SUGGESTED GUIDELINES

While working on teaching moments for a seemingly “always on the drawing board” prison chaplaincy manual, I realized that I was coming up with my own set of rules and best practices as well.  Though not at all on par with Scripture, I do believe them to be of value to prison chaplains, old and new alike.  Before I share these suggested guidelines with you, it is important right from the start that you understand the following:

  1. They are based on my thirty-one years of experience at the Ottawa-Carleton Detention Centre;
  2. They are offered only as suggestions to consider wherever you practice chaplaincy. Each institution is unique and you must decide how best to accomplish your goals;
  3. They are, for the most part, not in any particular order. They basically developed as I systematically worked through my initial collection of sixty scenarios;
  4. They are ongoing and fluid, being tweaked as I discuss my scenarios with others.

With this understanding, please allow me to briefly present three guidelines for ministry as a chaplain in a detention centre setting. Each guideline comes with sub-points that help clarify the major point.  The guidelines are as follows:

  1. This is God’s work.
  2. Know your institution.
  3. The larger / older the institution, the longer its memory..

For a full description of these guidelines, please click here. For a condensed list, see below.

SOME GUIDELINES FOR DETENTION CENTRE CHAPLAINCY

GUIDELINE #1: THIS IS GOD’S WORK

1.1 Excellence in all that you can do

1.2 Be devoted to prayer

1.3 Be yourself

1.4 Be sensitive to the leading of His Spirit

1.5 Wait patiently

1.6 You cannot do everything. Identify what absolutely has to be done and do it. If you have extra time, spend it doing something work-related that you enjoy

1.7 It is all about triage and weighing priorities

1.8 It is ALL ministry

1.9 Pass it on

1.10 Appreciate and nurture the network that God is giving you

1.11 Use it or lose it

1.12 Watch your attitude

1.13 They are people

GUIDELINE #2: KNOW YOUR INSTITUTION

2.1     Know the Place / Physical Layout

2.2     Know the People (Their Roles and Routines)

2.3     Know your Part (Role and Routine)

2.4     Know the Policies and Procedures

2.5     Know the Problems

2.6    Know the Past

GUIDELINE #3: THE LARGER / OLDER THE INSTITUTION, THE LONGER ITS MEMORY

3.1     Avoid setting precedents

3.2     Build your rapport with staff

3.3     Build your rapport with clients

3.4     Keep those under your supervision away from controversy

3.5     Systemic change is a long time in coming

3.6     Make decisions only after you have done the appropriate research