abuse, stress, self-control, selfesteem, self-awareness, Christian education, Christian doctrine, and how to live single. All these subjects I termed spiritual or church formation. The Media Resource Center of the Western Ohio Methodist Church provided me with videos and workbooks on all the above named topics and the work of discipling prisoners started. The course was offered for twelve months consistently since I arrived at the Madison Correctional Institution under the direction of Warden Rex Zent, and continued under Warden Curtis Wingard. The contact point

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was one or two times a week with the following curriculum.

Course No. 1January to March 1 Self-Esteem-videos used were: 1. Joan Wallace: Being Your Best for Him 2. America's Teenagers 3. David's Story: Dealing with Suicide 4. Fitting In: A Look at Peer Pressure 5. Focus 6. How to Develop Self-Esteem When You Are Not the Fastest or the Funniest 7. Teens in Crisis 8. Know Who You Are and Liking It 9. Papa, Please Love Me 10. Proud to Be Me 11. Servants, Not Stars 12. Social Interaction and Decision Making 13. Teens in Changing Families 14. We Can Make a Difference 15. When Tragedy Strikes 16. Why I Am Afraid to Tell You Who lAm? 17. You Can Make a Difference

Course No.2 March 1 to March 31 Discipleship I-videos used were: 1. Celebrating God's Love 2. Spiritual Life 3. Celebration of Discipline 4. Challenge of the Disciplined Life 5. Christian Hope and Human Emotions 6. Coping as Christians 7. Living Choices and the Criminal Justice 8. Search for Significance 9. Vital Congregations and Faithful Disciples 10. Your Work Matters to God

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Course No.3 April 1 to April 30 Discipleship II-videos used were: 1. Advancing Along the Second Mile 2. Alive and Well 3. Born to Give, Born to Grow 4. Christian Adulthood 5. Living Day by Day 6. Faces of Faith 7. Giving 8. How to Be Master over Your Money 9. Preaching 10. Vital Signs: Renewing your Local Church 11. You Can't Do That in Church

5. Parents of Teenagers 6. Parents Living Apart from their children 7. How to Get Along with Your Parents 8. How to Keep Your Kids from Using Drugs 9. Journey of Faith: Stories of Marriage and Divorce 10. Next Step: Effective Parenting through Problem Solving 11. Teen Suicide: Why and How to Prevent It 12. Your Personality Tree 13. Why Wait, How to Help Your Children Say "NO!"

Course No. 6,June 1 to June 30 Course No.4 May 1 to May 31 Family Dynamics and Relationships-videos used were: 1. Teammates 2. Someone Is Listening 3. Success in Marriage 4. When Tragedy Strikes 5. Child Abuse and Neglect: The Hidden Hurt 6. Family Matters: People with aging Parents, Blended Families 7. Family Faith 8. Help for Families 9. Hurried Family 10. Miller's Secret 11. Ministry with Baby Boomers 12. Secrets of Strong Families 13. Star Child 14. Teens in Crisis Relationship

Course No.5 May 1 to May 31 Parenting-videos used were: 1. Active Parenting 2. Counseling Teenagers 3. Creative Discipline 4. Family Matter: Working Parents

Worship and Church Celebration-videos used were: 1. Baptism 2. Bonhoeffer: A Life of Challenge 3. Bread and Wine-Water and Spirit 4. Cotton Patch Gospel 5. Eucharist Parable 6. Glaring Visions of God 7. How to Pray 8. Images of Life-Visions of Hope 9. Power of Prayer 10. Principle of Worship 11. Questions of Faith 12. Sacraments and Worship 13. Worship: Images Involving Children

Course No. 7,July 1 toJuly 31 Alternative to Violence-videos used are: 1. Alternative to Violence, series 1 and 2 2. Nonviolence in a Violent World, series A to D 3. Getting Along by Art Nomura 4. Beyond Blame: Challenging Violence in the Media 5. Take Away This Anger

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Course No.8, August 1 to August 31 Substance Abuse and its Impact on Families -videos used were: 1. Alcoholism and Anti-drug 2. Faces of Faith 3. Feminine Mistake 4. Keeping Kids from Using Drugs 5. Power of Choice 6. Survival Guide 7. Saying No to Smoking

Course No.9, September 1 to September 30 Christian Doctrine-videos used were: 1. Creation Series 2. God's Love 3. Christo logy Oesus) 4. The Bible (Series) 5. Christian Beliefs (Series)

Course No. 10, October 1 to October 31 Christian Education: How to Teach the Church School-videos used were: 1. Christian Education Series 2. Leadership in the Church 3. Lay life and Work 4. Vocation 5. Stewardship 6. Evangelism Series

Course No. 10, November 1 to November 30 Living Single-videos used were: 1. Suddenly Single 2. Successful Single Parenting 3. Strengthening Single Parenting 4. Blest Be the Tie 5. Christian Adulthood 6. Coping as Christian 7. Divorce: From Pain to Hope

8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14.

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Edge of Evil Growing through Grief It's Okay to Be Single Searching for significance Up the Elevator Crush Shopping Bag Lady

Course No. 11, December 1 to December 31 Grief and Bereavement Seminar-videos used were: 1. Growing Through Grief, Series 2. Surviving Grief with Clayton Barbeau 3. Coping with Stress in Prison (Nowhere to Hide) 4. Surviving anger with Clayton Barbeau 5. Surviving Broken Relationships 6. Surviving Depression 7. Surviving Failure in Relationships 8. Surviving Loneliness 9. Surviving Life transitions 10. Picking up the Pieces These support services, in addition to formal education, job training, vocational training, mental health, social and psychological services as well as substance abuse help in managing a prison. Besides, preaching, pastoral care, Bible study, supervising and managing volunteers, chaplains are involved in their various communities in fostering racial harmony, justice, and peace ministries. We are also involved in our various denominational conferences, jurisdictions, and professional organizations. Thus, we provide a very vital service to the inmates (our clients) and the taxpayers as well as the families of the incarcerated. Taxpayers receive the benefit of our expertise while inmates and staff receive good pastoral care and spiritual balance.

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Since a chaplain is asked to wear many hats, as already explained, we depend on volunteers to help us in meeting some of our goals and challenges in rehabilitating offenders. In fact, I delegate some of these functions to different organizations such as Prison Fellowship, KAIROS, various church outreach programs, The Gideons, and so on. Seminars on self-esteem, self-awareness, family relationships, and various support groups are led by volunteers, which frees up the chaplain to do other chores, such as visitation and pastoral counseling. Discipleship is a commitment to follow the commandments of Christ according to the law of love. According to the teachings of John Wesley, the leader of the Methodist movement, those who love the Lord Jesus Christ as well as those who wanted to love Him, are both disciples. For Wesley's writings, this involved a practical witness of those who met weekly to watch over one another in love. As the believer becomes consistent in his or her daily walk, one realizes that this is a privilege and gains an assurance of being in a covenant with God (ibid., 64). Since the average or typical Christian does not realize this covenental relationship until he or she is forgiven or saved by grace alone, one cannot give up ingrained habits of sin until confronted by the Gospel's message of the new birth. When we are born again, we receive a special grace to obey the word of God after repentance. It takes the power of God for us to admit that we are sinners and that we cannot save ourselves, and in Wesley's theology, it is even the power of God that draws us to God self, by prevenient grace. Knowing God or coming to a saving knowledge is not by an accident. It is an act of God. When God brings us to Himself, we establish a new relationship in His Justifying Grace. God imparts a new life, a new attitude, a new apparatus of love and grace

that assures us that we have been forgiven and reconciled with God, but in Wesley's terms, this new life begins through the work of God's sanctifying Grace which changes the sinner from resisting God to one who seeks God. It is a gradual transformation into Christian maturity from a baby to Christian adulthood. This is the commencement of our spiritual formation (ibid., 64). Therefore when an inmate who is used to resisting God, who is used to opposing all that is good and harmonious, becomes converted to Christ, he or she is set free from that spirit of disobedience. A new attitude is instituted into the sinner, and he or she can now enter into relationship with the family of people and with God. This is the miracle the church has always done and will continue to do until the end of the world. This is our calling, this is our mission to provide the word that is received, believed, accepted, and practiced. However, based on the conditions in which we find these inmates, ravaged by drugs, corrupted by sin, and damaged by society, we can only help them by using all the means of grace available at our disposal. These include not only the Gospel, but the tools of psychology, psychiatry, sociology, mental and physical health, and by imparting in to them some new skills for living in obedience to Christ and society's rules and regulations. By means of grace, I mean the channels through which God can convey His authority to the hearts of the faithful, and we cannot limit this to only some few principles and doctrines. We can pray and encourage private, family, public, and consistent daily devotions, petitions, intercessions, and thanksgiving, not forsaking the gathering in the church to praise God and to worship Him. We can encourage private and public Bible study, meditation, and preaching or witnessing the word by our actions as well as our ministry. We can practice frequent compline

The Need for Pastoral Support or attend the Lord's Supper frequently, which helps us to confess constantly our known and hidden faults. We can fast from different objects like the phone, the media, and so on to concentrate on the ministry of the word of God (ibid., 9). With time, through Christian fellowship or conference, we can develop or start a conversation with inmates to drop profanity and fighting words from their vocabularies. This is the aim and the goal of discipleship and spiritual formation, "to present the ex-convict as a lamb without spot or wrinkle to the shepherd of all souls." Discipleship starts from the inward parts of the human heart. When we become convinced that we are sinners needing repentance and forgiveness, the work of salvation is just beginning. We can confess our sins and receive divine assurance that we are indeed children of the living God. From this point our inward person becomes renewed and the work of transformation to a new person becomes the daily and continuous work of the indwelling Holy Spirit until people begin to notice the differences in our life styles. Then we can begin to say to ourselves, and to others, the things I used to love, I love them no more, and the things I used to hate, I hate them no more. Such a declaration is a profound divine aide and Holy Ghost guided utterance. When inmates begin to say, "I am a child of God, and I love everybody, whereas I hated before," without being coached or rewarded to say such things, praise God there is rejoicing in the Kingdom of God, and our work of rehabilitation is taking seed in temples not made of human hands or bricks. The God and Father our LordJesus Christ has taken His formal residence in His holy place, the human heart. Then such a person will seek corporate worship and begin to heal relationships that have been corrupted through sin. The power

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of sin is broken when the Holy Spirit invades the human heart and renews the mind. Spiritual things become more meaningful, more attractive, and more satisfying than the material and the lower needs we seek before encountering the Holy Spirit. This phenomena is spiritual formation. When living in the Spirit and walking in the Spirit becomes our main objective in life above all other things, we can say: "I love the Lord with all my heart, soul and mind." And seek to please God by obeying Him in all aspects of our lives. We can gladly leave parents, families, and all to serve the Lord in truth and in spirit and yet be responsible members of our household and our communities at the same time. Inmates turn to God in different situations. They would turn to God for early parole, for protection, for inner strength to survive prison life, for their families and loved ones. However, the good news should be able to teach them to trust God, who alone can help them in all situations of life. However, the message inmates like to hear is a message full of emotions, enthusiasm, and uplifting spirit. They want a message of deliverance from their addictions into a God who cares about them within and without the prison walls. We need to move them from demanding what God can do for them, to a theology of accepting God's will for their lives, a message of total commitment and total surrender to God, the Holy Spirit to fill them to a full capacity of their beings-an abiding presence of God. The call of the Gospel is for repentance, a complete about-turn of our former ways of living selfishly and in self-centeredness into God-centeredness and other-centeredness. A radical change of heart and mind is what God demands from us, and nothing less. In Wesley's thought, it is an inward change of mind from sin to holiness, an actual change from a natural conscience to a spiritual

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conscience. And two types of repentance are addressed, namely: (1) legal repentance, which is a thorough conviction of sin; and (2) evangelical repentance, which is a change of heart and life from all known sin to all holiness-Christian perfection (Matthew 3:8). In this process, the Holy Spirit uses the law to convict sinners, while the law flashes conviction on every side. When we accept our responsibility as sinners, we receive God's forgiveness, God's assurance that we are His children while faith is born in our hearts. Faith is therefore, our confidence, our evidence of trust in God, which is a second act of God in the process of regeneration of being born again. This is what the Methodists describe as Justification. Justification is the work of God in forgiving the sinner, and it is experienced by every believer at the point of salvation, or the New Birth. So the New Birth is the work of God in

renewing the fallen nature of our humanity, at which we are born of the Spirit. The believer is therefore a regenerated and justified sinner in Christ Jesus. Sin is any disposition which is contrary to the mind that was in Christ, and our prayer for all people including the ignorant religious types is that they may come to know the mind of Christ (ibid., 61). The new born again believer, becomes a babe in Christ, meaning justified and sanctified according to the measure of his or her faith (subject to grow) and Spiritual, yet carnal until the growth takes place. Even longevity in the church without the practice and knowledge of the spiritual disciplines or spiritual formation does not make such a one a mature Christian. And there are a lot of mature adults on church rolls today who are still babes in Christ because of lack of knowledge and my prayer goes with them.

THE CROSS When we were out in the world as sinners, Satan, the opposition to good, had us as his servants. A life without God or Christ is a reckless life, like a ship without a captain or a commander. So we live as we please. But in Christ, there is law and order. There is direction and purpose, a purpose of holiness and growth into Christian perfection. But there is no perfection without the cross. The cross is at the center of our journey of faith, and we must carry the cross on a daily basis alone with Jesus leading the way; no cross, no victory, no victory, no crown. I do not choose to do what I want for my life any longer, but my life is what God purposes for me. If it is God's will that I come to prison to minister to convicts, so be

it. I love whatever God leads me to do, and I take my headaches and pains with strides, because no pain, no disgrace, no dishonor is above what Jesus displaced on the cross at Calvary. Yes, Jesus has a cause to be angry, He has a cause to hate, but He chose love and forgiveness over anger and hate. So Lord, let me laugh where there is pain, let me love where there is hatred, let me be happy where there is sadness, let me be broken where there is wholeness, and let me be the servant where there are many masters. This is my understanding of the cross, to serve the least among my brothers and sisters - the oppressed, the rejected, the ostracized, the unwanted, and those who are still the friends and the family of Jesus.

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FORGIVENESS At the heart of Christianity or spiritual formation is forgiveness-to let go and let God. Dr. Neil Anderson says "Forgiveness is not forgetting. People who try to forget find they cannot." God says He "will remember our sins no more" (Hebrew 10:17), but God, being omniscient, cannot forget. Remember that no more means that God will never use the past against us (Psalms 103: 12). Forgetting may be the result of forgiveness, but it is never the means of forgiveness. When we bring up the past against others, we're saying we have not forgiven them. Forgiveness is a choice, a crisis of the will. Since God requires us to forgive, it is something we can do (Matthew 6: 15). But forgiveness is difficult for us because it pulls against our concept of justice. We want revenge for offenses suffered. But we are told never to take revenge (Romans 12:19). "Why should we let them off the hook?" we argue. That is precisely the problem; you are still hooked to them, still bound by your past. You let them off your hook, but they are never off God's. He will deal with them fairly-something we cannot do.

We may not understand how much a person may be hurt by another. But when we do not let go of a person, we carry the pain around, we walk the pain, we sleep the pain and we live the pain. So it is for our own spiritual and physical release to forgive an issue between us and the offender. Our need for forgiveness is not for the sake of our offender, but between God and us. It is being obedient to the commandment of God, and we agree to live with the consequences of another person's sin. It will cost us pain and it is indeed costly (ibid., 55). However, we are promised wholeness and reconciliation with God, and we even gain our freedom. When we learn to forgive, then we can sing with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., "Free at last, free at last, thank God almighty, I am free at last." With our humanity, this task may be very great, but with God, the Holy Spirit indwelling us as well as in others, it is a task for the chaplain or the church volunteer, and there is no other power given among humanity to do this, except the power ofJesus.

JESUS To me as a person and more so as a chaplain, there is no greater healing power in the universe than the name ofjesus. In my song "The Redeemer," I was very deliberate when I wrote the verse, "in heaven Thou are the King, and on earth Thou art the controller of all living substances." I mean what I wrote. The name of Jesus is all for all creation. He is a balm in Gilead when we need healing for the body, soul, and spirit. I do not see any other way where by we can disciple others without the main man himself. Jesus is the reason why we are all

alive today and it is important that we teach the whole world, including our families and all sinners, that Jesus is the answer to all our needs and wants. Because I am a living witness that if we call upon Jesus, He will answer prayer. When John the Baptist introduced Jesus to the Jews formally, he said, "Behold the Lamb of God that takes way the sin of the world" Oohn 1:29b KJV). Even though our federal head, "Adam" (the head of the human race), sold us into the slave market of sin through disobedience, and we became

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corruptible and separated from God, the Father, our second federal head, 'Jesus Christ," redeemed us from the slave-market of sin. In Christ, we are sanctified and made holy as well as shaped into the divine image of God to reflect God's glory forever. Some people misunderstood Him and equated Him as the seed of Adam, who came to redeem the womb of Eve while removing the curse of sin through death on the cross. And at His Second Coming, He shall judge death and sentence him to condemnation in the lake of fire. Christians believe that the scriptures are divinely inspired and that they reflect the will of God. In Christ Jesus, was present the triune God and He did nothing that was not the will of the Father, who sent Him. I am sure other religions have trouble understanding this mystery, which is a revelation only God can give to the carnal person. The coming of Christ in the flesh, opened a new era for Gentiles, that every nation, every tongue can now be brought into the commonwealth of God, called the Kingdom of God. Modern liberation theologies are mere tools of the liberators to rescue the consciences of their constituencies from racism, sexism, tribalism, nationalism, party spirit, and all the other institutions that enslave

human beings perfected in love. For God is neither black nor white, brown or yellow; He is a spirit. But the man Jesus was truly a man and a Jew by race, whose character, Christ, is truly divine and He lives in the light of God. Because the word spoken by Gabriel became flesh. Thus he said, "And behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name Jesus" (Luke 1:31). So even the demons responded to the coming of Christ into the world, by giving us several false prophets and several false messiahs, which people who would not accept Christ, worship in several false religions. However, we must understand and accept the fact that the grave is not the end of a soul and that these false religions cannot succeed in raising us from the dead. God did not neglect His Son who suffered for us, who identified Himself with the weak and the oppressed by raising Him from the dead; Christianity offers hope and a living faith which transcends the ordinary philosophies and magic. This is the reason why Christians worship Jesus as both Lord and Savior, and I concur. Jesus is the anointed one of God, the only begotten Son, for John, the Baptist, testified of Him, "I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon Him Oohn 1:32 KKV).

THE HOLY SPIRIT AND THERAPY The Holy Spirit is the effective agent of God (gifts, fruits, guidance, etc.) for change, and He is the interpreter of the healing process which, in broad sense, involves the whole creation (Romans 6:26-28). The event of Pentecost (Acts 2:1-13) ushered in a new era for humankind, namely, the era of grace. God sent the Holy Spirit (pneuma) to the disciples. Christ became the father and the founder of the

church, while the Holy Spirit became like the mother or the nurturer of the church. And the cooperative effort of the triune God came to renew our fallen humanity in this one and remarkable event, that is, the birth of the church, in which is centered the event that took place on the day of Pentecost, the ushering of the era of the church. The Holy Spirit both empowers and renews the institutional church to its primary

The Need for Pastoral Support vocation, which is to glorify God by representing God on earth and by serving other human beings in carrying out God's missionary activity of reconciling God with human beings. Starting with the fellowship of believers to household churches, to the city of God and institutional church or denominations in the twentieth century, the church has been different things to different people throughout all ages. The Spirit came to the apostles in order to aid the church in making important decisions, including healing, salvation, and so on (Acts 13:2,4,16:6f; Galatians 2:2). His coming was an eschatological (future) event, the possession of which guarantees us eternal life. He is a promise to all people for all times to the end of days. In baptism, Christians receive the gift of the Spirit which transforms their natures through proper nurturing and care, by bringing them the peace of God which passes all our understandings. To the apostle Paul, possession of this Spirit guarantees triumph over death, resurrection, and eternal life (Romans 8:10). The spirit, therefore, becomes God's agent of transformation in the world into the image and likeness ofJesus Christ, the perfect creature in whom dwells all the fullness of the Godhead and humanity's fallen image, which enables and empowers us to relate to both God and other human beings. According to Lockman (1982), the Spirit has a three-fold dimension, namely (1) the Spirit gives humanity self-fulfillment, (2) encourages humanity to work for community fulfillment, and (3) as the incarnation of God in human flesh (sarx), the Spirit helps us to bear good fruits of virtue by pointing us Godward to a vertical dimension. The Father may design the body, but the Spirit animates the body and liberates the soul from the bondage of sin into the holiness of God. The Spirit convinces us of sin and of righteousness by His self-giving nature, in

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which the Godhead is present, by giving us a new birth that is pure, free from sin, and selfgiving the ability to love and be loved (ibid., 65). In therapy, we hear each other's story, relive some of the painful experiences in order to move beyond them, and celebrate the joyful and pleasant experiences in order to receive wholeness. Therefore, therapy is a spiritual process involving professional procedures, helping skills, and data collection, all of which must be focused and integrated in the interest of the glory of God and the healing of persons. It is also a narrative, hermaneutical process, which implicates therapist(s) and client(s) in the historical, coven ental ministry of spiritual formation. This process was developed by the church fathers to aid the church in the care of souls ministry. However, in our secularization of ministry, we have completely deleted the Christians' language and the process as well as the method has been well refined. The goal of Christian therapy or counseling (telos) is to minister reconciliation to the Father, and holy integration into and among the community of believers or eschatological hope and healing mission (ibid., 65). This is what chaplaincy brings to prison management. Psychologists and sociologists have to have people on their caseloads before they can see them. We attend to one crisis after another, not knowing what the future holds for us. Our expertise, if affirmed and utilized, can defuse brewing problems before they escalate into catastrophic proportions, saving the taxpayers money and human lives. Doctrines utilized by Christians into ecumenical situations such as prisons and other institutions must be sound and not divisive. After all, Paul directed Timothy to maintain both doctrine and integrity (1 Timothy 1: 10). The doctrine must have a course in the Word of God; it must be

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discerned and continually re-appropriated by the community of the Holy Spirit (Acts 15). It must be a focus for communal or covenental spirituality since it is fundamental of the Christian affections, which characterize the spiritual life (Land, 1987). The cross in therapy is the decisive, devine therapy and, as such, is determinative of all Christian spirituality; therefore, Jesus, Himself, is the therapist who supervises by His Holy Spirit, councils by His Word and

heals by His wounds (Isaiah 53:5). People resist therapy because there is pain involved in the sharing of inner pains with another person, especially a stranger. But the surgeon makes the wounds before healing takes place. By the painful experiences ofJesus by the way of the cross, He understands, and He accepts us, just as we are and at any point in our stage of faith, to bring us into wholeness and peace of mind.

LIFE SKILLS Life skills are skills that we need as human beings to be able to succeed or function in life as able persons. They may include all the various subjects covered in this book and several others. The training may involve family, church or religion, school, work, and so on. Inmates, like the rest of society, need training at home for employment, job interviews, job search skills, budgeting, problem solving, decision making, emotional control, habit and attitude management, motivation and vocational training as well as God centeredness (ibid., 67). Many habitual offenders live on the edge of society by being frustrated because of their inability in life skills and therefore, try to escape through the use of drugs, alcohol, crime, and even by going through formal education for several years without any training in the above mentioned vital areas including geography and civics. These skills must not be an option; they must be a part of our normal curriculum from middle schools to high schools, and perfected in colleges or universities. Other components of life skills should include self-esteem, parenting, stress management, and substance abuse awareness, as well as other empowering skills to enable people to cope with living.

Inmates at the Madison Correctional Institution and other institutions throughout the State of Ohio are offered training in all or some of the areas mentioned in this book. However, not all inmates take advantage of the opportunities offered to them. Some inmates are preoccupied with the number of years of their sentences to the extent that they postpone their own personal education or development until it is suggested by the parole boards or by their families. Others just criticize the administration, staff, and officers and end up doing nothing. A good life skills class must include some or all of the following components in the program: 1. Cognitive skill training for personal and life management. 2. A behavioral skill training that can transform their lives from deviancy to socially acceptable behavior. 3. A self-awareness or a self-achievement process to give participants a sense of independence from a life of social dependency. 4. To help participants to be role models to other inmates (this would boost their self-esteem) . 5. Programs should be modeled to meet the mission and vision of the depart-

The Need for Pastoral Support ment of rehabilitation goals. 6. Inmates must be able to understand the root causes of their deviancy. 7. It must meet their self-fulfilling needs 8. It must be able to address their inner lives, while changing their attitudes and conditioning. 9. It must address skills in problem solving, decision making, stress management, and financial or vocational goals. 10. It must teach them about life relationships involving family, communication skills, community resources. and networking essentials. 11. It must address how to seek a job, keep a job, and how to get along with peers as well as others (ibid., 67). These principles, if properly developed, followed, and implemented, can reduce recidivism in prisons and return inmates to society sane and functional. We cannot just lock them up and throwaway the key or look the other way. Inmates with a college education are less likely to return to prison than those without a college education. Every human being has a story he or she bring into different settings. If we violate their stories, we violate them. We must certainly hear their stories and help them to change their scripts or rewrite their stories. As chaplains, we are hired into these institutions to assist inmates and staff to interpret these stories from the standpoint of our clients which may include both inmates and staff, at varied times. We also represent the church in the midst of a hurting community, experiencing problems in living. With that in mind, chaplains, in general, have issues of integrity and relevance. We are mandated to model relationships between our clients and us. We have to direct a pastoral dynamics during our counseling process and exhibit spirituality in our therapeutic relationships, as against reliance solely on the diSCiplines of psychology and

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sociology. We must operate from our own history, or someone else's history. Historically, the minister, as a caregiver, was given a natural authority to perform ministry. Around the 1800s, when psychology emerged, we started losing some of our authority. Following the 1800s, our natural style was accepted as God's natural miraculous power representatives. Then, after 1896, came a period of pastoral counseling movement, and the appearance of the masculine Jesus. We became clinical and multidimensional in our approach to doing ministry. We brought language like spiritual freedom, spiritual formation, and so on from the church to the clinic and then to the institutions. Groups such as the Boston and New York movements pride themselves with the art of ministry to the sick. We saw the resurfacing of verbatim and the exploration of the inner world movement led by Antoine Boison. People like Forest Dick popularized modern counseling methods as we know them today. But there were voices in the wilderness also, like Richard Niebuhr, who questioned the pastoral movement in his essays and, especially, with his classic work, Moral Man and Immoral Society. He tried to question the relevancy of secularizing ministry by neglecting our historical identity, our rich background of traditions, research, and authority, but to no avail (ibid., 41). Today, we have lost most of our authority and influences as states like Georgia and others start cutting chaplaincy programs in order to save money. We have no relevancy in influencing education, industry, and commerce. So, we recognize we have a problem because we have to come with more creative ways of telling other disciplines who work with us what we do as clergy persons. While some colleagues have disconnected themselves from their own denominations, we also have a duality of

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trying to shift our practice from being healers to theologians. However, we must not forget that our reason for being is to live, to teach, and to practice ministry. Our function is no longer a natural given authority, we must prove our existence and earn our livelihood. Even secular people have taken over the church. They interview us, hire us, and fire us at their wills. It is time for us to affirm our theological roots and reconnect with the church, for without this, we face extinction. How good is our theological practice? Does it reflect both therapy and salvation? By this, I mean is salvation still wholeness and intimacy with God, and are we accountable to the church? If at all possible, we must reorder our lives one more time to engage with God. We must be in the

spirit of expectation of a coming revival to heal us again. In my tradition, the starting point for healing is in the Holy Spirit. When God visits our souls and re-awakens our consciences and renews our minds, the sacraments, as we know them, will no longer be formalities, but meaningful and life transforming. Then, life skills will mean something and our contributions to rehabilitation as well as for the goodness of society will not be taken for granted or challenged or questioned in the courtrooms (ibid., 67). However, the courts as well as lawmakers, all need to commit to real rehabilitation, instead of just incarceration for successful prison programs to work. Any effort less than a total commitment and honesty from both sides will fail.

Chapter 6 DEALING WITH NONTRADITIONAL RELIGIONS IN PRISON

R

eligion (Latin: meaning to bind, restrain), a system of beliefs, held by a community who may express their faith through shared myths, doctrines, ethical teachings, rituals or the remembrance of special experiences. Major religions or traditional religions can be categorized into the following groups: Christian, Heritage, Jewish, Muslim, etc. These are the groups I want to deal with in this work since there are several books available on the traditional religions. With the passing of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (REFRA) of 1993, there have been a lot of litigation changes and challenges for corrections. The law briefly states: Section 1: Short Title (REFRA, 1993) This act may be cited as "The Religious Freedom Restoration Act of 1993. Section 2: Congressional Findings and Declarations of Purposes a. Findings-the congress finds: l. the .framers of the Constitution, recognizing free exercise of religion as an unalienable right, secured its protection in the First Amendment to the Constitution 2. laws "neutral" toward religion may burden religious exercise as surely as laws intended to

interfere with religious exercise 3. governments should not substantially burden religious exercise with compelling justification 4. in Employment Division vs. Smith, 494 U.S. 872 (1990), the Supreme Court virtually eliminated the requirement that the government justify burdens on religious exercise imposed by laws neutral toward religion; and 5. the compelling interest test as set forth in prior federal court rulings is a workable test for striking sensible balances between religious liberty and competing prior government interests. b. Purposes-The purposes of the Act are: 1. to restore the compelling test as set forth in Sherbert vs. Verner, 374 U.S. 398 (1963) and Wisconsin vs. Yoder, 406, U.S. 205 (1972) and to guarantee its application in all cases where free exercise of religion is substantially burdened; and 2. to provide a claim or defense to persons whose religious exercise is substantially burdened by government Section 3: Free Exercise of Religion Protected

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a. In General-government shall not substantially burden a person's exercise of religion even if the burden results from a rule of general applicability, except as provided in subsection b below. b. Exception-government may substantially burden a person's exercise of religion only if it demonstrated that application of the burden to the person is: 1. in furtherance of a compelling governmental interest; and 2. the least restrictive means of furthering that compelling governmental interest c. JudiCial Relief-A person whose religious exercise has been burdened in violation of this section may assert that violation as a claim or defense in a judiCial proceeding and obtain appropriate relief against a government. Standing to assert a claim or defense under this section shall be governed by the general rules of standing under Article III of the Constitution Section 4: Attorney Fees (This section amends 42 USC Sec. 1988, The Civil Rights Attorney's Fees Act. To indicate that fees may be awarded in RFRA actions, as they may be in other types of Civil Rights actions.) Section 5: Definitions As used in the Act: 1. the term "government" includes a branch, department, agency, instrument, and official (or other person acting under color of law) of the United States, a state, or a subdivision of a state; 2. the term "state" includes the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and each territory and possession of the United States; 3. the term "demonstrates" means meets the burden of going forward

with the evidence and of persuasion; and 4. the term "exercise of religion" means the exercise of religion under the First Amendment to the Constitution Section 6: Applicability a. In general-this act applies to all federal and state laws, and the implementation of that law, whether statutory or otherwise, and whether adopted before or after the enactment of the Act b. Rule of Construction-federal statutory law adopted after the date of the enactment of the Act is subject to this Act, unless such law explicitly excluded such application by reference to the Act c. religious belief unaffected-nothing in the Act shall be construed to authorize any government to burden any religious belief Section 7: Establishment Clause Unaffected Nothing in the Act shall be construed to affect, interpret, or in any way address that portion of the First Amendment prohibiting laws respecting the establishment of religion (referred to in this section as the "Establishment Clause"). Granting government funding, benefits, or exemptions, to the extent permissible under the Establishment Clause, shall not constitute a violation of the Act. As used in the section, the term "granting," used with respect to government funding, benefits or exemptions, does not include the denial of government funding, benefits, or exemptions.

Now, why is RFRA so important and why was such an uproar from attorneys general as well as an enormous increase in litigation among prison inmates? Because, the law clearly tackles three important factors concerning correctional law, extending over the last several years :

Dealing with Nontraditional Religions in Prison

1. The Law, since it was passed by Congress, became a National Law, and it became applicable nationally, until a decision was made by the Supreme Court in 1997, to limit its application to the States. 2. It dramatically changed the rules by which an inmate who wants to practice his/her religion may be judged. 3. RFRA expanded inmates religious rights as against how the Supreme Court made decisions in the past, giving these rights has limited inmates' religious freedom. This law was conceived by two leading senators. One liberal Democrat, Senator Edward Kennedy of Massachusetts; and a conservative Republican, Senator Orrin Hatch of Utah. It was signed in November 1993 by President WilliamJefferson Clinton, becoming Public Law 103-141. The law brought a substantial outcry from attorney generals throughout the states, which prompted Ohio's Attorney General, Betty Montgomery, and others to fight it in the Supreme Court, which they won in 1997. However, correctional practice will never be the same as it was prior to the enactment of this law in 1993. Theological experts could testify on the subject of the substantial burden it placed on the states, including increases in budgets, unsanitary and security risks. The compelling interest could also be tested on security grounds. However, the

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least restrictive means placed major problems for facility administrators and brought bogus lawsuits upon the states. Thus the states have to provide additional staffing, special diets, special considerations, space for worship, materials for the use of rituals and ceremonies and so on. It was a no win situation for most states and truly it has compelled prison chaplains to not only recognize these other religions and administer their practice, but also serve as consultants to prison management on religious matters. This is because inmate lawsuits are costly, time consuming, and under RFRA; there is a fee to be awarded attorneys and a relief to the person who may be feeling burdened. The nontraditional religions also have some historical backgrounds, theology, denominations or categories, basic tenets (doctrines), and initiation rites. Membership requirements, religious holidays, scriptures or holy books, diet requirements, religious accessories, common symbols, worship practices, medical treatments, burial rituals, and resources. Since we live in the U.S., a Western nation, that makes most of the Eastern religions, including Buddhism, Hinduism, native American, Rastafarians, Wicca, and religious cults-all non-traditional religions. I selected these six categories because most of the other religions claimed by inmates in the state of Ohio fall under the major religious category groups-Christian, Heritage,Jewish, or Muslim.

BUDDHISM Siddharta Gautama, who became the "Enlightened One" or Buddha, was the founder of the Buddhist religion. He was born about 560 BC in a village called Lumbini, near the borders of India and Nepal. His father was Shuddhodanna, who reigned as a rajah (chief) of a small princi-

pality in the area. He was supposed to have reincarnated from a famous Hindu teacher named Gautama. His mother, Maya, was also said to be a virtuous woman who had shown her purity and excellence during previous existences in 100,000 ages of the world. One night she dreamed that a white

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elephant had entered her womb and ten months later, she gave birth to Gautama, who later was conferred with the title, Buddha, meaning "the awakened one" (ibid., 69). Buddhists believe that through meditation and insight, the Buddha fully woke up the total potential of the mind. This is what is referred to as "enlightenment." After he (the Buddha) was enlightened, he taught his disciples the path he took to reach his state of enlightenment. These teachings are considered to be the principal tenets of Buddhism. Teachers and followers of Buddha who accomplish part or all of the spiritual accomplishments of the Buddha are elevated and referred to as "Living Buddha's." An example is the Dalai Lama of Tibet. After the Buddha's final cessation (parinirrana), when he will not be reborn again, the teaching spread from India to China,Japan, Southeast Asia, Tibet, Nepal, and other parts of the world. The Buddha is described as to have "turned the wheel of Dharma," meaning that he taught Buddhism several times in his reincarnations or rebirths. Buddhism, however, varies according to traditions, culture, and country of national origin. The three known categories of Buddhism are: Therevada, Mahayana, and Vajrayana. 1. Therevada is practiced in southeast Asian countries such as Thailand, Burma, Vietnam, Shri Lanka, Cambodia, Laos, and others. They emphasize the teachings of Buddha as well as good moral behavior designed to reduce negative attitudes. 2. Mahayana is practiced in India, China, Japan, and parts of Asia. They embrace the teachings of Therevada, but also emphasize compassion and acts of compassion. The idea, for these practitioners is to reach Nirvana, or perfect bliss, but

they choose to remain with people in order to help them reach the same spiritual attainment of compassion and loving kindness. 3. Vajrayana is practiced in Tibet, Mongolia and Japan. In addition to embracing the teachings of Therevada and Mahayana, they emphasis on techniques developed to bring practitioners quickly to enlightenment within one's lifetime. They also emphasize the integration of all aspects of life into the spiritual process (ibid., 70).

Basic Tenets (Doctrines) Buddhism has several tenets, but the major ones are as follows: A. The Four Noble Truths The teachings of Buddha are referred to by the practitioners as the Four Noble Truths. It is his first teaching, which is the primary emphasis of the Therevada sects of Buddhists. 1. Existence of suffering in the world. He taught that everything in life (existence) leads to suffering. We shall all die, eventually, no matter how content or ideal our lives may be. That nothing is permanent, and anything, whether good or bad, does not last forever. 2. Desire is the cause of suffering. Without desire, there would not be any suffering. Suffering is the result or cause for desiring. People experience suffering because they have feelings of rejection and acceptance. And, when the things they reject eventually occur, they experience hurt feelings or suffering. Also, the things they get attached to will eventually disappear, and that will cause them to have more suffering. 3. That there is an alternate state of mind other than suffering. Buddha taught his followers that he had achieved this state of mind without suffering. He said

Dealing with Nontraditional Religions in Prison his state of mind was totally open and illuminated with a great bliss. This is what he termed "Enlightenment of Liberation." The state of Nirvana (the Buddhist Heaven) (ibid., 71). 4. That every conscious being can achieve the same state of mind as the Buddha. He taught that inherently, all other beings are the same, having a Buddha nature. So, all Buddhists believe they can attain the same spiritual accomplishments of Buddha. There is certainly a path which can be followed to reach this state of bliss and openness (ibid., 71). B. The Four Thoughts that Turn the Wheel to Dharma (the way to the goal of Nirvana or Lovely Thoughts) 1. Reincarnation-Buddhists believe that through reincarnation or rebirth, all humans reap good or evil as a consequence of their actions. The quality of their deeds in their bodies, their speech, and through previous lives determines the circumstances of their rebirth. They continue to reincarnate several times, but as different creatures -some human and some not. They believe that to be born human is the most precious birth of all creatures, because only in a human birth, can one reach or achieve Buddhahood. But, only a few reach Buddhahood. 2. The impermanence and deathHuman life is precious, but very short and humans must practice the teachings of the Dharma (lovely thoughts, friendship, relationships, and intimacy) with urgency because of the short span of life. 3. Karma or the law of cause and effectAll good deeds are rewarded with good results, while all bad or negative deeds are rewarded with negative results. "We reap whatever we sow,

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good or bad." This is their law of cause and effects. This is the reason why people experience suffering or happiness in one lifetime, which does not appear to be proportional with the deeds of their current lives. Therefore, who we are (what creatures we are) and the things that happen to us in our lifetime, are the direct results of our actions in previous lifetimes. Consequently, what we do in this lifetime will impact our level of joy or suffering in our next lifetime(s). 4. It is possible for suffering to cease. The universal human dilemma can be solved. Other Buddhists believe that since the universe is impermanent, no lasting happiness is possible within our lifetime (Samsara) the last statement, is the school of thought of the Mahayana sect of Buddhists (great vehicle). C. The Eight Noble Eightfold Paths Are: 1. The Right Knowledge-The eight signposts of freedom means one must first understand or recognize the four noble truths. 2. The right attitude-This attitude or thought meant a mental attitude of goodwill, peace, ableness, while keeping from oneself all sensual desires, hate and malice. 3. The right speech-This means no lying, no useless conversation or gossip. Speech must focus on wisdom, truth, and reconciliation or building relationships. 4. The right action-This action must embrace only good moral behavior. No murder, stealing, or adultery is permitted. 5. The right living or occupation-Our chosen occupation must not be harmful to others. 6. The right effort-All evil impulses must be prevented, and good ones fostered.

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7. The right mindfulness-This means a careful consideration, not to give into the dictates of desire in thought, speech, words, or deeds. 8. The right composure-This can be achieved by intense concentration which frees the holy person from all that holds his/her back in the quest for liberation. D. Other Paths Are Six Paraites or Perfection's Are: 1. Generosity 2. Discipline 3. Patience 4. Right effort 5. Meditation 6. Wisdom

The Five Paths (Bhumis) 1. Accumulation 2. Unification 3. Seeing 4. Meditation 5. More learning

Initiation Rights The initiation rite of Buddhism is called taking refuge. It is a ceremony performed by a monk or a lay person with some spiritual accomplishments who is authorized by his teacher to do so. In the ceremony, a commitment prayer is made to follow the teachings of Buddha alone. This is followed by a new Buddhist name given to the convert.

renounces Nirvana in order to assist others to achieve salvation. This person is considered compassionate and the ceremony may be performed by a monk or a lay person who has the permission of a teacher and is also considered to have accomplished some of the qualities of the Bodhisattva. It varies from sect to culture.

Monastic Ordination Before one becomes a monk or a nun, ordination is required. This also varies from sect and culture. In the ceremony, the hair is shaved and the ordinand wears monastic robes (maroon, orange, or brown in color). At least five full ordained monks or nuns perform this rite. Most ordinations are for life but, in some instances, they are limited for duration such as a few years.

Empowerment Vajrayana (Diamond Vehicle), Tibetan Buddhism, which is a form of Mahayana Buddhism, practitioners must obtain permission to practice certain types of meditations. This permission is obtained in the ceremony called "Empowerment or Wong." Depending on the type of meditation required, the ceremony may take an hour or several weeks. It would be performed by a monk or a lay individual who has perfected in the type of meditation practice. It is given to an individual or to a group of several people.

Membership Requirements Bodhisattva Vows In the Bodhiddata sect of Mahayana Buddhism, the initiation ceremony is called Bodhisattva. The convert makes a promise to become a Bodhisattva, a type of saint or semi-divine being, who voluntarily

Refuge is a necessary requirement into Buddhism. Services are open to the public, but some ritual and prayers are restricted to members who have taken refuge or received certain empowerment (ibid., 72).

Dealing with Nontraditional Religions in Prison

Religious Holidays All Buddhist sects celebrate the Lunar New Year, based on the Lunar calendar. It generally occurs in February or March. Others are the Buddha's Parina Varna and the Birth of the Buddha. Different traditions and cultures also have their own birthdays and memorial ceremonies.

Scriptures Following the death of Gautama, there were arguments among the monks concerning the correct interpretation of his teachings. This led to the formation of two opposing groups one, conservative, one liberal. The conservatives are the Theravadins (teachings of the ancients) and the Mahayanas (great vehicle). The Theravadins emphasize individual effort towards salvation (Nirvana) and recognize no divine help. It rejects all rituals and images including statues. The Mahayana emphasize salvation for all humankind. In Therevada school of thought, only monks can achieve salvation. Therevada does not regard Siddharta Gautama as the only Buddha, nor did he, himself. They list several Buddha's before Gautama. In Mahayana thought, Buddha's are said to be as many as the grains of sand. Teachings of Buddha and his disciples are broken into groups. 1. Teachings directly attributed to Gautama were written by his immediate disciples. 2. Teachings attributed by the disciples of Gautama, which were written by the disciples or his students, are generally commentaries on the original teachings. 3. Teachings received by the disciples of the Buddha from the celestial Buddha (these were visions or mystic experiences) are said to be prevalent among the Vajrayana Buddhist sects.

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The teachings of Buddha were collected into a canon called the Pali Canon (Pali being the language in which it is written). The Therevada Buddhist have the Pali Canon. Other groups have additional writings, but the Pali Canon is also called the Tripitaka or "the triple basket," because it was first written in three parts on palm leaves and preserved in baskets (ibid., 73). The first part is called Vinaya-Pitaka or the basket of order. It contains the life of Buddha, the origin or the monastic community and the rules of discipline for monks. The second part is called the Sutta Pitaka, meaning guidelines or instructions book. It deals with the teachings of Buddha and the monks, and also contains 547 legends and stories from previous existences of the Buddha. The third and last part of the Abhidhamma-Oitaka or the basket of higher learning. It contains seven books written in dry academic style. The sutras also contain Buddha's teachings and the teachings of his disciples. Buddhism has a strong oral tradition carried from a teacher to a student in a missionary faction.

Diet Requirements Diet in Buddhism is fashioned according to cultural backgrounds but most are vegetarians (they eat dairy products, eggs, and vegetables). Among the Vajrayana sect, some eat meat. Some Buddhists fast during certain days such as the full moon, or the new moon. On such days, they drink liquids and no food is eaten. They try to avoid extremism and overindulgence, fasting is not a general practice. Japanese Buddhists follow a macrobiotic diet (a strict balancing of vegetables and grains only). No dairy products or eggs are

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eaten. However, on occasion, they may eat fish (ibid., 72).

Religious Accessories Buddhists carry certain objects to help them meditate. In prison, we see a lot of Mala Beads, which is a strand of 108 beads, like a Rosary, used to count the recitations of the Mantras (sacred sounds) repeated often throughout each day. During some of their religious ceremonies, they are often given pieces of colored cloth or strings to wear on their clothing or around their necks as a symbol of blessing from the leader of the meditation ceremony. In general, these are worn for three days only. Among Vajrayan Buddhists, objects such as bells and ceremonial drums called "vahra" are used during meditation sessions. Are there any common religious symbols in Buddhism? Yes, they have the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha (three jewels). They revere all symbolic representations of the Buddha. At the Pagoda (temple), an altar, they would bow three times before the Buddha, either from the waist or drop to their knees or drop fully on their backs or their faces facing upwards. When sitting, it is rude to point the soles of one's feet toward the Buddha. Symbolically, Buddha taught them to revere the Dharma and the sangha. They object to placing Dharma books on the base floor. Real-life teachers of the Dharma (the Sangha) are to be revered. Practitioners bow to these teachers when spoken to because they are said to have awakened the qualities of Buddha within themselves. What about shrines in Buddhism? Buddhists keep sacred shrines which can be found in public buildings and in their homes. Offerings are of money, lights (candles), fragrance (made of incense and

flowers), water and food. Shrine bowls can be found placed on the home shrines. Seven bowls are filled with water every morning, emptied at evening and turned over. They would chant and meditate in front of the shrine. Among objects on the shrines may be pictures or statues of people who have achieved Buddhahood, with other revered objects. Practitioners are usually attached to these shrines.

Temples Buddhists have places of worship and meditation commonly called shrines or temples.

Worship Practice Buddhist temples do not have chairs like a church but are equipped like a Mosque. They worship privately or in groups silently or sitting in meditation. This form of worship they call "Shamatha" practice, but in the Lea Buddhist tradition, they call it "Zazen" sitting. They contemplate and meditate while aiming at calming the mind (ibid., 73). Some groups or individuals chant in their local languages or dialects. They believe that they cane the same qualities of a Buddha within them, so they aim at awakening the potential. There is no belief in God or an external higher power in Buddhism. However, they believe in the blessing power of the Buddha and the Bodhisattva (one destined for enlightenment or Buddhahood) for assistance. With variations from sect to sect, chants are often accompanied by musical instruments such as drums, wooden blocks, horns, or bells. The Vajrayana sect (the diamond vehicle) which can be described as a version of Mahayana Buddhism, has become overlaid with occult, magical, and mystical meditations that would often including chanting

Dealing with Nontraditional Religions in Prison (the mantra-a magical saying repeated over and over), a mudra (the whole being striving to unite with the divine), shaktism (a universal feminine which realizes the unity of all things), the mandala (meditation cycle), which represents cosmic and spiritual relationships. They require instructions from a guru, and also require an empowerment practice. Prayers are recited several times during the day and the chants are accompanied with three bows to the shrine. Prayers are performed at meals, bedtimes, and at important occasions during the day. While at home, a Buddhist maintains a home shrine and says chants of refuge in the mornings and evenings.

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Medical Treatment Medical treatments are related to medical practices of a particular culture. Like many Asians, they practice acupuncture, herbal medicines, massages, and traditional medicines. They also take Western medicines and receive surgery and blood transfusions.

Burial Rites Burial rites are according to local culture. The preference is by burning the body or cremation. However, every tradition has its own burial rites. Among the Vajrayana, there are several practices or rites of passage for a dying person (ibid., 75).

HINDUISM Hindu is the Persian name for India. Hindus believe in the eternal teaching or law (Santana Dharma), which indicated the "given-ness" or revelation of the beliefs to which they are committed. Hinduism, as a culture, has no founder, no prophet, institutional structure, nor a set creed. Since the land of India is shaped like the figure of a mother, Indians speak of their land as "mother India." They find their rivers as the source of support and spiritual life. Thus, the River Ganges is regarded as a symbol of life without end. Since it is the source of life, after cremation, the ashes are cast upon the waters of the sacred rivers and life continues. Hindu history can be divided into four periods: 1. Pre-Vedic or the period prior to the invasion by the Aryans 2. The Vedic Period, the period from 5,000 BC to 1,500 BC. It was during this period that Vyasaderva wrote down the Vedas (knowledge), Mahabharate, which con-

tain with it the Bhagavad-Gita, Srimad Bhagavatam, Puranas, and Ithihastas histories (ibid., 76). 3. The Pessimistic World Fleeing Period. Veda distinguishes between the world soul (purusha) as the cosmic sacrifice, which ensures in life and order. There can be no life without sacrifice (reincarnation). The second substance (prakriti) is the transmission of the soul; a person goes through a succession of earthly lives. A person can be born in one of the various forms of life such as human, animal, or plant forms (8,400,000). The goal of life is to develop a pure love of God and to return to God's Kingdom, whereby one can escape form the repetition of birth and death (samsara). This is known as the theory of karma (the moral law of cause and effect). Every action has its consequences, which requires some reward or punishment to the doer. These actions whether performed in the current life or a previous life make no difference. The goal

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in life is to escape karma, whether good or bad. This escape can be achieved through absorption into the ultimate source of life (Brahman), by the practice of the various forms of yoga (away to union with God). There are eight stages of Yoga: restraint, discipline, posture, breathing, detachment, concentration, meditation, and trance. There are also four main styles of yoga, which correspond to different personality types: Karma yoga (the path of action), Fnana yoga (the path of knowledge), Bhakti yoga (the path of devotion), and Raja yoga (the path of insight) (ibid., 75). 4. The British Conquest in 1800 AD brought a tremendous change and variations to Indian culture and religion. There became three distinctive sects of Hinduism: Vaishnava, Shaiva, and Shakta. All three groups have their own separate theologies. The Vaishnava became devotees to Vishnu (preserver and life-giver), the creator of the universe. Among Shaiva, the devotees worship Shiva with extreme ascetics (77). In Shakti, the devotees are said to discover a universal creativity that exists in man as a latent energy located at the base of the spine. Among practitioners of tantric yoga, this energy, when awakened, travels up the spine and unites with shiva, who is present as the mind. Other important terms used among Hindus are guru, the religious teacher who teaches of the knowledge received by becoming an accomplished yoga practitioner; swami, a Hindu monk who functions as a teacher and a religious leader; avatar, an incarnation of God, who must be worshiped and venerated; and cheka, a student pupil. Also, the Krishna consciousness movement (meaning God consciousness) has historical roots from the Vaishnava sect of Hinduism (ibid., 74).

Theology The ground of the inverse, the reality (Brahman) was prior to all existence. What was basic to the individual self (atrnan) was the reality, which under guided the universe. The way of salvation is spiritual insight. In the Upanishad (the manual of the priests), they are told, "Have faith," meaning the spirit breath (Brahman) lies at the root of all existence and that the practitioner is also (Svetaketu). The unity of the human self (soul) is with the ultimate reality. The truths should be verified by both reason and by personal experiences. Brahman dwells within all and outside all, unborn, is pure, and greater than the greatest, without breath, without mind and, yet, Brahman is ever present in the hearts of all, the refuge of all and their supreme goal. In Brahman exists all that moves and breathes. Brahman is the adorable one. To know Brahman is to find one's being within Brahman. There are other gods and demigods within Hinduism, making it polytheism. The soul is eternal and this realization will lead to a release from suffering. Material life and suffering are temporal. Brahman is neutral and impersonal, the origin, the cause and the basis of all existence. In Brahman, we find: pure being (sat), pure intelligence (cit), pure delight (Canada). Brahman is the unknowable one. The gods are ways of approaching the ultimate; hence, multiplicity is not seen as polytheism in Hinduism because Brahman is only one, but present in all nature (ibid., 76). There are also ethical values within Hinduism. In seeking salvation, one must refrain from killing, stealing, sexual impurity, lying, and the consumption of intoxicants. The highest ethical value is the vow of non-killing or non-injury to life (Ahimsa). Therefore, most practitioners are

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vegetarians.

Initiation Rites

Basic Tenets (Doctrine) of Hinduism

This is a fire sacrifice ceremony performed by a spiritual master (guru): A. The candidate would repeat the vows: 1. Chants 16 rounds of Hare Krishna mantra on japa beads daily Uapa beads are on a strand of 108 prayer beads) 2. Four principles to be adhered to: a. no illicit sex b. no gambling c. no intoxication d. no eating of meat, fish, or eggs B. Food items like grains, bananas, and clarified butter are offered in the fire as burnt offerings to Krishna (the fire offering can be simply meditated on by the guru and candidates as a substitute) . C. The spiritual master will give the candidate a spiritual name

1. Practitioners cultivate a spiritual science which can free them from anxiety into a state of unending, blissful consciousness on a current lifetime. 2. Humans are not bodies but eternal spirit souls, and are parts and parcels of God (Krishna). 3. Krishna is the eternal, all-knowing, omnipresent, all-powerful father of all living beings, and the sustaining energy of all creation. 4. The Absolute Truth is contained in all the great scriptures of the world. But the oldest known revealed scriptures are the Vedic writings, known as the BhagavadGita. It is the literal record of God's actual words. It sees miksha (liberation from the circle of birth) as involving liberation from evil, from the body, from lusts and anger, from decay and death, from Kharma and from maya (illusion or deception). 5. Vedic knowledge should be acquired from a genuine spiritual master or one who has no selfish motives and whose mind is firmly fixed on Krishna. 6. Food eaten must first be offered to Krishna who sustains, becomes the offering, and purifies the devotee. 7. Nothing should be performed as a sense of self-gratification; all actions must be performed as offerings to Krishna. 8. To achieve the mature state of the love of God in the current age or Kali, or quarrel, one must chant the holy names of Krishna and abstain from illicit sex, gambling, and intoxicants (including coffee, tea, and nicotine). No eating of meat, fish, eggs, or their derivative products is permissible.

Membership Requirements 1. The practice of chanting 16 rounds of Hare Krishna mantra 2. To follow the four regulatory principles for one year 3. To be recommended by a spiritual master

Religious Holidays ISKGON is a Hindu movement claiming a line of spiritual masters dating to Chaitanya (1485-1583 AD). Lord Chaitanya is regarded as the reincarnation of Radha or Krishna, the top most principle of their absolute truth. He started a system of discipleship succession that emphasized love for Krishna by the repetition of his name or chanting, "Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu" as

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a mantra. This is because the highest goal for the Krishna devotee is to be totally surrendered to his will, and to develop an eternal relationship with him. A secondary benefit for a total commitment to Krishna is that the devotee is removed from worldly pleasures and sufferings of this current world. Since Krishna is the supreme lord, their faith in him is practiced in non-violent behavior and acts of devotion (no killing of life). Therefore, ISKCON has two fasting days each month called "Ekadase." They are observed eleven days before and after the new moon. Followers do not eat grains or beans on fasting days. They read and chant mantras on fasting days. Other inclusive holidays observed on the Lunar calendar are: Gaura Purinima (appearance of the Lord Chaitanya in March); J agamate or Rathayatra (Festival of Chariots in July); Janamastani (Krishna's birthday in August); Vuasa Puja (appearance day of Sri Prabhupada in August) - both of these holidays are celebrated together; and Disappearance Day of SriPrabhupada in October or November. During the holidays, spiritual foods called Prasadam are prepared and distributed by the Brahman priest and offered to Lord Krishna. The food consists of a vegetable, rice, unleavened bread (puri), and a sweet. In addition to the Koran and the Bible being considered as holy books, so are the following: Scriptures, The Upnishads, Mahabharate, Bhagavad Gita, The Nectar of Devotion, Sri Isopanamisad, The Science of Self-realization, Prahhupada, and the Ramayana.

Diet Requirements A vegetarian diet consisting of no fish, meat, eggs, garlic, or onions is consumed. No food that is a product of violence (killing) is eaten. Foods are first offered to Krishna

before being eaten.

Religious Symbols Hindu religious symbols include: 1. J apa beads and cloth bag for storage

2. Two dimensional icons of pictures such as Lord Chaitanya or one's spiritual preceptor 3. Kunti or a sacred bead necklace 4. Telok-a clay for marking on the forehead 5. Small symbols for bells for atonement when chanting the Krishna mantra 6. Hair-men shave their hair in some traditions, leaving a small tuft on the back of the head following initiation into the group. The tuft of hair, called "sikka" is no more than 1 112 inch long and 1 112 inch wide. Common symbols are the various icons of deities and saints (ibid.,

77).

Worship Pradice At home, devotees rise before sunrise for worship and chanting. They will utter the mantra "om," a humming to the sounds of the letters A, U, M. Then, the worshiper repeats the name of his god, calls to mind the sages (rishis) and identifies him or herself with Brahman (leader), binds up the tuft of hair on the head, and then repeats the Gayari mantra from the rig veda: "We meditate on the adorable glory of a radiant sun; may he inspire our intelligence." Devotees worship bare to the waist and barefoot, sitting cross-legged on the ground, with eyes looking at the tip of the nose and face towards the rising sun. He or she sips water, repeats the name of the god, and sprinkles water around the seat. A devotee touches six parts of the body, which is an indication of the god within, repeats the prayer, meditates, and repeats the words of the Gayatri. Water is then offered to the images, verses are

Dealing with Nontraditional Religions in Prison repeated from the Veda, and the worship ends with a final water offering and obeisance. Midday worship may include consultation with the guru, while evening devotions are similar, but shorter. This practice is for the solitary practitioner, as the temple worship is more elaborate.

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Burial Rituals Hinduism requires no burial rituals. There are no restrictions on autopsy, but cremation is the general practice.

Minister of Record Inmates may list a spiritual master or a guru, or a swami as an approved minister of record (ibid., 74).

There are no medical restrictions in Hinduism.

NATIVE AMERICAN SPIRITUALITY

Theology and History Wisdom is in the past. It is resident in the long tradition of the race and its experience. The leader is the teacher because he is the closest to the important things of the past. Life is one for the tribal people. The sacred is real, especially in some times and places. All life is sacred and all things are indwelled in some degree. The whole range of life is open to spirit. There is one Great Spirit and on great circle because the basic shape in nature-the moon and sun-are circles. Everything tries to be round. Also essential to the circle is the center, the point from which all things were created, which is the symbol of the Great Spirit. This belief is reflected in all their dances around the fire, the drum, or heartbeat or pole and in the ceremonies of the sacred people. In the United States, there are over 564 federally recognized Native American Nations or tribes. They include the Eskimo tribes and Hawaiian tribes. Their religion and culture are inseparable and because of their diversity, one cannot state in detail all of them, only the general beliefs will be stated. Ohio is the residence of the

Wyandotte, Shawnee, Lenape, and the Lenahoken. They belong to the United Lenape Nation Confederacy. They are also known as the Woodland people, distinguishing them from the Plains people, known as the Sioux or the Apache nations. The Native American people do not have any sacred writings, but they have a rich tradition of oral customs and practices in which spoken words are illustrated with pictures. Here, religion relates to the land and all the elements of mother earth are kept in harmony with natural resources of the universe. They are taught by their elders (grandparents, etc.) to respect the Great Spirit and all the elements he created for humans on earth. They look up to their elders for wisdom and guidance. God is the creator as well as the highest spiritual power, also referred to as the Grandfather Spirit. To them, life is holistic and must encompass physical, spiritual, and religious or be in harmony with the natural rhythm in order to promote total health. The medicine people seek visions and divine guidance. Therefore, the younger generation must consult their medicine people for advice. Teenagers are advised to

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fast for about seven days, to meditate, and to seek a sign from the spirit world concerning their future (ibid., 70). The number "four" is a great significance because it has great power. They recognize life as having four kingdoms; four directions; both humans and animals have four limbs; the year has four seasons; the human life cycle is four-childhood, youth, adulthood, and old age. An ideal person possesses four virtues: wisdom, courage, generosity, and purity. However, among the Cherokee nation, the number seven is a great power. They identify seven directions and seven levels of heaven. Their greatest virtue is generosity. To display wealth, they must give away their possessions to the needy, the helpless, and their friends in need. They believe that the elements and plants, animals, etc. are their brothers and sisters, and all creation has sacred energy within it, just as humans do. Their hunters kill with sadness and with regret, only when necessary. Therefore, hunting for sport is discouraged.

Basic Tenets (Doctrines) 1. There exists a supreme being called "Great Spirit," Great Mystery, or Creator. 2. All things in nature must be respected walking things, crawling things, flying things, swimming things, including plants and mineral life. The cosmos is called "Mother Earth." So, it is important for them to hold spiritual ceremonies outdoors in order to be in contact with nature (the earth). 3. Natural objects such as the contents of a medicine bag, a ceremonial pipe, or an eagle feather are to be held in reverence. If these items are disrespected, it blasphemies life itself, items associated with spirituality should be approached

with great respect and reverence. 4. The culture and the spiritual beliefs cannot be separated. The wearing of traditional items such as clothing; certain arts and crafts like beads, and leather crafts have spiritual as well as cultural expressions. In times of mourning, the hair can be shaved and kept, preserved, buried, or burned. This practice and others can affirm their tribal, geographic identity, and that of the Great Spirit. 5. Native Americans collect and keep natural objects such as stones, shells, feathers, bones, claws, and animal teeth in their spiritual practices. This practice is to remind them of certain important principles or qualities which serve also as a reservoir of their spiritual power. However, objects chosen by practitioners to express their religiosity, will vary according to personal tradition or vision. For example, a religious article carried by an elder must not be touched by others. These are sacred objects for worship and they are to be revered. Women are prohibited from touching sacred pipes, sweat lodges or other sacred items during menstruation. They believe menstruation is related to negative energy and cancels the positive energy of sacred objects. If these objects are violated, they must be consecrated to restore the positive energy to the sacred object. 6. Daily burning of sweet grass, sage, or cedar is considered for those involved in this spiritual practice. The sweet grass is a symbol of the good times the Creator has given them and the bitterness of the sage smoke reminds them of the hard and difficult times the Creator has brought them through. As the sweet grass burns, it purifies them so that nothing unclean would participate in the

Dealing with Nontraditional Religions in Prison ceremony. Tobacco is used as an offering in praying, while sage, sweet grass, and cedar are used in cleansing, blessing, and in purification. For the sacred pipe ceremonies, tobacco or kinni kinnic (a blend of tobacco, tree bark and roots) is used. Tobacco can also be rolled into cornhusks or commercial paper for individual smoking. They believe tobacco is given by the Creator for offering and should not be wasted. 7. Tobacco ties (a small piece of cloth containing tobacco) symbolize prayers and are often tied to the lodge pole by the altar, in front of the sweat lodge, or carried to the ceremony. 8. Birds and feathers are sacred but particularly the eagle, in a very special way. The eagle is a symbol of power, strength, healing, and loyalty. Eagle feathers cannot be purchased. They can only be awarded or given by another person. Feathers are stored in a piece of leather or other suitable material like red cotton or a flannel cloth. 9. Native Americans, like any of the primal religions of the world, live close to nature and sense its mysterious powers. These people have faced wars of extermination, diseases of all kinds, and other natural disasters. Their way of coping was to develop a religious system which forges a link with the natural powers. Therefore, the symbol of the circle is very significant to them. They offer prayers in circles, dances in circles, and have ceremonies in the shape of a circle, symbolizing the limits of the people and the nation. The circle also represents the sacred hoop of the universe and demonstrates the unity of all creation and its meaning. Among most tribes, entrance into the sacred circle is in a clockwise direction, but

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among the Cherokee, it is entered in a counter-clockwise direction and exited in a clockwise direction. Native Americans believe in a medicine wheel, which is a term used in describing the circle and how the four directions are often brought together: the east (yellow) direction of the medicine wheel represents birth and growth such as the budding of trees, the return of life such as frogs returning in the spring; the west (black) represents the completion of things such as seasons with dark winters and long snows; the north (white) represents renewal and cleansing; however, the interpretations of the meanings of directions varies from one tribe to another. Some may also ascribe different directions to different colors. For example, blue may be used for the north to mean where the cold winds blow and so on. 10. The wearing of a headband symbolizes the completeness of the circle for the wearer. The devotee is said to maintain a oneness with order and has a clear and respectful thinking. Some tribes may not wear headbands during times of war and crisis because those are times of disorder. Headbands may be worn everyday or on special occasions such as pipe ceremonies, a blessing, sweat lodge, and others to invoke the spirits of a good blessing. The colors of these headbands may also display a tribal identity and also symbolize a universal meaning. For example, the color blue is the sky or divinity; red is for power or strength; green symbolizes Mother Earth; white represents purity; yellow, com, pollen or road; while black is for darkness or a tribal identify. 11. They wear or carry a medicine bag (a talisman) containing a natural object such as stone, an animal portion or a

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Spiritual and Religious Diversity in Prisons herb because all natural objects are said to possess a spirit (energy) in primal religions. So, the spirit of these objects becomes part of the wearer. A talisman is worn for protection. If someone violates the medicine bag by touching it, it has to be consecrated allover again. Native Americans can adopt other people into their tribes. However, there has to be an adoption rite, usually performed by a medicine man in the presence of a tribal council for admission. The person adopted need not be a Native American before adoption.

Membership Requirement One must be a Native American tribe person by birth or by adoption. The ancestry as traced through the mother (matrimonial), and the percentage of the bloodline for acceptance is set by each tribe and vary. The Bureau of Indian Affairs (BrA) accepts the criteria or standard set by each tribe for membership. The following documents describe how Native Americans can prove their birthrights: 1. Birth certificate on which they are noted as Native American; 2. Tribal membership card and letter presented by a Tribal Council specifying whether the person is a member by birth or by adoption; 3. Bureau of Indian Affairs (BrA) card. It should be noted that not all Native Americans carry or have a BIA card. The cards will contain the following information: (a) enrollment number, (b) name of the person, (c) address, (d) date of birth, (e) tribal affiliation, and (f) picture or photograph.

Religious Holidays Everyday is sacred and calls for Thanksgiving. However, they partake in sweat lodge purification ceremonies on a regular basis. The times are chosen to coincide with the full moon, new moon, and seasonal changes at the time of the solstices and equinoxes. The days and times vary for entering the sweat lodges for various tribes.

Scriptures There is no holy book as their traditions were passed down orally from one generation to another or by one Spiritual Leader to another. However, the English translation of the Great Law, published by the Mohawk Traveling College, is a highly recommended resource book.

Diet Requirements There are no dietary requirements. Healthy living and nutritional foods are considered a necessary component of their total sacredness of life.

Religious Accessories: Personal or Private Personal items consist of prayer pipe, headband, tobacco, sage, sweet grass, cedar, feathers, bones, claws, teeth, tools and materials for beadwork and leather craft, medicine bag, smudge pot, cloth or leather for storing sacred objects. Corporate (group ceremony) items consist of a ceremonial pipe, provided by a medicine man; sweat lodge; and drum, considered as a personal among some tribes. It rattles and, therefore, is considered as

Dealing with Nontraditional Religions in Prison personal among some tribes; smudge pot, considered as personal among some tribes; stones; burning of sweet grass or cedar; tobacco ties; an open campfire; and water.

Worship Pradice A. Private or Individual 1. Daily, the practitioner meditates at sunrise or in the evening. Prayers are offered by smoking pipes (personal) by blowing smoke in a ritualistic manner; kinni kinnic is the preferred tobacco for this ritual. 2. Smudging is a ritual used for purification or driving away negative energies in order to attract the positive. Here, sage, sweet grass, or high-grade tobacco is used. Also, cedar and juniper may be used and considered as healing plants. These items are sometimes called medicine bundles. The mixture is drawn through the pipe towards the heart and the smoke is offered to the four directions (signifying the four directions of the universe, the four season, etc.). B. Corporate Ceremonies 1. The pipe ceremony is the ceremony where the sacred pipe is used. The medicine man consecrates the pipe and selects a pipe bearer who prepares and takes charge of the ceremony. The pipe is said to represent the universe. It is like a moveable sacred altar that can be taken anywhere. In it, all the kingdoms are said to be united. Both the pipe and all other objects used in this ceremony are smudged or purified prior to the ceremony. During this ceremony, the bowl of the pipe (represents Mother Earth) is filled with tobacco, kinni kinnic, sage, or sweet grass in a ritualistic way. An offering is made to the Great Spirit, the Mother

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Earth, and to the four directions. As the smoke is drawn from the bowl through the stem (the pathway of the spirit), it is believed that the breath of the Great Spirit is drawn into the body. The smoke is also said to penetrate between the realms of the physical, thus sending prayers to the Creator. 2. The sweat lodge purification ceremony is led by a spiritual leader and is conducted for purification or cleansing and healing. It is open for learning and growth. The worshipers sing songs while rubbing sage on the sore parts of their bodies and offering prayers to the Great Spirit. Repentance and forgiveness for wrongs are sought during the ceremony and relationships are enhanced. When the devotees enter the sweat lodge for the rite of purification, the physical body is said to be entering a Mother's womb. The sweat lodge is usually built on consecrated or holy ground with a privacy screen in order to avoid outsiders who would not understand what is going on. Some other optional items used in pipe and sweat lodge ceremonies ( in addition to herbs, tobacco, and feathers) are: a. The drum, which symbolizes the heartbeat of the earth and the Nation of the native American. It is said to bring all the Native people together in a sacred circle, reuniting them in spirit and purpose. It is also said to connect the Native American people with the earth and sends their prayers. A smaller drum is used for healing sweats while a larger ~rum is used during ceremonies. b. Rattles are shaken during healing ceremonies to call the spirit of life, which takes care of humans. Also

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during the sweat lodge ceremony, the elder leading the worship invites the spirits of the four directions to come in to help the celebrants who may be seeking a spiritual or physical cleansing in order to renew their lives or in starting a new life.

able practice with ashes being scattered by the appropriate tribal council. The hair is often shaved off as a sign of mourning and burned. Some may prepare for death by giving away their possessions (Giving Away Ceremony).

Minister of Record Medical Treatment There are no restrictions on medicines, but the spiritual leader (medicine man) may be requested to perform a healing ceremony.

Burial Rituals Burial practices vary from one tribe to another. However, cremation is an accept-

Since there is no formal ordination, leadership is the result of a personal experience or vision, complemented by wisdom and good judgement. The shaman or spiritual leader serves as a leader during sacred ceremonies. Such a leader is approved by the tribal council. Also an elder or a pipe bearer can be utilized as a minister of record (ibid., 74).

WICCA Wicca (male); Wicce (female) is a craft related to supernatural powers, usually considered related to the devil by Christians. In modern days, practitioners have redefined it to mean "the craft of the wise." It is very diversified and the Encyclopedia of American Religions lists about 51 different practicing groups. There are also several solitary practitioners. There is a wide-range of spectrum from traditional to eclectic. The traditional groups tend to follow a set of liturgy, while the eclectic groups emphasize immediate inspiration in worship. Witchcraft is said to be a matriarchal religion which acknowledges the life force as a link between all its associates (ibid., 78). It is known by different names such as: witchcraft, goddess worshipers, neopaganism, paganism, earth religion, old religion, etc. Wiccans claim that there is no connection between their religion and Satanism because Satanism involved harmful practices that are

also illegal and Wicca is not. They have a core ethical statement: "Do as thou wilt, but harm ye none." They also have a Rede (code of ethics) which emphasizes an individual responsibility to avoid harm to others and a wide-range of personal autonomy in victimless activities.

Theology and History Witchcraft as a religion is said to date back to Paleolithic times, relating to the worship of the Goddess for Fertility. It was a universal religion with different names from one place to another but maintaining the same basic deities. Following the repeal of the anti-witchcraft laws in Great Britain in 1951, Gerald B. Gardner publicly declared himself a witch and began to form a group of students and worshipers. In 1962, two of Gardner's students, Raymond and Rosemary Buckland, whose

Dealing with Nontraditional Religions in Prison

religious names were Lady Rowen and Robat, emigrated to the United States and started teaching the Gardenerain philosophy of witchcraft. Another popular book by H.R. Trevor-Roper and Mircea Eliade was widely read and gave rise to the formation of several covens. In the fall of 1973, Llewellyn Press made an attempt to create an ecumenical definition of modern Wicca, by sponsoring a meeting of witches in Minneapolis, Minnesota. This one gathering brought about 73 witches from different traditions to form the Council of American Witches. This group, in the winter of 1974, began the collection of statements of principles of beliefs from the various groups. In 1975, the group wanted to secure a church status for legal protection and benefits and formed "Covenant of the Goddess (COG)." It does not represent all Wiccans, but it is the largest Wiccan Organization and is said to be crosstraditional. Wicca is also described as a neo-pagan or new pagan religion (ibid., 79).

Theology Wiccan practitioners seek their inspiration from European folklore and mythology. They have two forms of deities - the God who is Lord of the Animals, Lord of Death and Beyond; and the Goddess, in three aspects-maiden, mother, and crone. Each aspect symbolizes a phase of the moon: the waxing crescent, the full moon, and the waning scent. They use several different names for their deity. Practitioners would choose any of the world pantheons to focus on for personal devotions, so are the covens. They may also use particular deities as a group focus, which are often held in secret by the group. They believe in reincarnation. They believe in the "threefold law," meaning whatever you do

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returns to you threefold, whether good or evil. Gardenian Wiccans in the U.S. practice skyclads, meaning they follow a custom of nudity in the summer and wear clothes in the winter during their worship practices (ibid., 80).

Basic Tenets (Doctrines) l. They practice rites to attune themselves with the natural rhythm of life forces marked by the phases of the moon and the seasonal quarters and cross quarters. 2. They recognize that their intelligence gives them a unique responsibility toward their environment. They seek to live in harmony with nature in ecological balance by offering a fulfillment to life and consciousness within an evolutionary concept. 3. They acknowledge a depth of power far greater than what is apparent to the average non-practitioner because they perceive this power as far greater than the ordinary or supernatural; but, yet, they see it as a knowledge lying within that which is naturally potential to all people. 4. They conceive of the Creative Power in the universe as manifesting self through polarity-masculine and feminine-and that this same creative power lives in all people and functions through the interactions of the masculine and the feminine. Neither is valued above the other because each is supporting to the other. Sex is valued as pleasure and as a symbol and embodiment of life as one of the sources of energies used in magical practice and religious worship. 5. They recognize both outer worlds and inner worlds or psychological worlds, sometimes known as the spiritual world, the collective unconscious, the inner planes, etc. They see in the interaction

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6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

11.

12.

Spiritual and Religious Diversity in Prisons of these two dimensions the basis for paranormal phenomena and magical exercises. They neglect neither dimension for the other, seeing both as necessary for their fulfillment. They do not honor any authoritarian hierarchy but do honor their teachers, especially those who share their greater knowledge and wisdom, and therefore, acknowledge those who courageously drive themselves into leadership. They see religion, magic, and wisdom in living as being united in the way one views the world and lives within it. It is this world view and philosophy of life that they identify as witchcraft, the wiccan way. Calling oneself a witch does not necessarily make one a witch; neither is it inherited, learned in schools, colleges or even initiated. A witch is a person who seeks to control the forces within him or herself that make life possible in order to live wisely and well, without harm to others, and in harmony with nature. They acknowledge that it is the affirmation and fulfillment of life, in a continuation of evolution and development of consciousness that gives meaning to the known world, and their personal roles within it. They represent other religious or philosophies of life claiming to be the only way and who seek to deny others their freedom to practice their religious beliefs or seek to suppress others of their religion. American witches are not threatened by debates on the history of the craft or the origins of various aspects of the different traditions. They are concerned about the present and the future. They do not accept the concept of absolute evil; nor do they worship any entity called "Satan" or the "Devil" as

defined by Christian tradition. They do not seek power through the suffering of others, nor do they accept the concept that a personal benefit can only be derived by a denial to another. 13. They acknowledge that they seek within nature for that which is contributing to their health and well being.

Initiation Rite(s) (ibid., 81). Wicca, like any other primal religion, is purposed to put the individual and the coven (group) in harmony with the Divine Creative Principle of the Cosmos, and its manifestations, at all levels. As a craft, it is also purposed to achieve practical ends by psychic means, for good, useful, and healing purposes. As a religion, it is also ritually expressed. Most covens have an entry or initiation ceremony. Since the craft is a natural spontaneous religion, no two rituals are the same. Basic rituals involve casting the circle, drawing down the moon, the charge, the legend of the descent of the goddess, and so on. These are at the discretion of the high priestess and the high priest, which may involve a test, an oath, and a symbolic rite of death and rebirth. Formal and informal rites are both included. This initiation is called a witch in several covens. Some covens may have a three-step progression to high priest and high priestess, while the Alexandria tradition has a five-step process (ibid., 82).

Requirements for Membership The witches' calendar is rooted in Sabbats, seasonal festivals that mark key points in the natural year. They include: agricultural, pastoral, wildlife, botanical, solar, lunar, planetary, and psychic, encompassing all the tides and cycles of which all affect or reflect each other. Witches celebrate

Dealing with Nontraditional Religions in Prison the Sabbats as their way of putting themselves in tune with those tides and cycles. There are eight witch Sabbats: 1. Imbolg (also called Candlemas, Oimelc, and Imbolg), celebrated on February 2 2. Spring Equinox (Alban, Eilir) , celebrated March 21 3. Beltaine (Beltaine, May Eve, Walpurgis Night, Cyntefyn Roodmass), celebrated April 30 4. Midsummer (Summer Solstice, Alban Hefin, sometimes called Beltaine), celebrated June 22 5. Lughnasadh (August Eve, Lammas Eve, Lady Day Eve), celebratedJuly 31 6. Autumn Equinox (Alban Elfed) celebrated September 21 7. Samhain (Halloween, All Hallows Eve, Calan Gaeaf), celebrated October 31 8. Yule (White Solstice, Alban Arthan), celebrated December 22

Scripture Most covens use the Book of Shadows, a book containing rituals unique to each person and a coven. It also contains the various rituals for healing, power, wealth, initiation rites, Wiccaning, land fasting, house blessings, and the rites of the eight Sabbats, as well as the Esbats for new moon and full moon. Access to these books may be limited to initiated members of this religion.

Diet Requirements No diet is prescribed, but some groups are vegetarians.

Religious Accessories There are several traditions within the Wiccan religion, so there are many kinds of accessories used for individual and corporate

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worship, which may vary from one tradition to another. The most common are the following: 1. Robe or Taband (a loose-fitting cloak which may have loose fitting sleeves or may be sleeveless). It is not worn over clothing, traditionally. 2. Athame (a ritual knife sharpened on both edges, usually having a black handle). This item may not be permitted in prison, so practitioners may use their finger as a substitute. 3. Statue or artwork representing the Goddess or God, depending on the season 4. A cup of wine (paper cups are used as a substitute in prison) 5. A bowl for water 6. A bowl for sale (non-iodized or seasalt) 7. Incense 8. A pentacle (a disc with symbols relating to the individual tradition engraved on it). This symbol is often a five-pointed star, which is the normal Wiccan pentagram. 9. Candles consisting of two whites for illumination, and one red, the symbol of fire. 10. Ritual Sword (may not be allowed in prison) 11. Other Wiccan traditions may use tarot cards as a form of divination These items are used in personal worship as well as congregational rituals during the Samhain (Halloween) rite. Wiccans wear jewelry engraved with various symbols of their tradition.

Common Symbols The Wiccan pentagram is a five-pointed star in an upright position, either stamped on a disc or printed in a circle. It is often worn on a necklace or engraved on a ring. Practitioners have an elaborate system of

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symbols used as shorthand in magical writings, such as in the Book of Shadows, and also in their personal correspondence. They also have a system of Rune symbols, which are believed to have diverse magical powers. Any of these symbols may be used in Wiccan jewelry and other ritual jewelry. The talisman is a symbol of their religious dedication, which is also often blessed by a coven or the individual to carry or to wear for protective and healing energy.

Worship Pradice They worship on the eight festival Sabbats and also meet for worship at every full moon and the day of the new moon. They can also meet for religious education at convenient times agreed upon by their members. For rituals (such as healing), they can be scheduled on an as-needed basis. The coven (people convened for a religious or psychic) is the meeting place for witches. But not all witches form or belong to a coven and a traditional coven consists of two or thirteen people. They meet within a circle laid with the ritual sword, athame, or a wand. The items for worship are contained within this circle. The circle is considered sacred and closed to outsiders who are not permitted to observe the rituals. In this circle, they can work without negative influences. During worship, the Wiccans dance, chant, practice creative visualization and self-hypnosis to aid them in focusing and directing their psychic energies for the purpose of healing, protection, and aiding

members in their various endeavors. This assistance can be extended to nonpractitioners upon request.

Medical Treatment (ibid., 78) Wiccans, in general, have no medical restrictions. They believe in spiritual or psychic healing, when done in relation with standard medical treatment. They also believe that healing energy can be sent from great or long distances, so a coven can be contacted at the request of a patient for assistance (ibid., 83).

Burial Rites There are no burial rites that pertain to the corpse and cremation is an acceptable practice. However, recognition of a dead member takes place at the coven without the body, where they may perform a rite of passage. Articles such as ritual tools, materials or writings found among the personal effects of the deceased are asked to be returned to their home coven. Traditionally, members designate other persons to whom such materials should be sent. If no one is designated, then such materials may be buried with the deceased.

Minister of Record A certified or recognized high priestess or high priest of the Wiccan religion can be designated as an inmate practitioner's Minister of Record (ibid., 74).

RASTAFARIANS The Rastafarian Movement, which started in the 1930s inJamaica as a reaction to the dominating political and economic life of

blacks by whites, especially, western Europeans, expanded to Europe, Africa, and North and South America. It had several

Dealing with Nontraditional Religions in Prison personalities and charismatic leaders with one common goal-Repatriation of blacks to Africa, with Haille Selassie as the liberating Messiah. Basically, it was designed as a peace movement or protest movement to resist the dehumanization and economic exploitation of blacks. However, its religious agenda, complicated by the frequent use of "ganja" or marijuana, poses a serious threat to the security of any state or region to which they migrate. The teaching of hatred of whites, especially their own admission of disharmony between this movement, authority systems, and the law is a real challenge, if anyone in authority will allow the movement to have a free course, in spite of the fact that the use of reggae music has popularized its ideas among the underclass and urban young blacks in cities throughout North America.

The Rastafarians (Rastamen) Theological Statement of Faith The Rastafari movement is a politicalreligious movement which originated in Jamaica in the 1930s. It started with a concept of self-identity and redemption for blacks in the West Indies. It affirms that Blacks (Africans) are the true heirs of biblical Israel, and Ras Tafari (Prince Tafari), who became crowned prince, Emperor Haille Selassie of Ethiopia, would be their Messiah and who would repatriate blacks back to Africa. It claims further that Haille Selassie, the acclaimed savior, would back black men into their rightful heritage including ownership of the African continent and would help them to win back black supremacy and dignity. The movement started first from Jamaica with a collection of several leaders with several messianic ideas. Haille Selassie was believed to be a living God (a type of savior), who would eventually repatriate blacks to

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Africa. They believe Ethiopia 0ah) is the Garden of Eden mentioned in the Old Testament, and that blacks are the missing chosen people or the true Hebrew tribes. They believe that whites are inferior to blacks, and that in the near future (apocalypse), all Blacks will return to Mrica and assume their rightful place in world leadership. The late emperor Haille Selassie is believed to be the embodiment of God and, though no longer visible, he nevertheless lives. He is their Messiah or God incarnate, who was born as Ras Tafari Makonnen (his given name before he became emperor), out of the lineage claimed to derive from the Queen of Sheba and King Solomon. Selassie himself proclaimed the title, "King of Kings" and "Lord of Lords" with his imperial majesty the conquering lion of the tribe Judah. So, from the Biblical base, he was the God-elect. His name "Haille Selassie" means "Power of the Holy Trinity" (Revelations 5:2-5 and 19: 16) (ibid., 84). They believe Western culture is "the corrupt Babylon" whereby Babylon is perceived source of evil in the white colonial system, and Rastafari is a reactionary movement, in response to their rejection of the goals of the dominate culture, by declaring a wholesale transformation of the perceived social evil by advocating its further destruction. Babylon is the Rastafarian term for the system controlled by white interest at all costs. Blacks felt this system has kept them down and exploited them, so Babylon is a symbol representing institutions of exploitation in the world. One of the leaders of the movement stated, "I'm from Ethiopia, but was born in the West Indies." By this statement, the movement claims "to have been passed over" by the divine spirit of J ah, Haille Selassie, who they have accepted as the divine creator and deliverer. In their world

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view, they believe that the world is divided into two portions: good and evil (Zion and Babylon), and as the true children of Israel, they are to be saved on the final consummation of history when the path of salvation would open to those accepting the faith (the enlightened ones). The status of Rasta is in itself a claim to divine power, the experience of Rasta sanctifies the individual's life: "God is in I because it is in his nature to be within man as well as above him; I was formed by a Rastaman." Marcus Garvey was one of their founding prophets who said, "Look at Mrica when a king shall come - ask for deliverance through the rise of Ethiopia and worship God through spectacles." The purpose of the Rastafarian movement is to give the oppressed people the strength to overcome oppression, so the doctrine of repatriation and the miraculous return to Ethiopia by the supernatural power of the king gives hope to Rastafarians (ibid., 85). The movement which may conform to Norman Cohn's (1957) seminal definition of a millenarian movement has five criteria: it has a collective response (by blacks outside Africa) that salvation will be activated in this world; that transformation will occur immediately, that it will be total, overturning and extant order; and it will be, miraculously achieved with the help of a supernatural agency (Haille Selassie). They preferred to be called "Rastaman" instead of Rastafarian, the adjective. The perceived evil is that evil white power was too powerful to be confronted by mortals, so only supernatural interventions could mask such an evil. They believe in Marcus Garvey, who is convinced that there would be a black "awakening" in the near future and one consequence of it is that of a social transformation in which all black people would gravitate towards their rightful homeland, Mrica, where they would rebuild their once great nation.

Nyabinghi, an anti-white wing of the Rastafarian movement (it was organized as a "secret society to destroy Whites") as first to cultivate long, unkempt coils of hair known as dreadlocks and a symbol of the Rastafarian movement. Not all Rastafarians wear dreadlocks. The new movement still emphasizes the acceptance of Haille Selassie as the divine power who would transform the world through the destruction of Babylon. Other associated names with the movement are the Coptic Theocratic Temple at Kingston, Jamaica; the Seventh Emmanuel Brethren, founded by Leonard Howell; and the Mrican Reform Church, founded by Ronald Henry. Not all Rastas use ganja. "Some brethren will have nothing to do with ganja, while others accord it religious significance." The Rastafarians were regarded in Jamaica as a semireligious and semipolitical movement. It is political in the sense that it wants to repatriate to Africa, while at the same time, advocate a violent, revolutionary change. The Reggae songs addressed issues such as the destruction of Babylon and the return to Africa and the roots of the Rastaman. The aim of the Rastaman is to revive what he believes to be the lost culture of precolonial Africa, as the "way of the Ancients" (ibid., 86). Marcus Garvey located the evil confronting blacks as inherent and internalized with feelings as inferior and subordinate to whites. So, the aim of the Rastas is to liberate their minds as well as a "New World of Black Men-and a nation of sturdy men making their impression on civilization and causing a new light to dawn upon the human race."

Historical Background The Rastafarian movement is a movement influenced by the Old Testament and

Dealing with Nontraditional Religions in Prison

the Book of Revelations. The founding fathers were black Baptist ministers who called themselves as the "new people of God." They emphasized the return to Jah (Ethiopia) by the enlightened ones, who believe in themselves as the true Israel. In the beginning, it was a common hatred of the white men for dominating political and economic life of the West Indies which gave birth to the movement. In the beginning, the Jamaicans were impressed by the pronouncement of Marcus Garvey, a militant pro-African Jamaican activist who declared himself, an avowed racists and fascist. Garvey wanted to be the political savior of all black people everywhere and attempted to establish American blacks as a power, independent from whites. He included a slogan that African Americans should "look to Africa when a Black king shall be crowned, for deliverance is near." This pronouncement coincided with the crowning of Rastafari in 1930 as the crowned Prince of Ethiopia Oah), titled Haille Selassie. Thus, he instantly become a living god for the West Indies, as against the Christian dead God. There were different variants; some were religious and maintained services of worship, while other extremists withdrew to plantations, where they grew "ganja" (marijuana) and established a colony of antiwhite militants. Some of their leaders later made money out of the fantasies of the believers, by prophesying that on some specific dates, airplanes would arrive to take them back to Africa. They were even sold worthless passports. Some cultists settled on the nebbish (trash) dumps outside Kingston, Jamaica. They rejected white ways by being dirty, being scavengers, and periodically insulting tourists. They also got into riots with the local police. Descendants of immigrants from Jamaica developed this movement in

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England and elsewhere, taking several varieties. In England, for example, they became partners with the skinheads (Rude boys) in the 1970s and later developed into black gangs. Their purpose at the time was to harass Asian immigrants. The new leaders for this movement were Immanuel Fox and Gabriel Adams, two Jamaica-born London residents who modeled after Marcus Garvey's Universal Black Improvement Organization (UElO). The intention of the new organization was to raise black consciousness as a vehicle of creating enthusiastic interest and possibly motivating them into collective action. According to Berrett, a task force was sent to Jamaica, and they were sanctioned by the Ethiopian World Federal to set up a branch of the Church of England with the agenda: "We, the Black people of the world to effect unity, solidarity, liberty, freedom, and selfdetermination, to secure justice and retain the integrity of Ethiopia, which is our divine heritage." They also adopted some of the doctrines of the Ethiopian Coptic Church (ibid., 87). The twelve tribes of Israel, an organization founded by Pepe, became an offshoot of the Rasta movement. However, it was Bob Marley, another member, who ensured a wide distribution of Rastafarian beliefs, values, ideas, and ambitions. They made Rasta more exciting and more appealing to young blacks not affiliated to any institution. "It provided them with new conceptual maps, new models of comprehending the workings of the world around them, for understanding not only their current position, but their history and future, for explaining ways in which they might escape their present circumstances and aspire to higher goals and for identifying who they are. It gave them a conceptual scheme for explaining the world and providing them a nucleus of self-identity."

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Rastafarian music is a means of feeding black youths with awareness of their dispriviledge and emptiness, by augmenting it with a positive orientation. Black youths perceive a hostile environment with depressing living conditions and a lack of solid matrix of existing institutional activities which led them to retreat into a subcultural existence. Here, they found the need to develop a distinct identity. The Reggae music presented by Bob Marley presented them with a persuasive set of guidelines to achieve their goal of self-identity. Rastamen began to immigrate to the United States in the late 1960s as Jamaican immigration increased.

Basic Tenets Rastafarian beliefs are summarized in the following positions: 1. Haille Selassie is the true and living God. That his death is a fabrication of the Western World and its allies. He had simply metamorphisized since August 1975; he assumed another form and reigns in spiritual body. 2. The death of Haille Selassie was inconsequential because he was merely a "personification of God." 3. Black people are the reincarnation of ancient Israel who, at the hands of whites, were exiled in the New World, especially Jamaica and the West Indies. 4. Whites are products of an evil civilization (Babylon), with no spiritual basis, and the white culture (Western) is an "unnatural" culture. 5. The situation for Jamaicans and West Indies is hopeless (beyond redemption) and Ethiopia 0ah or Africa) is the true home of black people (physical) and heaven is the spiritual home of blacks. 6. When all black people return to Africa in the millennium, white society in the

7. 8.

9.

10. 11.

west will collapse and black people will rule the world. Haille Selassie would be the Messiah to repatriate blacks to Africa. Rejection of all Western values, affirmation of Black separatism, and distinctive hairstyle (dreadlocks). Rejection of European/Western titles and food prepared by anyone, except a true believer. The growing of dreadlocks. Rasta women are required to wear skirts or dresses, no pants, and to keep their hair covered in public.

Religious Holidays The most significant holiday is the birthday of Haille Selassie onJuly 23. Other holidays are the birthday of Marcus Garvey, August 17 and the Independence Anniversary of Jamaica, the first Monday in August. For the birthdays, Rastafarians fast during the day or on the evening of the anniversary. They then come together or congregate for a "Nyabinghi," a convention of Rastafarians in a given region. They form into circles where a leader (a true brother) from the brethren will lead worship and the group smokes "ganja" or marijuana. Ceremonial items needed are ganja and natural foods like vegetables, fruits, grains, roots, and unbleached flour. Dairy products and bleached flour are avoided.

Holy Book Their primary resources include the King James version of the Bible, the Twenty-One Points (a semi-political statement sl.lmmarizing the Rastafarian position in SOCiety), the moral code written by Sam Brown and various statements issued by different leaders. Leaders here are not ordained. They

Dealing with Nontraditional Religions in Prison assume leadership charismatic ally, by claiming their personal authority and power, according to their degree of enlightenment. They do not have a central authority or a spokesperson.

Diet Requirement As previously stated, most Rastafarians are vegetarians. They eat natural foods U-Tel foods), including fruits, grains, roots, and vegetables. They avoid bleached flour and dairy product foods. They also avoid the use of alcohol, but "ganja" or marijuana is the preferred choice, also known as the "Holy Weed." Their food must be prepared by only a "true believer" (a Rastaman). Others prefer kosher food.

Religious Garments They wear robes and dashikis (a loose fitting robe or a tunic) and use Ethiopian, homemade makutarias (prayer sticks) with trimmed pix axle handles.

Religious Accessories Dreadlocks symbolize their reaction to capitalism, racism, and imperialism. They prefer Ethiopian colored garments, usually identified with red, gold, green, and black.

Common Symbols of the Rastafarians The number 12, symbolizing the new Israel, is often referred to as the "organ" is their main financial resource. Dreadlocks (a mark of a true Nazarene)scripture references Leviticus 19:27, 21:5, and Numbers 6:5. The name "dreadlocks" signifies unholy people's fear of the dreadful power of the holy. Blacks who cut their hair become like goats, because they prostitute themselves by likening to whites for crown

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and title, gold and silver, by using comb, scissors, and razor. Those three elements are the three revolutionary forces that Babylon (Western culture) and the Pope (Christianity) have over the world. They identify the three sins, which are Western ideas upon creation as politics, religion, and commerce. They believe that as a man destroys his hair, he also destroys himself, his divine energy, so he will not produce anything (Ras Hu-1). Hu-1 adds further that dreadlocks are like "high tension wires," which transmit divine energy and inspiration fromJah, the creator, to Rasta, the mirror. A Rasta without dreads is a "bald-head" because he cannot be taken seriously, and he does not display his commitment to the faith. Besides, how can anyone get a message to him? The colors red, black, gold, and green are African liberation colors. Other symbols used are the 6-point Star of David, candles, and pictures of Haille Selassie.

Initiation Rite The growing of dreadlocks is a primary sign of commitment to the faith. One must show the ability to contradict the social modes and customs of Babylon in the interest of Rastafari and personal divine qualities. Development of "high tension wires," dreadlocks opens all realms of life and revelation knowledge through Rastafari (ibid., 88).

Requirements for Membership Participation in initiation rite is a requirement for membership. Acceptance of rejection by the Western culture by the form of racism, dismay, disillusionment and being denied what was understood as full participation in society. The Rastafari movement provides concepts through music, cultural units, and escape

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from the "pressure." The growing of dreadlocks.

Worship Pradice Any leading brother can conduct worship services. Although group worship is not a required tenet of the faith, weekly meetings are generally encouraged. Members will gather for "Nyabingi" at intervals during these meetings. Nyabingi of 1959 is the name of a resistance movement in Jamaica, which was used to coerce the government to repatriate some Jamaicans to Ethiopia (Shashamane), following a land grant of 500 acres by the World Federation in New York. Since music is very important to their worship, they dance to Reggae music, a unique form of music. They usually preach love, unity, and peace among themselves (ibid., 85). The smoking of marijuana (holy herb) is an integral part of their religious ritual. Their two rock stars revered as prophets are Bob Marley and Peter Tosh. Their music calls for comprehensive social transformation.

Burial Rituals None.

87). They like to proselyte among blacks and recruit by word of mouth. One of their tools of recruitment is through music, especially Reggae music. They have developed special relationships with the Ethiopian Coptic Church, which has congregations in the United States (with headquarters in Brooklyn, New York). Among their prophets were Marcus Garvey, Peter Tosh, and Bob Marley (ibid., 84).

Glossary

Medical Treatment Some Rastafarians are distrustful of hospitals and regard birth control as propaganda by whites to destroy blacks. They condemn blood transfusions. Herbal medicines are preferred over chemicals. They forbid cosmetic surgery and oraldental surgery. Others place no restrictions on medical treatment.

Miscellaneous Most

advocates for peace and would tend to avoid military duty. Most Rastafarians do not cut their hair as Nazarenes, and wear it in long braids called "dreadlocks." Their center of worship is the smoking of "ganja," a holy herb. They teach that they have an irreconcilable difference with whites and Western authority systems. They call Western culture Babylon, meaning they perceive a source of evil in the white colonial system. This perception generated anti-white sentiments among their rank and file. Their response is to reject the dominant cultural goals by declaring a wholesale transformation of the perceived social evil by its destruction (ibid.,

Rastafarians

are

pacifists

or

The term Rastafarians means "the enlightened one" to a Rastaman. To others, it means one who acclaims Haille Selassie as the Black Messiah, who will one day repatriate all blacks to J ah (Africa or Ethiopia) of Eden, and will restore them to their rightful heritage in world history, that is with black supremacy. It is a politicalreligious liberation movement originated in Jamaica in the 1930s. Dreadlocks: separatism, distinctive hairstyle developed by Rastafarians. It is a symbol of a lion's mane and strength, an initiation rite into the movement. It symbol-

Dealing with Nontraditional Religions in Prison izes an irreconcilable difference between Rastafarians and Western culture. Ganja: "holy herb," marijuana, a weed, now a drug, cultivated and used frequently by the Rastafarians during worship. Babylon: A term used by Rastafarians to describe Western culture, especially economic systems controlled by Westerners (whites) to maintain Western interests. They used the term, in general, to describe economic exploitation and the slavery of blacks that dehumanizes and makes them economically deprived of power, selfhood, and inability to actualize themselves. Reggae music: A unique music adopted by the Rastafarians to propagate their beliefs and to influence young blacks to their cause. I7ze Ethiopian Coptic Church: The national church of Ethiopia believed to have been founded by the Ethiopian Eunuch (Acts 8:27). It has congregations in the United States with headquarters in Brooklyn, New York. Rastafarians share fellowship with this church. Ras Tafari Makonnen: The crowned Prince of Ethiopia who became known as Emperor Haille Selassie after his coronation in 1930. He was instantly acclaimed a living God by the Rastafarians as against the dead God of the Christians. Jah: A synonym for Ethiopia or Africa. Messiah: A title accorded to Haille Selassie

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by Rastafarians. Zion: The Rastafarian heaven (Jah), a good system that is fair, liberating, and with justice. Marcus Garvey: A black national leader exiled to Jamaica whose prophetic utterance "Look to Africa when a black king shall be crowned, for deliverance is near," coincided with the crowning of Ras Tafari in 1930, as the crowned Prince of Ethiopia-Haille Selassie. Rastaman: A preferred name among the Rasta brethren. Nyabinghi: A secret society organized by the Rastafarians to destroy their perceived corrupt western system. The Nyabinghi dance is still part of the Rastafarian worship practice. Universal Black Improvement Organization: A black organization founded by Marcus Garvey, which promotes black cultural agenda and black unity. Rude Boys (a synonym of skinheads): a gangster organization formed in England in the 1970s to harass Asian immigrants. I7ze Twelve Tribes of Israel: Also referred to as the organ, is the main source of financial resource to Rastafarians. L.P Howell: A black preacher who, in 1940, gathered his congregation on a mountain outside Kingston, Jamaica, to proclaim himself Haille Selassie's regent (ibid., 74).

RELIGIOUS CULTS

Definition A cult is a group or a movement that, to a significant degree: (a) exhibits great or excessive devotion or dedication to some person, idea, or a thing; (b) uses a thought reform program to persuade, control, and to socialize members, i.e., to integrate them into the group's unique pattern of relation-

ships, beliefs, values, and practices; (c) systematically induces states of psychological dependency in members; (d) exploits members to advance the leadership's goals; and (e) causes psychological harm to members, their families and the community (ibid., 89). A cult is a religious worship which traces its leader to an inspired founder or a

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prophet. Cults have a rite or a ritual, a liturgy marked by the presence of a priesthood, which then formulates moral laws to govern the cult community: worships made to a superior being, an unseen force or a hidden friend. Power may be given to a thing such as a talisman, a fetish; a medicine may be cherished and said to dispense a grace. Images are then defined to create the object of adoration such as Father Heaven or Mother Earth with imagery and symbols for some spiritual purity. Cults may be religious, psychotherapeutic, political, commercial, or gang related. They tend to produce a conflict between the group and society. In order to manage conflict, they tend to become isolated psychologically, as they are governed by hidden agendas and become totalistic; they will dictate how members should think, feel, act, and will inflict severe punishments for noncompliance. Religious cults begin with a new religious development, different from traditional views as a result of a new view or an experience by their leaders. So the broad definition of a cult would include a group of people with a similar set of customs, practices, and ideals as well as similar beliefs and a common ritual that binds them together. Some of these groups are not a threat to society, but our interests are focused on those who pose a threat to society. These are called Destructive Cults.

Destructive Cults Destructive groups are destructive to the well-being of the individual as well as the community, based on their actual behaviors and practices, not on their theology or beliefs or world view. Thus, Robert Jay Lifton, lists eight characteristics of a destructive cult. To be classified as a destructive cult, all these characteristics must be present: (1)

millieu control; (2) mystical manipulation (or planned spontaneity); (3) demand for purity; (4) the cult of confession; (5) sacred science; (6) loading of the language; (7) doctrine over person; and (8) dispensing of existence. 1. Millieu Control: This is achieved by limiting communications or contacts with the outside world. They live in a closed environment, usually isolated in the woods, and far from any town or city. There is no access to television, radios, newspapers, or outside influences warranted. Thus, separated from the rest of the world, the group is socialized by psychological pressure, physical pressure, education or indoctrination process by a sequence of events such as seminars, and lectures. Group encounters, which may become intense with rewards and punishments, make it extremely difficult both physically and psychologically to leave. The member can be completely cut off from any meaningful contact with people from the outside group. Once one is fully accepted, the member is forbidden to leave or is isolated from contact with non-group members. The member severs all contacts and communication with non-group friends and family members. Even family dates are radically restricted because members cannot date, marry, or engage with their spouse without the group leader's permission. 2. Mystical Manipulation (or Planned Spontaneity): The convert is convinced that the group is working toward a "higher purpose" or a greater good, and that he or she will be instrumental in the attainment of that goal. The process is systematic, planned, and managed by the leadership, but appears to have risen spontaneity within the environment. The environment is manipulated to give a

Dealing with Nontraditional Religions in Prison false but seemingly divine or an ultimate succor to the revelations given to the member. The leader now becomes the center of the manipulation, and institutes a two-fold process at work. The leader becomes more real than an abstract god and, thus, becomes attractive to the members of the cult. The person now becomes the source of disillusionment, while the totalistic ideology can then be justified with such a deception. The manipulation of the member is attained on the basis of ultimate trust. In the final analysis, it is a process where selfdetermination, personal responsibility, and autonomy are turned over to the leader who can determine whether he or she is given a special revelation concerning the member's life. 3. Demand for Purity: This need for purity is based on the constant strive for perfection in order to achieve the higher goal. In this process, the world is divided into the absolute good and the absolute evil. There are no longer gray areas of moral action for the group member. The group will do everything to induce guilt within the member that can cause the person to view self as unable to function without the guidance or direct intervention by the group or the group leader (total dependence), while absolute purification becomes a continuing process which can destroy the natural inner balance and moral tension that exists as most people try to function in society. The process ultimately destroys that individual's selfconfidence and perceived ability to face the demands of life in a positive manner. 4. The Cult ConfeSSion: To control the member's thoughts, the person is required to confess his or her inner most fears and anxieties to the leader. This pressure to confess may cause members to invent sin in order to confess to the group.

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I attended a church service in Forth Worth, Texas, where a mother of a church (a title given to one of the elderly ladies) said God showed her a vision where wearing a make-up is a pagan practice. After that, all the ladies in that church were prohibited from wearing make-up. Other young ladies even testified to the morality of not wearing any make-up. However, the lady who invited me to that church said that was not the first time the church's mother told of this vision. Absolute purity and repetitive confession are interrelated. Repetitive confession is said to be an expression of extreme arrogance in the name of an apparent humility. The self-purging aspect of the person is said to be a symbolic act of selfsurrender of that person's autonomy as an individual to the group. It destroy's the balance between self-worth and humility in the person. 5. Scared Science: The basic dogma or doctrine of the group must be accepted as sacred or a scientific truth. Lifton describes this attitude as an aura of sacred science surrounding the belief system, whereby every doctrine or hypothesis of the group is presented as a fact to be believed by faith. The basic tenets of the belief system must be accepted on faith alone and there is no allowance given to prove them false. Any opposition or any alternate view is subjected to ridicule, verbal assaults, physical abuse, or deprivation by the group's leadership. There is prohibition against questioning the basic dogmas of the group. Logic is thus transcended and the group can make exaggerated claims of airtight logic of absolute scientific precision. The moral vision of the group becomes the ultimate science whereby the person who questions it becomes unscientific as well as immoral, and persons in the group must

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aspire to live out this moral vision. Finally, it is the functional view that the ideas of a person can become God, and by living out the group's dogma, a perfect world will result. No person is worthy to evaluate the dogma or even evaluate the process before accepting it whole, because it is beyond questioning. 6. Loading the Language: This involves the creation of a lingo that assigns new meanings to familiar words and this method assists the group in separating nonmembers from members. For example, the assigning of the prefix mother, father, sister, brother, and so on reflects ties to the group instead of blood relationships. Thus, the new member becomes like a child who needs to be taught the ways of life and resocialized. Great emotional value is assigned to certain words to convey a meaning only technically understood by the group, quite different from what a dictionary or a normal rational definition will convey. Oral discussions that are unwanted can be dismissed as unimportant using this new terminology. For example, allegations about a wife taken from a husband and vice versa by the group's leader may be termed "unbelieving Philistine" and so on, so difficult questions can be thwarted without placing any effort to discuss their merit. 7. Doctrine over Person: The group functions with the view that the group's doctrine supersedes everything a person has previously learned. The value of an individual is subordinate to the group's value, its work, and its doctrine. Individual needs are placed last, below the group's needs. Thus, individualism is equated with selfishness while the group's needs are said to be unselfish. Therefore, a person's own experience is sacrificed to

the doctrine or dogma of the group. Whenever one experiences a contradiction, that experience is immediately associated with guilt or condemned by the group in such a way that can lead to guilty association. Even doubts are said to be evil, so the elimination of the individual may become necessary in order to further the doctrine. For example, a child may be starved or beaten to death if the child would not stay awake during long services. 8. Dispensing of Existence: A sharp line is drawn between those who will be "saved" and those who will be "damned" (condemnation of nonmembers). Some groups would define which people have the right to exist and those who do not have the right to exist in the world. They would dehumanize others in order to eliminate them, if necessary, in order to promote the group. The group views itself as "special," a chosen people and all others are non-persons. Those nonpersons do not have the same rights, privileges, or status, for example, racial hatred or racial intolerance groups. When one is accepted, the person can be given all the rights and privileges; however, when rejected or disassociated, one may be traumatized psychologically within intimidation's of inner breakdown or collapse. For example, a pastor told me, after I left church, that I was in the wilderness and without the protection of God unless I rejoined his church, meaning I could not be saved without belonging to his local church. Even physical assaults on nonmembers are justified. For example, it is reported that the Oklahoma bombing was in reiteration for the destruction of the cult in Waco.

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SATANISM With the enactment of the Religious Reformation Act of 1993, several floodgates were opened to religion and cults, and even occults which we have never heard of or seen before. Even some inmates decided to start their own religion or create a religion when they had no religious preference in their files previously. One of the several religions that surfaced was Satanism. When we talk about Satanism, we do not have to think Mrica or the Caribbean. We must think heavy metal, rap, rock & roll, and underground music, and it is clear that Satanism is thriving among mainstream white America as black metal rock and can have a strong drawing power over teenagers. Some artists promote Satanism, just like Bob Marley promoted Rastafarianism. Many teenagers do not find any fulfillment with traditional religious practices. The church has denied the power of the Kingdom of God (I Corinthians 4:20). The church says the liturgy but does not exercise any authority over Satan or his demons. In the attempt to make the Christian church acceptable and mainstream, the social Gospel is preached and practiced, while the power is denied. Young preachers who would not deny the power are unacceptable for ordainment in certain churches because of psychological profiles and tests designed to weed out these so-called "undesirables" in some mainstream churches. However, we allow Satan to be portrayed in movies, books, videos, etc., presenting occult or satanic themes and these movies are very popular among teenagers who think the sight of blood and barbaric, sadistic acts of violence are entertaining. Children can become intrigued by the horror movies, the magic spells, the chants, and the accessories; however, soon their curiosity is overwhelmed by the progression

of hopelessly being hooked on occult involvement and being controlled by the acts themselves. Their peers say it's alright, it's just fun and pranks-few cigarettes or a weed here and there, speed, alcohol, and so on. Then come the gangs who can supply these items for friendship and the later satanic inducements. We are seeing rebellion against parental and social authorities as never before. Children are vandalizing places; flag burning; getting tattooed and pierced; desecrating cemeteries; spray painting buildings, bridges, and neighborhoods with occult symbols; and abusing pets all in the name of fun and deviancy. Most of us are in denial. Four years ago, I was working out at our local high school when I noticed some gang symbols and mentioned it during a sermon at a local Methodist Church. The next day, the principal had all the symbols, painted over and called me a liar. However, when the painter collaborated my story, the principal changed his story and said the symbols were made by outsiders, not students from the high school. Children sometimes think the only way for adults to notice them is to do bad things, but the consequences of deviancy can be a long prison sentence or even death row. Following rock idols, getting sexual pleasure, and seeking material or spiritual fulfillment or power may be an attraction to worship Satan. However, I think the church has stopped preaching about Satan's strategy for adults not to notice when their children dabble into Satanism. There are four main levels or kinds of Satanism (ibid., 90): (1) the dabbler; (2) the self-styled Satanist; (3) the public Satanist; and (4) the hard-core Satanist. The dabbler is one who just simply plays around with that which he or she assumed to

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be Satanic but has no knowledge or understanding of what literal devil worship involves. A dabbler may not be associated with an organized coven but just vandalize the neighborhood with satanic graffiti. In their rebelliousness, dabblers just want to send a signal that they can do perverse crimes in the name of Satan to be appreciated by the master of lies (Satan). The self-styled Satanist views the worship as religion. He or she studies detailed rituals, memorizes from books and learns how to concoct peculiar ceremonies which may have no resemblance to authentic Satanism.

This person may not be committing crimes because of the recognition that senseless crime has no place in devil worship. The public Satanist promotes the religion by writing books and making media and television appearances to promote the religion. They may run licensed churches and clubs that may lose their licenses, should they be caught performing illegal acts or lose their tax-exempt status. Hard-core Satanists are individuals who may sacrifice animals and humans on a regular basis to carry on the goals of their faith.

MIND CONTROL METHODS Dr. Langone tells us that mind control is the one main factors cult leaders like Jim Jones of Jonestown and David Keresh of Waco used to manipulate and persuade their followers to do anything they willed without questioning their authority or without resistance to their demands (ibid., 89). First, to maintain a critical mind in order to function successfully in the social world requires some practice (Chaffee, 1991). Second, by sensitizing ourselves to the power dynamics in our social surroundings, we may be in a better position to recognize bad influence tactics when they arise, and postpone our decisions in relation to them. Knowing when and what to resist between the ideals people promise and their concrete actions may be the key to recognizing the flaws in their theories. We must try to separate the preacher from the practice, the promise from the outcome, the perceived intention from the consequence before we start labeling the things described because behavior can be the key to these people, instead of the symbols and the concepts they tend to promote. Manipulators are good at hiding their appearance by appearing to be

normal, while concealing their true selves. This is because they do not want to be caught off guard. For example, potential rapists can appear to be friendly, courteous, and polite to befriend an unsuspecting woman, but at the time of their crimes, they turn to be something else. They tend to put the guilt on their victims and want them to believe it is their fault for letting them do what they did. Some will even deny it to the end and say that it was consensual because the victim agreed to the act. Sometimes violating some of the rules set by cult leaders and observing the consequences may not be such a bad idea at all because some of these leaders are very effective persuaders and communicators. They can influence and make friends at all levels, and they make moves only after they feel accepted, trusted, and thought of as above reproach. The trusted scout leader, the youth minister, the camp counselor, or the humanitarian are all good people and do good things. However, when they prey on unsuspecting children, parents may be in denial for a long time before doing something about it. When people appear to share our con-

Dealing with Nontraditional Religions in Prison cerns, our feelings, our aspirations, and so on, we tend to accept them as colleagues, as allies, people we can trust and give the benefit of the doubt. Recruiters for these underground organizations may go mainstream to advertise on television, radio, or in the news media, but that does not make their practices adaptable to society. For example, RFRA was supposed to help prisoners as well as citizens to exercise their religious freedom. However, once it became a law, it brought nightmares to state attorneys general and prison managers. Occultists and cultists became so apparent to the extent that inmates thought they had rights to start their own religions by demanding more food and supplies from prison officials legally. Thus, the good intentioned law was abused by the very people it was intended to protect. Christian chaplains became the victims of lawsuits and were forced to become religious directors and, in doing so, compromised their own religious principles and integrity. We felt incapacitated. Three subtle qualities Langone tells us to look for in these treacherous people are apparent competence, cognitive confusion, and emotional confusion. He says that regardless of someone's real credibility, we must still end up responding to how competent, how confident, and how stable he or she appears to be. They may be powerful to express confidence and self-assurance across all levels of communication through body language, through words and so on. When they look us straight in the eye or stand very close and speak forcefully, they are not intimidated, but they intimidate us and put themselves in perfect control over the encounter. For this reason, we must refuse to accept their initial premise by maintaining a sense of calmness and control, reversing their control over us. An example is a salesman who orders you to sign for a product you do not want to purchase. Sales people

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are trained to manipulate, intimidate subtly, and choose for us. Another example might be when you go to a car lot to buy a Buick and you end up driving home in a Chevette because a salesperson talked you into it. In the end, you feel stupid, cheated, and used. You try to return the car and you find out that it would ruin your credit because the law as currently written protects the business and not the consumer. Cognitive confusion is often concocted when the culprit is very eloquent with words and often uses false analogies, elaborate explanations, semantic distortion, and convenient rhetorical labels that are vague but sometimes impressive to the unsuspecting ear. For example,John Dean (1978) reminds us of what happened during the Watergate cover-up as the use of cute euphemisms, jargon, and rhetoric such as "bites of the apple," "wasting an enemy," or "engaging in a revolutionary protest" were used instead of we are going to murder other human beings (Lutz, 1983). Recognizing vague generalities and inadequate explanations for what they are is the key to distinguishing between messages that are actually confusing or ambiguous. In emotional confusion, a "60 Minutes" documentary with Mike Wallace (1979) reminds us of how industrial insurance sales people and also cemetery sales people would take a picture of a man or woman being buried during a snow storm and show it to a couple and say, "Do you want your wife or husband shopping for this property in such adverse weather?" And, if you say, "no," they respond, "then take care of this situation now." They actually compel their customers to buy an insurance policy no matter whether they already have a policy in place or not. You see, the tactic is to work on our fears, emotions, integrity and survival needs. They are trained to detect what we want from a situation, what our fears and

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anxieties are, and sometimes our greed and end up messing us up (ibid., 90). Once they earn our trust, persuaders can change our attitudes by inducing emotionladen conflict requiring resolution. Even by making us feel fearful, guilty or awkward, the manipulator is in a position to ease our discomfort by providing reasonable explanations and soothing solutions. (Franks, 1961; Hinkle & Wolff, 1956; Rites & Trout, 1986). Indebtedness and guilt can rise from allowing someone to make sacrifices on your behalf. This technique is used by prisoners when they sacrifice by breaking the rules to do staff a favor. Then, little by little, they use that to manipulate the staff. Sometimes we are very naive in revealing our needs and vulnerabilities to total strangers. Therefore, cults and mind control systems utilize public confessions, self-exposure "games" (nudity) [used by Synanon, Anson 1978], and similar techniques to weaken the resistance of their followers, and then start to exploit them later (see games inmates play).

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20 Ways to Resist Unwanted Social Influence l. Practice being a deviant at times; break the stereotype of your usual role/selfimage; learn to accept rejection; play with viewing yourself differently. 2. Practice admitting to yourself by saying, "I made a mistake," "I am sorry," "I was wrong" and " ... and I have learned my lesson from that error." 3. Recognize the general perspective others use to frame a problem, situation, or issue at hand and do not accept situations on their terms, giving them unfair advantage over you. So, be willing to step back and reject their entire framework and propose your own alternatives before debating specifics. 4. Be willing to accept short-term losses

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such as money, self-esteem, time, and effort as against long-term or a wrong commitment which can keep you locked in. Be willing to step back from any interpersonal situation or commitment and say to your self and to your significant or over a controlling other, "I can survive without your love, friendship, liking, abuse, even though it may hurt now to give it up-unless you stop doing x and start doing y." Postpone decisions that are uncertain, especially when the change agent insists must be made immediately; move out of the situation to take time to think; try to get second objective opinions, and never rush to sign contracts. Insist on adequate explanations, paraphrase your view to the other person to make sure you understand what is taking place, do not assume anything. Change-agents can make you feel stupid after the encounter so mirror back what they say and do not assume. Also, do not accept poor explanations because inadequate explanations are signs of deception. Remember sales people are taught to keep it simple and short. Be sensitive to situation demands and immediate commitments such as role relationships (even love can wait and grow), uniforms, symbols of authority, signs, titles, group or peer pressures, rules, apparent consensus, scarcity slogans, and obligations. Do not get "sucked into" the establishment of a host-guest relationship in which you are made to feel and act as a guest, whereby you could compromise your freedom of choice and action. Do not believe in simple solutions to complex personal, social and political problems (remember that a changeagent wants to keep things simple and

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short). Friendship has to be earned or developed. Unconditional love from strangers is suspect, but with time, it can be developed through mutual acceptance, recognition, sharing, and commitment. Maintain individual identity, when caught up in an impersonal influence setting with an agent of change. Do not give more information about yourself than is necessary by breaking through role constraints with your eye contact. Even with personal name calling, flattery, and so on, maintain your personal identity. Try to avoid "total situations" that are unfamiliar and in which you have little control and freedom, by testing the limits of your autonomy; and cheating our psychological exists. Even small hassles are reasonable exit costs from what would be a bigger loss, if carried to conclusion. Practice "detached concern" by engaging your mind in critical evaluation. When engaged in confrontations with power manipulators, disengage your emotions. Guard against greed and ego-flattery. Such engagement can get mind control manipulators and con agents a step into your territory, so keep emotions from

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being seduced by them. You can resist their lure by taking the perspective of a most honest, self-assured person you know. Recognize your own guilt symptoms and the guilt indications others place on you, and never act from your guilty motives. Guilt is part of our human nature so do not rush it because others try to push your button. Always be mindful of what you are doing in a given situation and do not get carried away. If the deal sounds too good to be true, check it out first. You do not have to maintain a consistency between your actions at different times; you can change. But do not allow others to hold you up to the false standard of being reliable in order to maintain the status quo. Respect legitimate authority and give them obedience, but expose and reject illegitimate authority. Stand up against injustice. Injustice to one is injustice to all. So, it is not just enough to vocalize or be emotionally distressed about it. Be willing to openly disobey, defy, and challenge and be willing to suffer for it, if necessary. Without the bearing of the cross, there would be no resurrection or ascension (ibid., 89).

SPIRITUALITY Spirituality is the participation in a "power" that connects us with more than who we are. It is our involvement in the "source" and fulfillment of life, which is both individually life enhancing and unifying with other persons in community. It is an opening to and living in the "Gracious Mystery," imminent and transcendent (unseen and

material or seen). It is a person's or a group's values, and sense of meaning attached to those values. Spiritual traditions have a tendency to become "religious traditions." Religious traditions are formal organizations around spiritual experiences. Both spiritual and religious traditions involve a ritual, which is

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a symbol of collective behaviors that are carried out at some regular interval, expressing some meaning, beliefs, values, connectedness, and deepest sentiments for the participants. Rituals can be public or private. Spirituality transcends race, nationality, or language. Some spiritual and religious traditions are unique to specific cultures; while others run through various cultures. Some can be part of a culture, while others are absorbed and assimilated into existing cultures. For example, as Christianity traveled from Palestine to various places, certain traditions and cultures were absorbed by the existing cultures (ibid., 92). Westerners or Europeans have become the proponents of Christian spirituality and culture, instead of the original disciples and blood relatives ofJesus. In Christianity, as in Judaism, prayers are offered audibly to the Divinity (God). They can be read or be extemporaneous. Some mystics may meditate. Meditation in classical thought begins with moral behavior, a mental discipline (Prayer), and going into quietude. It is the interior or the internal identification of the personal life with that of the ideal Being, the Christ. In this search for illumination, we start from confession, which deals with remembering or confronting the facts of the confused past experiences. The seeker tries to find some meaning and makes some resolution to start afresh, because we are forgiven when we acknowledge and confess our shortcomings to our ideal Being. Now, the freed soul or person understands fully why things happen the way they are and resolves to do better through re-education or indoctrination. After which the old person is laid to rest and the new person emerges in the person of the New Spirit from within. This New Spirit within becomes the revival of a new life, a new vision with meaning and

intention. This is our path to complete union with Christ. When we are fully united, then it is no longer I who tries to live the Christ life in my personal striving, but the Christ who dwells in me who manifests through my actions, is the Christian's point of view. Islam, on the other hand, is a religion of devotion, centered upon the teaching of the prophet Mohamed and, of course, Christianity is centered on the teaching of Jesus Christ as God revealed in the flesh. Both Islam and Judaism accept Abraham as their prophet of faith as well as Christianity. However, Judaism has the decalogue as compared with Islam and Christianity which, although accept the law, interpret it according to the teaching and the understandings of their founders. Many Christians offer verbal prayers, praises, worship, and Thanksgiving, formal or extempore, rather than with silent meditation, except the society of friends, which recommends the practice of silence. Spirituality involves the use of different methods by focusing on the virtues (fruits of the Spirit) until the practitioner attains an appreciation of higher things (ibid., 93). In many religions, asceticism (self-denial) is accepted as the true form of spirituality, and Christianity is not excluded, depending on the culture or denomination. Spirituality in reality is about giving harmony and wholeness to our human experience. And speaking from my African-American experience, the believer-priest in Christ, or the born again believer in Christ, begins to experience a unifying energy at work inwardly, to bring that person into the fullness of the Christ. Whereas, the unbeliever may not understand the principles of life, the believer who is now restored into the body of Christ by the spirit, may begin to experience the creative and transforming power of the Holy Spirit by his or her faith, as the person grows in knowledge, doctrine, and

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grace (ibid., 103). the extent that the peace and goodwill we all Richard Foster, in his book Celebration of seek would evade us. However, I would the Disciplined Life, makes it clear that rather be spiritual than material or worldly. spirituality is a mere practical guide to the Only materialization can destabilize a life of prayer. Because being spiritual alone nation. without actually connecting to Christ Not until the recent struggle of power through repentance, confession, and faith, among the Buddhist Monks of South Korea, which are redemptive, cannot save the Buddhism seems to have some of the same unbeliever, according to Christian teaching. ideals of Christianity, even though the This is the point where Christianity differs methods and the ultimate realities are from the major religions. However, there are different. However, Christian Monks or elements of similarity and areas where all mystics and Buddhist Monks may get along religions seem to converge, and that is quite well, and perhaps agree to be different. spirituality as defined by one's faith group. This is the kind of peace or bridge we need The means, the virtues, and the methods to be building as we focus on world peace, may be the same. Even sometimes the goals unity, and love in our spiritual paths of our are the same, for example, the questions of ultimate realities. An Islamic suffi and a eternity, re-incarnation, death and beyond; Jewish prophet may both claim to be but doctrines and paths along the way may speaking for God, but through different be so strange, and sometimes so problematic paths. that they can strangely divide humanity to

VOLUNTEERING AND ORGANIZING FOR PRISON MINISTRY One of the sources for effective rehabilitation is a prison volunteer. Volunteering is not merely a way of stretching state budgets, but it is a vital link between the community and the prison system. Volunteers can model society's behaviors, customs, and traditions to inmates who are consistently craving role models. Since most inmates come from dysfunctional families, volunteers can assist in education, recreation, religious training, vocational training, and other aspects of skill training before re-entering society and can even supervise after incarceration. We are constantly recruiting and training volunteers as secretaries, musicians, Bible teachers, preachers, counselors, and all other skills needed to implement an effective rehabilitation program. Correctional employees are suspected by inmates, as being part of the system that keeps them behind bars, so

volunteers who are not employees can bring in a whole lot of fresh air, trust, and cooperation with the inmates. Second, there is a great need for aftercare programs after incarceration, and volunteers are needed for this vital bridge-building in order to prevent recidivism. However, volunteers are asked to cooperate with the staff that invites them because they become an extra help to that staff person. And since inmates are very manipulative to an unsuspecting stranger, a volunteer must always be reminded that all prison rules and regulations will be strictly enforced while volunteers are at a facility or a jail, and any violation could result with a disciplinary action, including termination of the volunteering opportunity and felony charges. So, it is very important for a volunteer to attend a volunteer training or

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orientation before trying to assist staff in this vital work. Inmates can be in denial and say that they did not commit the crimes of which they were charged and convicted. In fact, I am not saying that some inmates are serving time for crimes they did not commit. This is in the minority. For example, Walter Smith was convicted at Madison Correctional Institution for a rape he did not commit. However, the majority of the inmates convicted have committed the crimes and are capable of graphically narrating how these events took place, with the exceptions of those who were highly intoxicated at the time their crimes were committed. Those seem to have suffered a loss of memory. Inmates live in a culture of their own, even though they come from a diverse cultural backgrounds. But, once they are incarcerated, they tend to buy into a culture of telling a "white lie" that becomes their way of life. They become like good actors when they can tell you very sad stories to make you feel sorry for them, while in their minds, they are just playing games with you (ibid., 60). Lying is their way of getting out of trouble. On the surface, they may appear as very well meaning people, but when you read their files, you would wonder why a good person could have been such a vicious and violent person or a perpetrator of such a criminal act. Criminals are geniuses when it comes to lying and pretending. We have heard from inmates who said they own Mercedes-Benz cars and money, until they are released to go home, and cannot afford a bus fare. Our caution is to know that most inmates are antisocial by their personality type. That is, their actions do not conform to the norms of society. They are so smart that cheating, stealing, vandalism, cruelty, harassment of others, and illegal occupations are their way of life, instead of finding real jobs, and they

believe the majority of society is too dumb to detect their illegal actions. While they do not want to be abused, they have little regard or respect for the personal lives or property of others and the safety of others. These are lonely people who isolate themselves from society in order to live in their own reclusive worlds. They take no personal responsibility for their actions, and would blame families, spouses, and the judicial system for what they have become. They may even blame the victim for inviting the crime or for failing to give them their properties on demand and that they had no intention of injuring anyone. Under personality disorders, the DSM IV 301. 7 defines the diagnostic features of antisocial personality disorder as a pervasive pattern of disregard for others, and the violation of the rights of others that begins in childhood or early adolescence and continues into adulthood (p. 645). This pattern has also been referred to as psychopathy, sociopathy, or dyssocial personality disorder, because deceit and manipulation are central features of antisocial personality disorder (ibid., 94). Under this disorder, individuals lack empathy and tend to be callous, cynical, and contemptuous of the feelings, rights, and sufferings of others. They may have an inflated and arrogant self-appraisal (e.g., they feel that ordinary work is beneath them or lack of a realistic concern about their current problems or their future) and may be excessively opinionated, self-assured, or cocky. They may display as glib with superficial charm and can be verbally facile (e.g., using technical terms or jargon that might impress someone who is unfamiliar with the topic). In fact, lack of empathy, inflated selfappraisal, and superficial charm are features that have been commonly included in traditional conceptions of antisocial personality in prison or forensic settings where

Dealing with Nontraditional Religions in Prison criminal, delinquent, or aggressive acts are likely to be nonspecific. In the male prison where I work, inmates have been known to have caused disharmony in families of female volunteers who are married, by promising to marry these women if they divorce their husbands, while these inmates are themselves married. Others have managed to promise marriage to two or more women at a time, and have convinced two or three at a time to obtain marriage licenses, while the inmates take bids from the women, as to which one of them could provide the best for the inmate while incarcerated. Sometimes, the inmates may be able to convince the volunteer that marrying them is the best thing to do or that God has ordained them to be soul mates. While at their various housing units, an inmate may brag about how gullible or naive some of these unsuspecting women are, being used, but under the rights of confidentiality, staff are not allowed to tell what the inmates are up to, and it is sad. Even practicing homosexuals will get married to women, just to get support while incarcerated. Again, under personality disorders, the DSM IV, continues that these individuals may also be irresponsible and exploitive in their sexual relationships because they may have a history of many sexual partners and may never have sustained a monogamous relationship. They may be irresponsible as parents and squander money required for household necessities. Sometimes, these individuals are unable to support themselves or a family, may earn a dishonorable discharge from the armed forces and perhaps die violently (i.e., suicide, accidents, or homicide). Among the other symptoms of this personality is dysphoria, including complaints of tension, inability to tolerate

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boredom, and depressed mood. The likelihood to develop this disorder in adult life is increased by an early onset of conduct disorder (before age 10 years) and accompanying attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Contributing factors include child abuse, neglect, unstable or erratic parenting or inconsistent parental discipline (DMS IV, p. 647).

The Diagnostic Criteria for Antisocial Personality Disorder A. A pervasive pattern of disregard for and violation of the rights of others occurring since age 15, as indicated by three or more of the following: 1. Failure to conform to social norms with respect to lawful behaviors as indicated by repeatedly performing acts that are grounds for arrest. 2. Deceitfulness, as indicated by lying, use of aliases, or cloning others for personal profit or pleasure. 3. Impulsiveness or failure to plan ahead 4. Irritability and aggressiveness, as indicated by repeated physical fights or assaults. 5. Reckless disregard for safety of self or others. 6. Consistent irresponsibility, as indicated by repeated failure to sustain a consistent work behavior or honor financial obligations. 7. Lack of remorse, as indicated by being indifferent to or rationalizing having been hurt, mistreated, or stolen from another. B. The individual is at least 18 years old. e. There is evidence of a conduct disorder with an onset before age 15. D. The occurrence of antisocial behavior is not exclusive during the course of schizophrenia or a manic episode (ibid., 94).

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WHY VOLUNTEERING The purpose of telling the naked truth about the tough customers or clients we work with is not to scare any would-be volunteer or correctional worker away but to inform the potential worker to be cautious concerning our parishioners. They live in a distinctive cultural setting because the culture defines our world, and culture can be inherently oppressive. It can promise success, while victimizing its adherents. It has a tendency to blame the victim while looking for guilt in the person being victimized, and finally, prison culture makes the innocent suffer. When victimized, victims may choose to blame themselves, rather than challenge the culture. For example, a recently divorced woman said that she was physically abused by her husband because she invited it. Why do we have to numb ourselves and drink away our pains, sorrows, and fears? They would not go away until we became drunks, addicts, or corpses. Alcoholism or drug abuse involves all ages of our population, older adults, young adults, women, professionals, blue collar workers, everybody; it makes no difference. There have been several treatment modalities developed over the years, but addiction is not something we can just quit with our own strength. We need some interventions, some created solutions and, sometimes, some time in prison to stay sober. It does not mean that prisoners cannot make their own alcoholic beverages and narcotics, because they do. And, I am not going to advocate any treatment programs at this time, since I am not in substance abuse treatment. However, I will mention some of the criteria for substance dependency, as listed in the DSM IV. In fact, seven criteria for substance dependency are first defined and then listed as follows: a maladaptive pattern of substance use, leading to clinically

significant impairment or distress as manifested by three or more of the following can occur at any time within the same 12-month period: 1. A tolerance, as defined as one of the following: (a) as needed for a markedly increased amount of the substance to achieve intoxication or desired effect, i.e., if we find ourselves having to drink more liquor than we did before to get drunk; (b) markedly diminished effect with continued use of the same amount of substance, i.e., if we drink the same amount we did yesterday which got us drunk, but today we do not feel drunk, we are developing a tolerance. 2. Withdrawal, as manifested by either of the following: (a) the characteristic withdrawal syndrome for the substance by the development of a substance-specific syndrome due to the cessation of (or reduction in) substance use that has been heavy and prolonged or the substancespecific syndrome causes clinically significant distress or impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning; (b) the same (or closely related) when the substance is taken to relieve or avoid withdrawal symptoms. 3. When the substance is often taken in larger amounts or over a longer period than was intended. 4. When there is a persistent desire or unsuccessful effort to cut down or to control the substance use. 5. When a great deal of time is spent in activities necessary to obtain the substance (e.g., visiting multiple doctors or driving long distances), over use the substance (e.g., chain smoking), or recovery from its effects. 6. When important social, occupational or

Dealing with Nontraditional Religions in Prison recreational activities are given up or reduced because of substance use. 7. When the substance use is continued despite the knowledge of having a persistent or recurrent physical or psychological problem that is likely to have been caused or exacerbated by the substance (e.g., current cocaine use despite a recognition of cocaine-induced depression or a continued drinking despite a recognition that an ulcer was made worse by alcohol consumption). When three or more of the above criteria are met, we need the help of a doctor and an outside support to kick the habit. In a prison environment or in an institution where access to the substance is controlled or restricted, people can feel a false sense of security that they have been delivered until they are released into society, then they fall back into their old habits of substance dependency. What addicts need to reenter society is continued treatment, group support, and constant check-ups in order to stay drug free. With human beings, our task may look impossible to bring a meaningful ministry to sometimes unwilling and resisting clients, but we have faith in a higher power, an external or internal support, for what may be lacking in ourselves. In prison, inmates are forced to live in a setting of deprivation, isolation, and alone. They lose the independence and freedom the moment they are convicted to do all sorts of things which people in society take for granted. They become ostracized, society's outcasts, as they are separated from families and loved ones, with feelings of hopelessness and betrayal. They become touchy, agitated, resentful, and distrustful or suspicious of everybody, especially staff. Some may seek spiritual help in counseling, psychological or social help in enrolling in various programs, and maintain prompt contact with families and friends in a

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healthy way, while others become withdrawn and disconnected from families and friends. It is always better for their own mental health if they stay connected to their loved ones and their local churches, mosques, synagogues, or spiritual connections. On the other hand, others maintain the same destructive behaviors that brought them to prison, by learning to conform to an inmate code of secrecy in the manipulation of staff, inmates, volunteers, other family members, and society at large. It doesn't matter. The greater their crime, the more they are respected in their social standing with the other inmates. An inmate at SOCF in Lucasville, brags of the fact that he killed fourteen homosexuals by taking them to a high-rise building and throwing them down to their death before he was caught. He brags about how he could make a knife out of any solid object and how he killed a black inmate while incarcerated to make a statement. According to their own pecking order, cop killers, staff manipulators, murderers, bank robbers, and Mafia members are held in high esteem, while child molesters, rapists, and other sex offenders are disrespected. Once inside the fence, inmates bond with other inmates to establish a code of silence and secrecy while rules are broken because snitching is a bad word among their ranks. They learn bad manners, bad habits, and profanity from the other streetwise inmates. So, a volunteer from society, seasoned, skilled, and professional, can be a great asset and an invaluable role model to these people. If you are insecure within yourself with a low self-image or a low self-esteem, do not bother to volunteer or work in prison, because you can easily become part of the problem, instead of part of the solution. Moreover, inmates will soon test you and you can fall very badly through the cracks, if

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you do not adhere to your professional values and ethical codes. The American Correctional Chaplains Association lists the following code of ethics: "Members of this organization are available for ministry to all prisoners and staff in jails, prisons, and other institutions in which they serve. Such ministry and outreach will be extended to regardless of race, cause of confinement, sexual identity, creed or religious belief." The following are areas in which members are available to assist: 1. Identity and utilization of the person's spiritual resources 2. Clarification of their ethical standards and guidance for behavior in harmony with their spiritual values 3. Guidance in deepening their sense of personal worth 4. Enhancement of their relationship to their deity, their family, and to society.

Principle I Personal Conduct and Ethics All members are spiritual leaders, other than inmates, who participate in ministry to the incarcerated. All association members, volunteer or employed by the institution, uphold the highest personal conduct. Unethical conduct that clearly violates the explicit agreement to abide by the acts of discipline described in this code shall be grounds for disassociation by the members of the association.

Principle II Professional Practices All members practice their ministry task as pastoral care providers through various religious activities. Chaplains function as religious professionals within the correctional setting and

do not undertake roles that are contrary to that of pastoral care provider. They are empowered by their religious judiciary to administer ordinances and/or sacraments, to counsel, and to provide worship and religious services for youths or adults in detention and correctional settings. All members make use of their skill and training to maintain the integrity and enhance the image of religious ministry in a correctional setting.

Principle III Confidentiality Confidentiality is respected by all members. Oral and written communication is received with the expectation that such remains confidential and not divulged to others. An exception may be made where the content of such communication reveals danger to staff or prisoners and another prisoner is informed of the need for disclosure. Religious faiths hold that confidentiality by their clergy or those with parallel designations is a sacred trust. The Seal of Sacrament of Confession and paralleled requirements by all faith groups in matters of confidentiality are recognized and respected.

Principle IV Professional Development Members continue professional development in personal growth, education, spirituality and understanding of correctional issues. This development includes participation in meetings and training opportunities provided by the association.

Principle V Faith Group Relationships Members meet and maintain require-

Dealing with Nontraditional Religions in Prison ments set by their particular faith groups. Members maintain ties with their religious faith groups for purposes of support, vocational identity, accountability, evaluation, and fellowship. Chaplains are those members who are ordained or have parallels designation or otherwise vocationally identified for correctional chaplaincy by their religious judicatory or its designated endorsing body representing the faith group. Chaplains are thus authorized for religious ministry within jails or prisons as designated representatives of the faith group. Volunteers, lay and ordained, who have parallel designations, have approval from their religious judicatory or appropriate religious superior in the faith group to serve as a volunteer representing the faith group in a jail or prison. Members participate in a network of adherents to their faith groups for purposes of common concerns of correctional chaplaincy, sharing of training opportunities, informing the community of needs and objectives or correctional chaplaincy, and fellowship.

Principle VI Interdisciplinary Relationships Members relate to and cooperate with persons from other professional disciplines in their work environment and community. The welfare of an individual may be enriched and enhanced by consultants and referrals by members to professionals from other disciplines.

Principle VII Competency Members are responsible for effective ministry within the institution they serve, whether responsibility is for the overall

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program or for one part of it. Members exercise their ministry without influencing prisoners or staff to change their religious preference or faith. Members conduct their ministry without communicating derogative attitudes toward other faiths. Chaplains process all prisoner requests promptly, in order of urgency and without bias. Chaplains balance administrative duties with direct ministry through individual or group activities that include religiOUS services, spiritual activities, and pastoral counseling.

Principle VIII Responsibility Members are primarily involved in matters directly related to the religiOUS portion of the prisoners' institutional life and rehabilitation. Members maintain the highest ethical standard of behavior and avoid any social, personal, financial or political situation that might discredit their ministry. Chaplains are responsible for planning, coordinating and supervising all religiOUS activities and services. They are responsible for ministry to prisoners regardless of religious beliefs or affiliation, using outside sources for assistance when needed. Chaplain are responsible for preventing and correcting institutional policies and actions, which distort, misuses or suppress religious tenets and principles of all faith group adherents. Chaplains uphold and promote standards for religious faith and practice within the institution, which are in harmony with the Standards for Faith and Practice devised by this association for youth and adult detention and prison institutions. As we have been discussing that inmates are people experiencing problems in living

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who are unable to conform to society's rules and regulations. When they arrive in prison, they adopt the following social codes, as explained in the training materials used by the Kansas Department of Corrections (ibid., 60, p. 35). There are six main tenets of the unwritten inmate social code: 1. Be loyal. There is a code of silence concerning other criminal activities done by other inmates. You are expected, as an inmate, to lie, if necessary, to protect other inmates who may violate the prison or other rules. This loyalty is demanded regardless of the cost to you as an inmate. Never take a problem to prison staff. Doing so would be considered as a breach of our code of loyalty or snitching. 2. Be cool. Always be in control as an inmate. Refrain from quarrels or arguments with a fellow inmate. Even when pressured by correctional staff or management, stay cool and just do your time without making any waves. 3. Be straight with your fellow inmates. Do not take advantage of another inmate. Do not break your word (we are in this dilemma together, and we are in solidarity). Do not steal from a fellow inmate. Pay your debts on demand to a fellow inmate. Share your resources by exchanging goods or favors. In Ohio prisons, know that one exchange may cost you two or three times the amount you received. 4. Be tough. Do not back down, do not whine, and do not cry guilty. You, as an inmate, should be able to take anything dished out to you without quivering. Do not run from a fight, because running is disgraceful and cowardly. 5. Be sharp. Do not be a sucker (do not be easily deceived), but deceive correctional officers and treat them with suspicion and distrust. They (corrections officials) are the police and represent the system that limits your freedom so, in any conflict

between a correctional officer and an inmate, always assume that the correctional officer is wrong. 6. Be right. In combination of the five codes mentioned above, an inmate is only right when he/she remains loyal to fellow inmates. A right inmate never interferes with another inmate's schemes to break prison rules, but uses correctional officers or misinforms staff. It is none of your business, and do not back down, if someone picks a fight with you. Right inmates know their rights and will use them to get their way. Take whatever the prison system dishes out to you and never flinch (ibid., 95). Nevertheless, besides these unwritten codes, inmates use religious people who need assistance to practice their religions and this is where prison chaplains come in. There are inmates who would pick what they like in different religions and try to establish their own religions. For example, we had an inmate in Lucasville who established his own religion and very conveniently prescribed himself with a diet, fasting days, religious accessories, and several other benefits without any outside authority to verify his claims. Although such con artists are in the minority, once he is able to pull it off with threats of litigation and other resorts, other inmates would soon follow suit until he was challenged in court, and the judge took away his self-given privileges. This was one of the gray areas for the Religious Reformation Act of 1993 (REFRA). However, there are other inmates who feel guilty about their crimes and even pray for their victims for forgiveness and want to change and accept the forgiveness, healing, discipline, and wholeness that the Gospel and other religions bring to them. These are the people we want to help because they want to change and inmates can change, given the proper context, place, and time.

Dealing with Nontraditional Religions in Prison

We need Bible studies, retreats, and programs based on knowing God, obeying His word and cognitive programs that can modify behaviors. Long-term programs with focus on family, self-esteem, parenting skills, grief management, self awareness, life skills such as interviewing, job hunting, living relations, budgeting, how to grow money on a long-term basis, and so on work. Programs that are emotionally charged, without adequate follow-ups that tend to be based on one-dimensional opinions do not help much. They tend to confuse inmates, chaplains, and prison managers. Habits are long-term in grained, and they would need long-term attention, support, and practice to unlearn in order to learn new helpful and acceptable ones. True religion is a way of life. Excitement and emotionalism is okay only if there is a residual effect to maintain the individual in his or her day-to-day activities. Another wrong way of ministry is to try to convert prison inmates to one's own religion. Now, most of our residents are close security inmates, meaning they are serving long sentences. They do not want to be converted and they can put on long arguments and debates to support their beliefs and philosophies. What they want is affirmation, pastoral care for someone to meet them where they are and to stay with them during their long incarceration. Someone who cares, whom they can trust to be there for them, role models to gently correct them and be there for them when they are released. They want to learn basic spiritual principles, basic skills of living without breaking society's rules, and know how to succeed in life. As chaplains, we look for volunteers who will preach and teach the same messages they would preach or teach at their churches, synagogues, mosques, and so on. They do not want to be indicted over and over again. God's word is capable of transforming lives, when properly used and applied.

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Organizing for Prison Ministry First of all, decide to start your own program and follow through. Recruit an exconvict, a lawyer, or somebody familiar with the justice system. Share the conviction or drive with a local pastor and contact a jailor a prison chaplain or a warden and ask about volunteering. Many prisons have their own volunteer training programs to develop regular volunteers to their specific needs. Invite some of your church members to attend the training sessions and decide what strengths or programs you would like to share with the inmates. When you attend a volunteer workshop or decide to visit a prison, always bring a driver's license or picture identification. Leave all weapons, big money, or intoxicants at home. On arriving, make sure your car is parked at the visitor's park and properly locked. Never leave your car running with keys in the car on a prison ground. Do not assume that everybody out of the fence is staff or a visitor. Wear pants or dress without showing off any sexual part or your body. If you have any second thoughts, call the training officer in advance to know what is expected of you in terms of what to bring and what to wear. Even after your training, do not assume that you know all the rules. Always ask your staff volunteer coordinator what you can bring with you. Remember you are under the supervision of whomever invites you and prepares your gate pass. Do not try to contradict or work against your supervisor in order to gain favor with the inmates. In your sermon delivery, do not put down other churches, other religions, or condemn other doctrines. The following suggestions taken out of Daniel]. Bayse's book are universal: 1. Use appropriate language and do not pick up inmate slang or profanity. If you do,

Spiritual and Religious Diversity in Prisons

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2. 3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

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you will appear to be phony and your witness will be ineffective. If you have a relative at an institution that you visit, do not volunteer. Do not use your volunteer services to engage in political activities such as prison advocacy or reform. Share any suggestion with your supervisor. Do not take contraband into a prison. If you are not sure, ask the staff. It could incarcerate you, if you are convicted. Do not bring anything to an inmate or carry anything from an inmate without a written permission from the warden. This includes cigarettes, money, stamps, letters, magazines, candies, etc. If in doubt, ask a staff person. Keep everything in the open. Whatever could embarrass you in publiC, do not say or do it with an inmate. Share any secret with your supervisor, because an inmate can gain good time by turning you in. Do not overidentify with inmates. Be a friend, but set some boundaries and limits, and do not be overwhelmed or over preoccupied with their problems. Be supportive, but do not act like an inmate in viewpoint or attitude. There are always two sides to any given problem. Let your color of clothes be different from theirs. Do not carry anything, including letters in or out of a prison without permission. Respect the confidentiality of records and other priVileged information revealed to you as a result of your work with inmates. Never invite unauthorized visitors or your guests to a prison, because they will be refused admission. Do not give out your address, phone number, e-mail or fax numbers. When asked just say, "I am sorry, 1 was told that it is against the rules to do so." If they persist, tell your supervisor. Do not correspond in any way with inmates at the facility in which you volunteer or accept phone calls from them at your home. Be advised that all inmates telephone calls are monitored

and recorded. 12. Be reminded that the use of, or being under the influence of drugs or alcohol while on state grounds is prohibited. 13. Do not impose your personal values and beliefs or philosophies on inmates. At the same time, do not let others impose a lower set of values on you. 14. Never discuss the criminal justice system, the courts, inconsistency in sentencing or related topics. What a volunteer may say can cause problems for staff and other inmates at their residential units during dialogues and discussions. 15. Do not appear to have all the answers. When in doubt, ask for help. Tell the inmates you will ask assistance from your supervisor and get back with them. 16. Set some personal and professional goals for yourself. Always remember your own mission, but be firm, fair, and consistent. Whatever you cannot do for all, do not do for one or they will file complaints against you. 17. If you break a rule or have done something inappropriate, tell your coordinator, regardless of what happened. It is to your advantage to be reprimanded, than to face prosecution and become a criminal as a result of your wanting to help. 18. Shake hands, but do not hug or kiss an inmate. Do not entertain "come ons." 19. Prison is not the place to be prospecting for a relationship or marriage. If you do, you would not be permitted to volunteer anywhere within the system. 20. Always call your supervisor at least two weeks before you decide to visit a facility or send a list of your volunteers, including instruments, equipment, tapes, books or resources you intend to bring into the institution to secure your gate pass. If not, you could be locked out all of a sudden from entering the institution (ibid., 95). Do not assume you are already known by your supervisor and that you do not need to call or write first.

Dealing with Nontraditional Religions in Prison

You can join the American Correctional Association by calling 1-800-222-5646. All the other organizations, including religious sub-groups have dues, which are tax deductible. Also, attend a conference at least once a year to share information concerning your profession and enhance your correctional knowledge. Benefits that can be derived by joining the ACA includes subscriptions to: Corrections Today Magazine, On the Line Newsletter, Accidental Death and Dismemberment Insurance, Discounts on various publications, car rentals, directories of other members, and a person-

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alized member kit. You will also meet some upbeat professionals and knowledgeable key people in this wide-open and growing industry. The ACA meets twice a year-once in the winter and once in the summer. There are other national and state organizations, for example, the NABJ, OSCCA, and several others that you can join. Ask your supervisor or volunteer coordinator. You should volunteer for prison ministry because it is a mandate by Christ, Himself. ". . . I was in prison and you visited me" (Matthew 25:36b).

ENDNOTES 1. The Holy Bible (KJV). 2. Statistics Abridged for Fuller Institute for Church Growth, Leadership Magazine's Surveys, George Gama's Surveys, and Focus on the Family Surveys. 3. Noah Webster, New 20th Century Dictionary, New York, 1961. 4. Charles R. Swindel: Growing Wise in Family Life. Insight for Living, 1989 (video). 5. Frank E. Hagan & Marvin Sussman: Deviance and the Family. Haworth Press, New York,1988. 6. The Edge of Evil (video), narrated by Jerry Johnson. 7. David Popenoe: Sociology (10th Anniversary Ed.). Prentice-Hall, Englewood Cliffs, NJ,1995. 8. American Psychiatrist Association, Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, D.S.M. iii. Washington, D.C., 1987. 9. The Celebration of the Spiritual Disciplines, by Richard Foster (video). 10. Paul B. Horton & Gerald Leslie, The SOCiology of Social Problems. Appleton Century, Crofts, New York, 1965. 11. Anthony Walsh, Correctional Assessment and Counseling (2nd Ed.). ACA, Laurel, MD, 1997. 12. Brenda J. Peters, Risk Reduction Through Cognitive Intervention, Workshop, Cincinnati, OH,1998. 13. Gerald Egan, The Skilled Helper (3rd Ed.). Brooks and Cole, CA, 1986. 14. Robert L. Gipson & Marianne H. Mitchel, Introduction to Counseling and Guidance. McMillan, N.Y., 1990. 15. Scott T. Meier & Susan R. David, The Elements of Counseling (2nd Ed.). Brooks and Cole, Pacific Grove, CA, 1993. 16. Allen E. Ivey, International Interviewing and

Counseling. Brooks and Cole, CA, 1983. 17. George S. Everly, Jr., & Jeffrey T. Mitchell, Critical Incidence Stress Management. Chevron, Eliot City, MD, 1997. 18. Shelley E. Taylor, Leticia Anne Peplau & David Sears, Social Psychology (8th Ed.). Prentice-Hall, Englewood Cliffs, NJ, 1994. 19. David Dressler, Readings in Criminology and Penology (2nd Ed.). Columbia, 1972. 20. Steven F. Olford, Committed to Christ and His Church. Baker Book House, MI, 1991. 21. Albert J. Reiss, Jr., & Jefferey A. Roth, Understanding Violence. National Research Press, Washington, D.C., 1993 .. 22. Howard Zehr, Changing Lenses: A New Focus on Crime andjustice. Harold Press, Scottsdale, PA,1990. 23. Auebach, justice Without Law! Oxford University Press, 1983. 24. Best Practices. American Correctional Association, Laurel, MD, 1998. 25. Virginia Mackey, Restorative justice, Vol. No.2. 1998. 26. journal ofRestorative justice, Vol. 2, 1998. 27. Walter B. Miller, Some Characteristics ofPresent Day Delinquency of Relevance to Educators. 1959. 28. Harold M. Voth & Gabriel Nahas, How to Save Your Children from Drugs. Paul S. Erikon, Vermont, 1987. 29. Ruth Maxwell, Kids, Drugs and Alcohol. Ballantine Books, New York, 1991. 30. Peter Bell, Chemical Dependency and the African American. Hazelden, MN 1990. 31. Sandra MaltbaJones, Barbra Calveric & Donna Sands, Social Interaction and Decision Making: Mind Play. Davers, MA, 1988. 32. Thomas C. Oden, Pastoral Theology. Harper and Row, San Francisco, 1983. 33. Bath, Karl, Church DogmatiCS. T&T Clark,

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Edinburg, 1969. 34. Roosevelt Wright, Jr. & Thomas D. Watts, Prevention of Alcoholism. Charles C Thomas, Springfield, IL, 1985. 35. A News Letter for Professionals About AA, Summer/Fall, 1998. 36. Lowell, Russell, Ditzen, The Minister's Desk Book. Baker, New York, 1968. 37. A Service of Death and Dying. Abington Press, Nashville, TN, 1979. 38. Alvin J. Lindgren, Foundation for Purposefol Administration. Nashville, TN, 1965. 39. William B. Erdman's Handbook to Christian Belief. Grand Rapids, MI , 1982. 40. J. Philip Wogaman, A Christian Method of Moral judgement. West Minister Press, PA, 1976. 41. H. Richard Niebuhr, The Responsible Self. Harper and Row, New York, 1963. 42. Louise Rosenkranz, Telling a Child You Are in Prison. Pleasanton, CA, 1984. 43. Jan Walker, Parenting from a Distance. The Interstate Printers and Publishers, IL, 1987. 44. Dr. James Dale Van Burshirk, Religion and Health. McMillan, New York, 1952. 45. Jack Scheur & Jerry Scheur, Family Fears. Gospel Films, MI, 1994 (video). 46. Roger Hurley, Poverty and Mental Retardation. Vintage Press, New York, 1969. 47. Cain Hope Felder, Troubling Biblical Waters. Orbis Books, Mary Knoll, NY, 1992. 48. Jerome S. Stumphauzer, Helping Delinquents Change. Haworth Press, New York, 1986. 49. JohnJ. DilulisJr.,fuvenile Crime. Greenhaven Press, CA, 1998. 50. Mike Males & Faye Docuycnan, juvenile Crime. Greenhaven Press, CA, 1997. 51. Madison Buckeye High School, Educational Handbook (2nd Ed.). 1997-98. 52. Channing L. Bete Co., Pamphlet of Self Esteem, MA, 1983. 53. Joan Wallace, Being Your Bestfor Him (video). 54. Norman Vincent Peale, Enthusiasm Makes the Difference. Prentice-Hall, Englewood Cliffs, NJ, 1967. 55. Neil T. Anderson, Steps to Freedom in Christ. LaHabra, CA, 1992. 56. Maxie Dunnam, Coping as Christians (workbook and video). Nashville, TN, 1988.

57. Jim Smoke, Family Fears (video). 58. Billy Graham, Christian Worker's Handbook. Worldwide Publications, MN, 1973. 59. Seifert & Clinebell, Jr., Personal Growth and Social Change. West Minister Press, PA, 1952. 60. Bud Allen & Diana Bosta, Games Criminals Play. Rae John Publishers, Sacramento, CA, 1981. 61. Dr. Wm. Abraham, Evangelism Chair, Perkins School of Theology, SMU, Dallas, TX, 1986 (Class Lecture Notes). 62. Robert Kolb, SPeaking the Gospel Today: A Theology for Evangelism. Concordia Publishing House, St. Louis, MO, 1984. 63. Holy Bible, Today's English Version, NCV, 1991. 64. David Lowes Watson, Covenant Discipleship Resources. Nashville, TN, 1989. 65. Jan Milic Lochman, The Faith Jte Confess. Fortress Press, PA, 1984. 66. StevenJ. Land, Church and God Theological Seminary, Cleveland, TN, 1987 (position paper). 67. Life Skills Foundation, Vital Issues Project, Harrisburg, IL. 68. Correctional Law Reporter, February, 1994. 69. Khenpa Karther Rinpoche, Dharma Paths, Ed., by Laura M. Roth, Snow Lion Publications, Ithaca, NY. 70. Wm. B. Erdman's Handbook to the World Religions. Grand Rapids, MI, 1982. 71. Nancy Wilson Ross, Buddhism: A Way of Life and Thought. Vintage Books, Doubleday, New York, 1989. 72. Bukkyo Dendokai, The Teachings of Buddha. Tokyo, 1985. 73. Philip Kaplean, The Three Pillars of Zen. Anchor Books, Doubleday, New York, 1989. 74. Ohio Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, Information Handbook on Religions, Columbus, 1996. 75. Steven J. Hosen, Vaisnavism. Folk Books, New York, 1992. 76. Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami, Prabhupada, He Built a House in Which the World Can Live. Bhaktivedenta Trust, Los Angeles, CA, 1983. 77. Prabhupada, A.C., Bhaktivedenta Swami, Bhagavada-Gita, As It Is. Bhaktivedenta Book Trust, Rev. Ed., Los Angeles, CA, 1983.

Endnotes 78. Margot Adlen, Drawing Down the Moon. Deacon Press, Massachusetts, 1986. 79. Raymond Buckland, Complete Book of Witchcraft. Bergenfield, Nj, 1973. 80. janet & Stewart Farrar, A Witch's Bible. Phoenix Publishing, Cueter, WA, 1981, 1984. 81. Sybil Leek, The Complete Book of Witchcraft. Penguin, Bergenfield, NY, 1973. 82. Scott Cunningham, Wicca: A Guide for the Solitary Practitioner. Llwewllyn Publications, St. Paul, MN, 1993. 83. Man, Myth and Magic, Encyclopedia of

Mythology and Religion, 1983. E. Cashmore, Rastman, The Rastafarian Movement in England. George Allen and Urwin London, 1979. 85. J. Gordon Melton, The Encyclopedia of Religions. Institute for the Study of Religions, Santa Barbara, CA. 86. The Encyclopedia of World Faiths. Facts on File, 84. Ernest

187

1987/88. 87. Horace Campbell, Rasta and Resistance. 1987. 88. Roger Berhnard, Intations ofJamaica and 1, Rastafori. New York, 1982. 89. Michael D. Langone, Recovery from Cults. w.w. Norton, New York, 1983. 90. Charles G. B. Evans, Teens and Devil Worship. Hunting House, 1991. 91. Steve Hassan, Combating Cult Mind Control Park Street Press, 1990. 92. Rachel Hosmer & Alan jones, Living in the Spirit. The Seabury Press, New York, 1979. 93. Adelaide Gardner, Meditation. The Theosophisical Publishing House, Wheaton, IL, 1988. 94. American Psychiatric Association, Diagnostics and Statistical Manual. DSM IV. Washington, DC, 1994. 95. Daniel J. Bayse, Helping Hands. American Correctional Association, Laurel, MD, 1993.

INDEX treatment theories, 66 Aftercare vs. recidivism, viii Aggression and peer rejection, 39 bullying behavior, 39 Alcohol and substance abuse, 53-58 African Americans alcoholism prevention models, 56, 59-60 African American youth, 56-57 psycho-so ciocultural-en vironmentalphysiological root base, 58 recidivism findings, 58-61 statistics, trends re alcohol usage, 61-63 substance abuse prevention models for families, 57-58 treatment approaches, 58-59 gender strategies, 63 hope as vital element, 69 alcoholism, causal factors, 62-63 predisposition, 65 drinking behavior affects, 57 philanthropic and self-help group assistance, 60 prevention models (general), 58-61 treatment theories, 65-66 disease theory, 66 environmental-secondary theory, 66 Alienation, 36 Altruism, 27 American Correctional Chaplains Association, 40-41, 117, 178

A

Addiction, 65-69 (see also Substance abuse) addiction treatment program, 67-68 aversive conditions and incentives, 68 intervention goals, 68-69 disease theory, 66 environmental-secondary theory, 66 faith-based support groups, 69 methadone treatment, 67-69 Adopt a prisoner, 117 African Americans alcohol and substance abuse alcoholism prevention models, 56, 59-60 African American youth, 56-57 psycho-sociocultural-environmentalphysiological root base, 58 recidivism findings, 58-61 substance abuse prevention models for families, 57-58 treatment approaches, 58-59, 65-66 gender strategies, 63 alcoholism, causal factors, 62-63 drinking behavior affects, 57 methadone treatment, 67-69 predisposition to chemical dependence, 65 prevention models, 58-61 statistics, trends re alcohol usage, 61-63

189

190

Spiritual and Religious Diversity in Prisons

code of ethics, 178-79 community initiative vision, 40-41 Amphetamines, 53 Anger management, 39, 90-91, 101-5 (see also Family and prison therapy) expressed, 10 1-3 management techniques, 103-5 physiologic response to anger, 103 recovery steps, 105 repressed, 102 Stress-Inoculation and Anger Control Training, 90-91 Anomie theory, 10, 14 responses to dilemma, 10 Antisocial personality disorder, 17 (see also Lifestyle Theory) cognitive patterns, 19-20, 174-75 entitlement/license, 20, 43, 174 power struggle, 19 righteous rage, 20, 43, 174 self-centered, 19, 174 victim stance, 19, 43, 174 winning and losing, 20 deceit and manipulation, 174 disregard for feelings/rights of others, 174 DSM IV diagnostic criteria, 174-75 empathy, lack of, 174 superficial charm, 174 thinking reports, elements, 20 group session stages, 20-21 Arbitration, 39, 103-5 (see also Anger management) Attachment, 10, 15 Attending skills, 23-27 (see also Listening skills) non-verbal attending, 23 restatement, 23 silence and listening, 23 Aurora Ministries, 4 B

Barbiturates, 53 Belief, 10, 16 Bible Alliance, 4 Biological Positivism, 9 Biological traits and crime, 9, 15

chromosome, additional, 9 mental defectiveness, 9 physical inferiority, 9 Black American Nationalists and segregation, 69 Boundaries interpersonal intrusiveness, 18 Buddhism, 137-43 Bodhisattva vows, 140 burial rites, 143 categories, 138 diet requirements, 141 empowerment, 140 initiation rites, 140 Living Buddha's, 138 medical treatment, 143 monastic ordination, 140 overview, historic, 137-38 practices, observances, 140-43 religious accessories, 141 religious tenets, 138-40 scriptures, 141 worship practices, 142 Bullying behavior, 39 antisocial aggression, 39 Burial rites Buddhism, 143 Hinduism, 147 Native Americans, 152 Rastafarians, 162 Wicca, 156

c Caffeine, 54 Cannabis Sativa, 54 Chaplaincy, vii, 4-5 personal lives,S perspectives on ministry,S Children active exercise, 38 active recreation, 38 learning disability recognition and remediation, 38 limitation of media influence, 3, 10, 36, 40, 98, 117 limitation of peer groups, 8, 15, 37-41 parental participation, 5-6, 14, 18, 35,

Index 37 self-esteem recovery, 8, 11, 37, 97 self-esteem, reinforcement of positive, 8, 11, 38, 97-98 work permits, 37 Christian delinquency, 6 Churches, synagogues, mosques, 3, 50 violence against, 3, 50 Clinical behavior therapy, 8 Clinton, President William j., 42, 44, 45 Close-ended questions, 24 (see also Listening skills) Cocaine, 53 Cognitive indolence, 18 Cognitive interventions, 21 Cognitive pattern errors, 17-18 cognitive indolence, 18 cut off, 17 discontinuity, 18 entitlement, 17 mollification, 17 power orientation, 18 sentimentality, 18 super optimism, 18 Commitment, 10, 15 Community initiative for prevention, 8, 40-41 Community liaison, vii Confinement adjustment counseling, vii Conflict theory and deviance, 11, 36, 40, 51 Conformity vs. deviancy, 9, 10, 14, 15 (see also Structural Strain Theory; General Strain Theory) Consequence and behavior control, 10-11, 15 Conservative Evangelicals, 3 Contagion, ie, thinking pattern errors, 17-18 cognitive indolence, 18 cut off, 17 discontinuity, 18 entitlement, 17 mollification, 17 power orientation, 18 sentimentality, 18 super optimism, 18 Containment Theory, 10, 15-16

191 Control Theory, 10-11, 15 social bonds, 10 attachment, 10, 15, 36, 98 belief, 10, 16, 98 commitment, 10, 15, 36, 98 involvement, 10, 16, 98 Correctional Chaplains, vii job description, vii Correctional institutions institutional learning environments for deviancy, 10, 15,35 juvenile programs, 38 Counseling skills, 23-27, 102 attending skills, 25, 102 client definition and clarification of problem, 33-35 concreteness, 25 example dialog, 25-26 emotions, recognition, 26-27 nonverbal communication, 26-27 visual cues, 26 empathy, 102 genuineness, 102 helping skills mastery steps, 28-33, 103-5 honesty, 102-3 listening skills, 24-26 recognition of emotions, 26-27 relationship with client, establishing, 27-34, 102-3 attending skill goals, 27, 28, 102 critical incidence situation, 29-33 guidelines, 30-33 crisis intervention guidelines, 33 helping skills mastery steps, 28-33, 103-5 warmth, 102 Crime, 12 (see also Criminal Justice System) age distribution, 13 corporate crime, 12 crime, definition, 12 Criminal Justice System, hierarchial structure, 12-14 organized crime, 12 victimless crime, 12 white-collar crime, 12 Crime, causal factors, 9-10

Spiritual and Religious Diversity in Prisons

192

biological traits, 9-10, IS family impact, 9 psychological perspectives, 9 social causes, 9-11 Crime, social influences, 7,9, 17-18, Sl-S3 Crime statistics, 13 age distribution, 13 arrest trends, 13 crime categories, 13 juvenile crime trends, 13 racial/minority breakdown, 13 Criminal behavior conformity vs. deviancy, 9, 10, 14, IS countermeasures, 43 deficiency in attributes producing lawfulness, IS, 17-18 impulSive behavior, 10, lS-16 (see also Containment Theory) Lifestyle Theory, 16-19 parental influences, S-6, 10, 14-16, 18, 3S, 37-38 Criminal personality, 17 Criminal Justice System, 12-14 correctional status and purpose, 12 crime statistics, 13 handgun law enforcement, 42 inequitable application of law re social status, 42 remediation techniques, 13-14 Cults definition, 163-64 destructive cults, 164-66 cult confession, 16S doctrine over person, 166 existence, dispensing of, 166 language loading, 166 milieu control, 164 mystical manipulation, 164 purity, demand for, 16S sacred science, 16S Cultural conflict theory, 11,36,40, Sl Cut off, 17

D Delinquency (see also Deviant behavior) children, deviant behavior prevention active exercise, 38

active recreation, 38 learning disability recognition and remediation, 38 limitation of media influence, 3, 10, 36, 40, 98, 117 limitation of peer groups, 8, IS, 37-41 parental participation, S-6, 14, 18, 3S, 37 self-esteem, recovery, 8, 11,37,97 self-esteem, reinforcement of positive, 8, 11, 38, 97-98 work permits, 37 cultural modeling, 3, 10, 36 deviant behavior, 7-12, 14, IS and rewards, 10 conflict theory, 11,36,40, Sl cultural modeling, 3, 10, 36 gangsta rap, 11 institutional learning environments, 10, IS, 3S joining deviant group, 12, IS, 36 differential-association theory, 3S, 36, Sl DSM-III-R definition, 6 emotional disturbances, 7 environmental influences, 9-10, IS, 3S, 36, Sl-S3 juvenile offenders and literacy, 9S-96 labeling theory, 11, IS deviancy, steps toward, 11-12 learned behavior, 10, IS, 3S, Sl media, influences, 3, 10, 36, 40, 98, 117 parental influences, S-6, 14, 18, 3S, 37-38 predictability factors, 36 self-esteem, 8, 11, 38, 97-98 social bonds, 10, 3S social control perspectives, 7-14 social context, 7-8 social learning approaches, advantages, 8 techniques, 8 social function/dysfunction, 9-11 Delinquency, prevention children, deviant behavior prevention active exercise, 38 active recreation, 38 learning disability recognition and remediation, 38

Index limitation of media influence, 3, 10, 36, 40, 98, 117 limitation of peer groups, 8, 15, 37-41 parental participation, 5-6, 14, 18, 35, 37 self-esteem, reinforcement of positive, 8, 11,38,97-98 work permits, 37 Martin, John M., approaches, 38 Depression and evangelism, 121 Designer drugs, 54 Deterrence, 12 Deviance, definitions, 7 ignorance of laws, 7 overlegislation of behaviors, 15 Deviant behavior, 7-12, 14, 15 (see also Delinquency) alcohol and substance abuse, 55-58 and rewards, 10 children, delinquency prevention active exercise, 38 active recreation, 38 learning disability recognition and remediation, 38 limitation of media influence, 3, 10, 36, 40, 98, 117 limitation of peer groups, 8, 15, 37-41 parental participation, 5-6, 14, 18, 35,37 self-esteem, reinforcement of positive, 8, 11, 38, 97-98 work permits, 37 conflict theory, 11, 36, 40, 51 cultural modeling, 35-78 environmental influences, 9-10, 15, 51-53 gangsta rap, 11 institutional learning environments, 10, 15 joining deviant group, 12, 15, 36 labeling theory, 11, 15 deviancy, steps toward, 11-12 learned behavior, 10, 15,51 predictability factors, 36 self-esteem, 8, 11, 38, 97-98 social bonds, 10

193 social function/dysfunction, 9-11 ventilation of emotions, alternative to healthy, 36 Differential Association Theory, 15, 35, 36, 51 criminal behavior principles, 15, 35, 51 Discontinuity, 18 Disease theory on addiction, 66 Disruptive behavior disorder, 6 conditions, 6 Distribution of consumption model, 60 Doctrine Buddhism, 138-40 Hinduism, 145 Native Americans, 148-50 Wicca, 153-54 Rastafarians, 157-60 Drive-by shootings, 3 Drug addiction, 55 (see also Alcohol abuse) prevention of alcoholism in African Americans, 56-58 Drugs, 3, 53-63 (see also Substance abuse) definition(s), 53-54 prevention programs, 56 properties of dependence-producers, 54-55 social role modeling, 56 screening tests, 55 sociologic reasons for trying/using, 55-56

E Early intervention programs, 13-14, 18 (see also Parental influences) parenting programs, 14, 18, 37-38, 97-114 Education and juvenile offenders, 93-96 alternative schooling, 94 literacy and delinquency, 95-96 Madison Correctional Residential Program, 93-95 Emotions, recognition, 26-27 nonverbal communication, 26-27 visual cues, 26 Empathy, 27 Employment Assistant Programs, 59

Spiritual and Religious Diversity in Prisons

194

Employment skills training, 8, 59 Entitlement, 17 Environment and deviancy, 10, 16-19, 51-53 abdication of personal responsibility, 10, 17-18 accountability for actions, 45, 92 social perspectives, 10 Environmental-secondary theory on addiction, 66 celebratory styles, 66 cultural norms, 66 methadone and non-abstinence, 67 social strata and facilitation of addiction, 66 Ethics and morality, 3 Evangelism, 118-22 overview, 118-21 technique, 120-22 Extroverts and criminal inclination, 9 F

Family and prison therapy, 88-91 anger management recovery steps, 105 (see also Anger management) anxiety, fear and behavior, 91 counseling tenets, 89-90 distance therapy, 88-89 faith-based values, 91 pastoral counseling, 89, 91, 102, 115-18 problem-solving techniques, 90 psychological counseling, 89-90 spouse batterer, 90-91 Stress-Inoculation and Anger Control Training 90-91 Fear, emotional impact, 79-82 behavior control, 79 children, parental fears, 81 family fears, 80 failure, fear of, 81 inadequacy, God's expectations, 81-82 parental-child value system, 81 positive and negative influence, 80 principles of fear, 80 prison fears, 80 recovery from, 81 Forgiveness, 42-45, 98-100, 129

God's expectation, 98-99, 129 G

Gangs, 40, 80-81, 93 (see also Peer pressure) Gangsta Rap, 11 General Strain Theory, 15 (see also Structural Strain Theory) God's expectations fear, anxiety, 81-82 forgiveness, 42-45, 98-99, 129 self-worth, 98 Group conflict theory, 11,36,40,51 Group pressure, 8-9, 15 Group treatment homes, 8 Guilt, 100-1, 120-22 evangelism technique to reeducate, 120-22 hierarchy, 101 self-esteem issues, 10 1 Guns handguns and youth crime, 14, 42, 93 offense weapons use, 42 H

Hallucinogens, 54 Hate crimes, 3 Health conditions properties of drug-dependence producers, 54-55 Hinduism burial rites, 147 diet requirements, 146 initiation rites, 145 medical treatment, 147 overview, historic, 143-44 practices, observances, 145-46 religious accessories, 146 religious tenets, 144-45 symbology, 146 theology, 144 worship practices, 146 Holistic treatment approach, 43 Hollywood influence of violence, 3, 4, 10, 93 Holy Spirit, 36-37, 64, 65, 81, 127, 128,

Index 130-32 agent of God, dimensionality, 130-32 and preaching of the cross, 37 counseling goals, role in, 131-32 era of grace, 130 prison chaplaincy therapy services, 130-32 worship services, 63-65 I

Idle hands, devil's workshop concept, 37 Impulsive behavior and containment theory, 10, 15-16 Incapacitation, 12 Inherited vs. learned criminal behavior, 9, 15, 51 Initiation rites Buddhism, 140 Hinduism, 145 Rastafarians, 161 Wicca, 154 Innovation, 10, 14 (see also Structural Strain Theory; General Strain Theory) Institutional programming, 8, 10 Involvement, 10, 16 Islam, 172

J jesus, 129-30 (see also Pastoral support) judaism, 172 juvenile offenders, vii, 40, 81-82, 92-96 absentee parent interaction, 75-78, 92 accountability, 92 alternative schooling, 94 crime prevention methods, 93 educational training, 92 gangs, influence of, 93 holistic approach to rehabilitation, 92-96 life skills training, 93 Madison Correctional Residential Program, 93-95 racism and arrest rate, 93 treatment programs, 92 violence and media role modeling, 3,

195 10, 36, 40, 93, 98, 117

L Labeling theory, 11 deviancy, steps toward, 11-12 Laws, ignorance and deviance, 7 Learned vs. inherited criminal behavior, 9, 15, 51 Life skills training, 93, 117, 132-34 program components, 132-33 Lifestyle Theory, 16-19 contagion, ie, thinking pattern errors, 17-18 key conditions, 17 personality disorders antisocial, 17 psychopaths, 17 sociopaths, 17 tenets, 16-17 Listening skills, 24-26 (see also Counseling skills) listing, 24 M

Media role modeling for violence, self-destruction, 3, 10, 36, 40, 93, 98 Mediation, 39, 103-5 (see also Anger management) Medical treatment Buddhism, 143 Hinduism, 147 Native Americans, 152 Rastafarians, 162 Wicca, 156 Mentally ill offenders, vii and criminality, 9 Merton, Robert, 10, 11, 14 Methadone, 67-69 addiction treatment, 67 cross-addiction, 67 faith-based segregation and treatment, 67 maintenance programs, 67 non-abstinence, 67 program evaluation criteria, 67

Spiritual and Religious Diversity in Prisons

196

Methaqualone, 54 Mind control methods cognitive confusion, 169-70 overview and philosophy, 168-70 resisting unwanted social influence, guideline, 170-71 Minister of record Hinduism, 147 Native Americans, 152 Wicca, 156 Minorities and group conflict theory, 11, 36, 40, 51 anti-crime efforts and distribution of resources, 52-53 deviant behavior and response to majority rejection, 52 disproportionate application of punishments,53 Mollification, 17 Moral decay 3 Morality and ethics, 3 Moravian Catechism, 37 Murder in public places, 3 N

Native Americans burial rites, 152 diet requirements, 150 medical treatment, 152 membership, 150 overview, historic, 147-48 practices, observances, 150 religious accessories, 150-51 religious tenets, 148-50 scripture, 150 symbology, 150 theology, 147-48 worship practices, 151-52 Needs (unmet) and criminal behavior, 10 Negotiation, 39, 103-5 (see also Anger management) Nicotine, 54 Nontraditional religions in prison, 135-83 religious tenets, practices, observances Buddhism, 137-43 Hinduism, 143-47 Native Americans, 147-52

Rastafarians, 156-63 Wicca, 152-56 Religious Freedom Restoration Act, vi, vii, 135-37, 180 correctional practices, impact on, 137, 169 dietary and lifestyle observances, 137 text summary, 135-36 Nonverbal attending, 24 (see also Listening skills)

o Open-ended questions, 24 (see also Listening skills) Opiates, 53 p

Paraphrasing, 24 (see also Listening skills) Parental influences, 5-6, 14, 16, 18, 35, 37-38,97-114 accountability for children's actions, 46 Parenting skills, training, 14, 18,37-38, 75-78,97-114 absentee parent interaction, 75-78, 92 children of incarcerated parents, needs of, 77 children, parental fears, 81 custodial parent designation, 19, 92 divorce and child anxieties, 76 family Ipersonal history components, 98-99 fear of failure, 81 (see also Fear) fear, recovery from, 81 incarcerated parents, 75-78 distance parenting guidelines, 76 parent-child trust relationship, 81 parent-child value system, 81 overview of social demands, 75 self-esteem and unconditional love, 76, 97-98 self-esteem recovery, 11,38,97-98 Pastoral support absence of congregational ministry, 118 accepting God, facilitating, 126-28 discipleship, 127 Jesus, 129-30

Index New Birth, 128 repentance, 127-28 counseling, 89, 91, 102, 115-18, 130-32 cross and journey of faith, 128, 132 dying seed complex, 121-22 evangelism, 118-22 (see also Evangelism) forgiveness, 42-45, 98-99, 129 minister of record, 118 nontraditional religions, 135-83 (see also Nontraditional religions in prison) prison chaplaincy services, 63-65, 115-34 baptism, 70 death and serious illness notification, 70-71 ecumenical, 70 ethics and morality teachings, 72-75, 116-17 faith conversion, 72 family intervention, rehabilitation, 116 inmate marriages, 70 life skills training, 117, 132-34 sacraments, 71-72 spiritual formation, 8, 85, 88, 122-34 course outline, 123-25 support services, 116-18 visitation, 115 role modeling, 133 unconditional love exposure programs, 117-18 Peer counseling, 4 Peer group, 8, 15,37-41,52 Peer pressure, 8-14, 37-41 advertising industry, 39 and delinquency, 37-41 assertive communication, 9 effective communication, 9 parental availability and dependence, 5-6, 14, 16, 18,35,37-38 response definitions, 8-9 Personal deviation approach, 52 Personal distress, 27 Personal responsibility, abdication of, 10, 17-18 Plea bargaining, 12

197

Post traumatic stress disorder and criminal victimization, 13 Power orientation, 18 Poverty, 82-84 aliens and social services, 84 class inequities in distribution of resources, 83 classism, 84-85 color and intelligence, 83 education, 82 equal opportunity to participate, 82 equitable wage system, 82 information ignorance, 83 social responses to, 82 taxation levels, 82 welfare to work, 82 Predators of children illegal behaviors and influences, 40 social standing, 40 Prison employees, 106-8, 113-14 guidelines, 107-8, 113-14, 176-87 set-up scenario, 109-11 set-up team, 108 Prison environment (see also Antisocial personality disorder) DSM IV criteria antisocial personality disorder, 174-75 substance dependency, 176-77 games inmates play, 105-14, 174, 177 inmate social code, 177, 180 set-up scenario, 109-11, 112-14 staff, volunteer guidelines, 107-8, 113-14, 173-74, 176-87 totalitarian communities, 106 Prison industries, 3 Prison ministries, 4, 36, 180-83 guidelines for volunteers, 180-83 Prison therapy, 88-91 anger management, 39, 90-91, 101-5 recovery steps, 105 anxiety, fear and behavior, 91 counseling tenets, 89-90 distance therapy, 88-89 faith-based values, 91 forgiveness, 42-45, 98-100, 129 guilt, 100-1 pastoral counseling, 89, 91, 102

Spiritual and Religious Diversity in Prisons

198

pastoral support services, 115-34 problem-solving techniques, 90 psychological counseling, 89-90 self-esteem recovery, 8, 11, 38, 76, 97-98 spouse batterer, 90-91 Stress-Inoculation and Anger Control Training 90-91 Prosocial behavior, 27 Prostitution and crime, 85-88 sexism and value system, 85-86 Psychopathic personality disorder, 17 (see also Lifestyle Theory) Public Health substance abuse prevention model,60 Punishment, efficacy, 18,21,43 R

Race relations, 49-51 affirmative action, 50 neoracism, 50 prejudice and social contacts, 49-50 racial tolerance re segregation movement,69 role models, 49 separate but equal doctrine, 50 tribalism, 49 Racism application of law, 51 black advocated segregation, 69 classism and application of law, 51 gang alternatives, 40 increased incidences, 38-39 institutionalized racism, 11, 38-39, 62 tribalism, 40, 49 Rastafarians burial rites, 162 diet requirements, 161 initiation rites, 161 medical treatment, 162 membership, 161-62 overview, historic, 156-60 religious accessories, 161 religious holidays, 160 religious tenets, 160 scripture, 160 symbology, 161

terminology, 162-63 theology, 157-58 worship practices, 162 Rebellion, 10, 14 (see also Structural Strain Theory; General Strain Theory) Recidivism addiction treatment program, 67 -68 aversive conditions and incentives, 68 intervention goals, 68-69 effective treatment program, 21-23 need principle, 21-22 criminogenic, 21 needs inventory, 22 punishment, efficacy, 18, 21, 43 responsivity prinCiple, 21-23 cognitive, behavioral models, 21 effective responses, 22 ineffective responses, 22 risk principle, 21-22 delivery of services, 21 risk factors, 22 employment skills training, 8, 37, 59 life skills training, 93, 117, 132-34 prison ministries, 4, 36 Reflection of emotion, 24 (see also Listening skills) Rehabilitation, 8, 12,59,87, 173 Relationship (counseling) establishing, 27-34 attending skill goals, 27, 28 basic helping skills mastery steps, 28-33 critical incidence situation, 29-33 guidelines, 30-33 crisis intervention guidelines, 33 Religion (see also Nontraditional Religion; Worship Services) Biblical value system, 85 fear, emotional impact, 79-82 holistic healing element, 79 Religious accessories Buddhism, 141 Hinduism, 146 Native Americans, 150-51 Rastafarians, 161 Wicca, 155 Religious diet requirements Buddhism, 141

Index Hinduism, 146 Native Americans, 150 Rastafarians, 161 Wicca, 155 Religious Freedom and Restoration Act (RFRA), vi, vii, 135-37, 180 correctional practices, impact on, 137, 169 Religious holidays Buddhism, 141 Hinduism, 145-46 Native Americans, 150 Rastafarians, 160 Religious service activities coordination, vii Religious Society of Friends, 47 Restatement, 24 (see also Listening skills) Restorative justice, 41-49 forgiveness vs. punishment, 41-47, 98-100, 129 handgun use legislation, 42 Lerman, David, case example, 47-48 offense weapons' ban, 42 victim's rights, 41-49 Retreatism, 10, 14 (see also Structural Strain Theory; General Strain Theory) Retribution, 12 Ritualism, 10, 14 (see also Structural Strain Theory; General Strain Theory) Role modeling and violence, 3, 10, 36 cultural conditioning, 10, 36 movies, 3, 36 television, 3, 36

s Satan ism overview, 167-68 subtlety to actuation, 7 Self-defense qualifications, vii Self-esteem, 8, 11, 38, 76, 97-98 anger management, 101-5 divorce and anxiety, 76-77 forgiveness, 98-100, 129 guilt, 100-1 labeling perils, 76 parental support, 76, 97

199 recovery, 11,38,97-98 sense(s) of adequacy, 11 sources of, 11, 38, 98 steps to reestablish positive image, 11, 38, 97-98 Self-speech, 88 Sentimentality, 18 Sex offenders, vii, 177 Sexual offenses, 85-88 exploitation, 87 exposure, 86 fornication, 86 juvenile prostitution, 87 obsessive-compulsive sexual behaviors, 88 self-control training, 88 self-speech, 88 pornography, 86 promiscuous behavior, 86-87 prostitution, 85-86 sexual addiction, 88 self-control training, 88 self-speech, 88 Silence, 24 (see also Listening skills) Snitching ie group, conditions for, 8 Snitching ie individual, punishments for, 8 Social bonds, 10 attachment, 10, 15, 36 belief, 10, 16 commitment, 10, 15, 36 involvement, 10, 16 Social conditions and delinquency Martin, John M., approach to prevention, 38 Social context, 7-8 Social control perspectives, 7-14 social context, 7-8 Social control theory, 8-14, 15-16 internal controls, 8, 15 spiritual formation, 8, 88, 123-34 external controls, 8-14, group pressure, 8-14, 15 peer group, 8, 15, 52 peer pressure, 8-14, 15 Social deviance, 8-14 social function/dysfunction, 9-11 Social disorganization approach, 9, 52 Social function/dysfunction, 9-11

200

Spiritual and Religious Diversity in Prisons

Social learning approach advantages, 8 types of, 8 Social deviance 8 Social learning approaches, advantages, 8 techniques, 8 Social role modeling mass murderers, 3 movies, 3, 36 Sociocultural model for alcoholism prevention, 61 Sociopathic personality disorder, 17 (see also Lifestyle Theory) Socio-psychological model for alcoholism prevention, 61 South Carolina Dept. of Corrections victims' advocacy program, 45-47 Spiritual diSciplines, 8, 85 Spiritual formation, 8, 85, 88, 122-34 Spiritual guidance and counseling, vii Spirituality, 171-73 Structural Strain Theory, 10-11, 14 (see also General Strain Theory) Substance abuse, vii, 51-63, 65-69 (see also Addiction) addiction treatment program, 67-68 aversive conditions and incentives, 68 disease theory, 66 environmental-secondary theory, 66 intervention goals, 68-69 methadone treatment, 67-69 alcoholism, causal factors, 62-63 alcoholism prevention program for African Americans, 56 for African American youth, 56-57 drinking behavior affects, 57 drugs, definitions of type, 53-54 properties of drug-dependence producers, 54-55 psycho-sociocul tural-en vironmen talphysiological root base, 58 psychological theories, 51 sociological theories, 51-53 substance abuse prevention models for Black families, 57 -58 Super optimism, 18 Supply and demand re drugs, alcohol, 60

T

Theology / scriptures Buddhism, 141 Hinduism, 144 Native Americans, 147, 150 Rastafarians, 157-60 Wicca, 153, 155 Thinking reports, elements, 20 group session stages, 20-21 Training coordinator, vii Tranquilizers, 53 Treatment program to combat recidivism, 21-23 addiction treatment program, 67-68 aversive conditions and incentives, 68 intervention goals, 68-69 needs prinCiple, 21-22 criminogenic, 21 needs inventory, 22 program design efficacy, 23 program variants affecting recidivism, 22 punishment, efficacy, 18, 21, 43 responsivity prinCiple, 21-23 cognitive, behavioral models, 21 effective responses, 22 ineffective responses, 22 risk prinCiple, 21-22 delivery of services, 21 risk factors, 22 Twins study re inherited vs. learned criminal behavior, 9

u Use of force, 13

v Value conflict approach, 52 Values Biblical value system, 85 parent-child tenets, 81 Victimization, 13, 41-49 crime victim's advocates, 45-46 restorative justice, 41-49 victim notification, 46

Index Violence aggression and peer rejection, 39 anger management, 39, 90-91, 101-5 bullying behavior contributors, 39 role modeling in media, 3 10 36 40 93, 98, 117 "" socially learned, 10, 15, 51, 93 Vocational training prison programs, 37 Volatile substances (inhalants), 54 W Waters, Glen, 17 (see also Lifestyle Theory) Wicca (witchcraft) burial rites, 156 diet requirements, 155 initiation rites, 154 medical treatment, 156 membership, 154-55 overview, historic, 152-53 religious accessories, 155 religious tenets, 153-54 scripture, 155 symbology, 155-56 theology, 153 worship practices, 156 Women offenders problem-solving steps, 21

201

Worship practices Buddhism, 142 Hinduism, 146 Native Americans, 151-52 Rastafarians, 162 Wicca, 156 Worship services, vii, 4, 63-65 (see also Religion) attendance rationale, 4 Gospel messages, efficacy, 70-75 nonattendance rationale, 4 prison chaplaincy services, 63-65 baptism, 70 ecumenical, 70 ethics and morality teachings, 72-75 death and serious illness notification 70-71 ' faith conversion, 72 inmate marriages, 70 sacraments, 71-72 prison chapel, environment, 69-70

y Youth crime handgun proliferation, 13 remediation techniques, 13-14 statistics, 13