Reflections from a prison chaplain

Rev. Dr. Emily Brault is a chaplain at Coffee Creek Correctional Facility in Wilsonville, Oregon.

I entered my career as a prison chaplain emboldened by my CPE experiences in “ministry of presence” and the “non-directive approach.”  Turns out prison requires a few more skills as well, some that may seem to be more directive than we are otherwise taught.  And while I still believe it is totally inappropriate for us to impose or prescribe a particular religion, moralism, or worldview onto people in prison, it is appropriate for us to employ techniques that actively engage thinking patterns and values in ways that support healthy growth, change, and healing.  Maybe it’s a difference between short-term and long-term care.  Or maybe it’s a difference in the ways and means that people engage in religious traditions while they are in prison.  Either way, we’ve got some more learning to do.

When working with people who are trying to change their way of life, thinking about changing their way of life, pretending to change their way of life, or avoiding changing their way of life, there are certain skills that come in handy.  The first is understanding the Stages of Change.  This rubric helps me decipher if someone is oblivious to their problems or actually ready to engage in doing the hard work that is before them.  This information helps me determine my approach, what I have to offer, and how much to put into it.  A conversation with someone still in the game is going to be quite different than with someone who is ready to get out of it. 

And while religion can be used in helpful and comforting ways, it can also be used to control, intimidate, and harass other people.  As a chaplain working in a multi-faith institution, I engage people not so much around what religion or tradition they espouse but rather how their tradition shows up in their lives.  What beliefs are helping you at this time?  What’s not working for you?  How do you connect with your religious community (if you have one)?  How does your tradition approach suffering or grief?  What does forgiveness mean?  Who are your people?  How do you fit into this mess?  These kinds of conversations can help foster personal and spiritual growth and healing.  And I’m a sucker for personal growth and healing.  Luckily, religious traditions and beliefs provide a plethora of stories, ideas, attitudes, and practices that can impact who we are and how we engage the world around us.  

Of course we must avoid a “you need to do this” approach, but we can develop pastoral techniques that foster healthy living without being imperialistic about it.  And we must always take good care of our own spiritual lives as well.  We can’t forget that.  After all, a cup can only spill that which it contains.