Prison population
Thirty-five percent are between the ages of 20-29 years, thirty-seven percent between the ages of 30-39, twenty-two percent between the ages of 40-55. Five percent of all inmates are over the age of 55. The recidivism rate is 50-75 percent.
Forty-seven percent of inmates have committed violent crimes, twenty-two percent theft, twenty-one percent drug offenses, twenty-seven percent involving fights or public disorder. Sixty percent of all crimes committed are drug-related. Inmates are five times more likely to be HIV+, contract hepatitis C and sexually transmitted diseases (there were 1000 inmate deaths in '96 from STDs).
Thirty percent of inmates have at least a high school diploma. Fifty percent are functionally illiterate. The average reader reads at a seventh grade level. One-third are learning disabled, fifteen percent test mentally retarded, fifty percent have been raised by single mothers, fifteen percent have been raised by foster parents, by other relatives, or have been in institutional care (one half of males and two-thirds of females in foster care had been sexually abused), twenty-five percent have been raised by substance abusers, fifty-five percent of female inmates are victims of childhood sexual abuse.
Prisoners survive by not trusting one another. They do not trust volunteers either as "everyone has let them down." They avoid genuine relationships. However, the majority of inmates are controlling types who use and manipulate people for their own wants and desires. Many do not know what truth is and are prone to lie.
In 1975 they were 250,000 inmates—in 1999 there were 2 million. The yearly inmate growth is 6 1/2 to 7 percent (the “rule of seven," states if something increases by seven percent a year, in 10 years it doubles). There are also 4 million men, women and juveniles under court supervision. Youth violence in down but the severity of the crimes is up.
Prison problems
The problems faced by the prison warden and other supervisors are overcrowding, drugs, violence, attempted suicide, health problems, homosexuality, security, mental illness, depression, hopelessness, manipulation, public relations (restorative justice or lock ‘em up and throw away the key?), shrinking budgets ("but we want more prisons"), old facilities, bad food, lack of education (but more youths), and boredom.
The feelings experienced by inmates are frustration, anger, guilt, shame, revenge, hopelessness, fear, depression, denial, anxiety, confusion, stress, worry (especially mothers for their children).
Prison costs
There are 1400 state and federal prisons, and 500 local and military prisons. These do not include city jails. The average yearly cost to house one inmate is $25,000. The average state spending on inmates-prison-parole is 530 million dollars per year. The total cost for Eastern Pennsylvania’s 40,000 inmates is one billion dollars. North Dakota spends $17 million per year.
The effects on the family
Bills go unpaid when the father/breadwinner/husband is incarcerated. Many times rent money is applied to pay bond. Income in the home lessens. Many times incarceration promotes foster care placement. While the inmate has shelter, three meals a day, and other amenities, the family (many times) suffers without. There is much anger and confusion.
The chaplain
Fifty-one percent of chaplains are Protestant, 15 percent Catholic, five percent Muslim. The vast majority are white males between the ages of 50-60. Their main goal is to help both inmates and correctional officers adjust to prison life and to administer programs. They also teach, counsel, lead worship, supervise staff, and deal with emotional problems. Chaplains serve all faiths and facilitate "contract" chaplains. The toughest job of the chaplain is to watch prisoners return (because no outside ministry has picked up the former inmate).
Other staff
Warden: deals with all the problems listed on page 1. He is responsible for everything.
Deputy warden: These deal with the following: security/background checks and volunteers, operations, programs (get to know the deputy warden of programs).
Correctional officers: supervisors of all activities (get to know them). Try to spend a few minutes with the COs. Visit them, and encourage them, find out about their families. Respect their rules.
Case managers (social workers/counselors): every inmate has one (get to know them). Correctional officers and case managers work as a team.
Volunteers
Volunteers must receive training by the prison itself.
Volunteers must be on a list.
Volunteers must sign in.
Volunteers must have photo IDs.
Volunteers must empty pockets of all valuables and place them in prison locker when visiting.
Volunteers must get permission from the chaplain to bring in any written or audio materials .
Volunteers must screen every request through the chaplain (i.e., books, tapes, clothing, food, cosmetics, library books).
The rule is "nothing brought in -- nothing taken out." Volunteers must bring nothing in (unless previously authorized by the chaplain) and must take nothing out (that is given by inmates).
LEARNING TO LISTEN
Barriers to communication
Personal filters
1. Values
2. Gender
3. Culture
4. Beliefs
5. Prejudice
6. Inhibitions
7. Emotions
8. Educational level
Distractions
1. Boredom
2. Body language
3. Eye contact
4. Noise/other activity
5. Interruptions
6. Hunger
7. Aches and pains
8. Time of day
Elements of face-to-face communication
1. Body language (communicates 55 percent of conversation)
2. Tone of voice (communicates 38th percent of conversation)
3. Actual words spoken (communicates seven percent of conversation)
Note: most Asian and Latino cultures avoid direct eye contact
THE TOTAL PICTURE: What is the biggest perceived need of the inmate?
1. Full Potential
2. Value
3. Love/belonging
4. Safety
5. Physical needs
But the true need is eternal salvation in Christ which will bring contentment and satisfaction.
National Inmate Population Of Two Million Projected By 2000
An analysis of 1997 prison population figures just released by the Bureau of Justice Statistics indicates that the nation's prison and jail population will reach a total of two million inmates by the year 2000 if current trends continue. Based on an average growth rate of 6.5% since 1990, the inmate population will surpass 2 million by the beginning of the new millennium. As seen below, the number of inmates by mid-year 1997 had more than tripled from the level of 501,886 in 1980.
The growth in incarceration has had its greatest impact on minorities, particularly African Americans. In the ten-year period 1985-95, the number of African Americans in state prisons increased by 132%, compared to an increase of 109% for white prisoners. For drug offenses, there was a 707% rise in the number of imprisoned blacks, compared to 306% for whites.
Study on Christian Prison Ministry Bringing About Change
By George Cornell, AP Religion Writer (Edited from The Wilson Daily Times, December 1, 1990)
Prisoners who come under religious influence while they're behind the walls do better once they're back on the outside and in society than those who lack the religious influence, researchers say. The findings of the first-of-its-kind study on the rehabilitative effect of religion on prisoners could have wide implications for the prison system, although more study is needed, the researchers say. "The results are phenomenal," said John Gartner of Baltimore, a clinical psychologist who headed the five-member research team. "There haven't been any findings of effectiveness that were this strong."
It was found that prisoners who received religious instruction while in prison had a lower rate of recidivism - return to crime - after being freed than did those who had no such instruction.
Results show that religion "may be a powerful, and until now neglected, method of rehabilitation," the report says, adding that the previous scant clues about it make the results very encouraging... "Researchers usually ignore religion," Gartner said in an interview. "They look at all aspects of persons, but religion is a gap. It's a blind spot in the social sciences, not even consistent with the spirit of science."
Considering the extent of prison ministries, the report said, "it is ironic that religious factors have been largely ignored" in studies on factors that might affect a prisoner's chances for successful rehabilitation. While results of the new study were positive, Gartner stressed that his team's report adds: "It is important to remember that research conclusions are not determined by one particular study. This is especially so when a new area of research is opening up..."
The group's study involved 190 prisoners who between 1975 and 1979 had taken part in Christian discipleship training, and a similar number who had not, matched by age, race, gender and other factors. Both groups had been released from prison eight to 14 years prior to the study. It found that the religion-trained ones had an 11 percentage point lower recidivism rate than the control group. Forty percent of the religion-schooled group committed new offenses, while 51 percent of the others did so. The religiously trained group also had a longer crime-free period following release, and when they did commit new crimes, the crimes were less severe compared to past offenses. The control group had increased crime-severity. The recidivism rate for women who took religious training was even lower, only 19 percent, compared to 47 percent among the control group of women. Among men only, the differential was only seven points...
The study is the first part of a three-year project, a second phase of which is now going on among prisoners in New York state, including expanded, detailed scrutiny of the effect of religion on recidivism. Findings of the first study demonstrate that the "potentially beneficial relationship between religious involvement and criminal rehabilitation is an under-researched relationship" in need of further study, the report says... The few other studies that touched on religion noted only denominational variables, thus leaving the field unexplored. "No one before had ever looked at the effect of religion on recidivism," Gartner said. "I find that quite amazing."
