Michael G. Maness   

Michael G. Maness    ~   For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Matthew 6:21
  Home                       My Books ... about the heart

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Maness3@att.net

Patriot Page


 
Testamentum Imperium
International  Theological Journal

Lydia's Porch - Virginia Haynes

Woodville Lions Club 

How We Saved Texas Prison Chaplaincy 2011

Character Counts

Heart of Living God

Heaven - Treasures  

Ocean Devotions

Would You Lie to Save a Life?

Precious Heart - Broken Heart

Queen of Prison Ministry

Fringes of Freedom


Chaplaincy Documents Page

How We Saved Texas Prison Chaplaincy 2011

Maness led three statewide efforts on Texas Prison Chaplaincy:

> Led & OrganizedChaplain Professional Equity securing for Texas chaplains (TDCJ, TYC, and MHMR) first pay-group raise in 40+ years in 2001: for more > Prison Chaplain Docs.  

> SpearheadedSuccessful Return of 25 TDCJ Chaplains to 2007 Texas budget, wanted 50, given the cuts in previous years, but - again - fought for equality and restoration.

> Key LeaderSave Prison Chaplaincy 2011 - someone deleted prison chaplains from the budget for the first time in Texas history!  Imagine - a prison without a full-time chaplain!  I helped lead the effort that restored all TDCJ chaplains to the 2011 Texas budget.  We fought hard and won a stupendous victory for good hearted people, with, I am proud to add, the mighty help of my friend and honorable Texas State Representative Dr. James White.

NEW:  TDCJ Staff Chaplain Cumulative Stats FYs 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016 
superlative numbers deserving equity in support 

NEW:  TDCJ - RPD Quarterlies, 21 in All - FYs 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016
Staff Chaplain stats not mentioned one single time

 

Author of
How We Saved Texas Prison Chaplaincy 2011
Immeasurable Value of Religion, Volunteers and Their Chaplains
email author:  Michael G. Maness

Forewords by

Frank E. Graham Jr., Founder and President, Chapel of Hope

Jerry A. Madden, Senior Fellow, Right on Crime;  Chair, Texas House Committee on Corrections 2005-09 and 2011-12

Carol S. Vance, Former Chairman of the TBCJ;  Harris County District Attorney, 1966-79

Dr. Keith Bellamy, Senior Minister, Woodville Church of Christ;  TDCJCertified Volunteer Chaplain and Chaplain of Tyler County

< Go to Book's Page Here >

 Caveman Cartoon
Used with Permission

TDCJ has regularly deleted critical sociological records for 25-plus years, including records of chaplaincy

 

<   <   <   <   <   <   <   <   <   <   <   < Order "How We Saved Chaplaincy" HERE <   <   <   <   <   <   <   <   <   <   <   <

 

 

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Other Legislative Efforts and Research on Chaplaincy
sadly, to date, this is the largest collection documents in the USA

100,000 Mothers' 1% Paroloe Texas Constitutional Amendment - addressing two injustices, saving millions, and humanizing prison with a reality in rehabilitation, with nearly zero liability - could revolutionize prison in several ways - 2007 first offered

Chaplains Banned from Death Chamber - for "Christ's" sake NO!, an op-ed on TDCJ's decision to ban chaplains while a man is killed, executed, and the rights to have his pastor and priest present as he dies. 4-11-19, 4A.

Parole Statistics Summary - FY2009 - it would take 118 years of work hours IF one hour was given to each vote that was given during the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles FY2009 ... yet EVERY prison has staff with 500+ work years of experience with inmates ... see BPP FY2009 Full Report  

Texas House Committee on Corrections, 4-15-11 - HB3365 - move ahead to 3:48:35 for testimony by TDCJ Chaplain Michael G. Maness, Director of the Austin Diocese's Criminal Justice Deacon Doots Dufour, and Texas Criminal Justice Coalition Director Ana Yanez-Correa on codifying the allowance of the TDCJ Board of Pardons and Paroles to take recommendations from prison wardens and staff

TDCJ 2012-13 Budget -

2012-13 - First LBB TDCJ Summary - chaplaincy cut - and Brad Livingston's statement


    Chaplaincy Saved in 2011 - see monumental effort to save TDCJ Chaplaincy from ZERO Budgeting   

   Measuring Prison Chaplaincy Complexity, Maness 2001 Article, Restorative Justice News  

    2011 Save Texas Prison Chaplaincy Handout - used in the successful fight to refund Chaplaincy in TDCJ in 2011.   

    2000 Prison Chaplain Contributions - used in 2000 in successful fight for first pay group raise for state chaplains in 40+ years, that is, TDCJ, MHMR and TYC chaplains in 2001.  

-  Faith-Based Housing -

     Maness' Faith-Based Housing Letter, December 1, 2011, including pastoral care and cost issues that needed addressed, but cost me in the long run. 

     Alexander Volokh, "Do Faith-Based Prisons Work?" 63:1 Alabama Law Review (2011), 43-95 - complementing the Faith-Based Housing Letter above in a superb way.

-  Gib Lewis Chaplaincy Department before I Left -

    Gib Lewis State Prison Chaplaincy Department, 2011 - nice! 

    In 2007, helped return 25 TDCJ to State Budget - Letter from Rep. Jim McReynolds - He helped in a load of efforts over the years, a fine man.  

    Congress on Ministry in Specialized Settings (COMISS) Report 1992, sent to all TDCJ Chaplains in 1993 - sage advice still relevant - instead of caving, this advice was followed by one chaplain since 1993, and this page is the continued result of defending prison chaplaincy for 20 years.

Texas School Chaplain Law Hijacks in Partisan Ploy
Michael G. Maness, Tyler County Booster (1-25-24), 2B.

School Chaplain Law Hijacks


 

       "The opposite of faith is not heresy but indifference." 

Elie Wiesel chairman of the President's Commission on the
Holocaust and helped plan the American memorial to the victims of the Holocaust;
see his
Report to the President on the President's Commission on the Holocaust (1979). 

       "Society wants men to be taught to use liberty wisely while deprived of it" (p. 11).  "I believe there is a treasure in the heart of every man if we can find it if we can help him find it.  I believe this is the true way to fight crime" (p. 229, the last two sentences). 

James V. Bennett, I Chose Prison (Alfred A. Knopf, 1970, 229p),
Director of the Federal Bureau of Prisons 1937 to 1964, during the time of the
most substantial change in in-prison programming in the history of the world.

       “A person’s religion should have no bearing on his or her freedom.  All are entitled to the same level of protection in the free world, in the courts, in prison, and in the judicial process.  Recidivism should not be a factor in religious programming.  One of the most potent elements for serious change is also an axiom of most of the world's religions:  a man or woman grows best in their faith when they are sincerely searching of their own free will, unencumbered by either government favor or hostility and in the context of true freedom of conscience and freedom of religion

       "We have come a long way, especially in America, and freedom of religion and conscience is the greatest asset of all.  That is not hard to understand, but it is hard to live.  How we administrate that freedom in our prisons is the most important programming issue of the 21st century." 

Michael Glenn Maness (working paper)

 


 

Recommended Books

Correctional Chaplains:  Keepers of the Cloak
buy now 24.95 Hardback
$8.99 Amazon Kindle

Correctional Chaplains:  Keepers of the Cloak

Dr. W. Thomas Beckner
www.ThomasBeckner.net ~ wtbeckner@att.net
(2012: Cappella Press, 185p.)

Dr. Beckner reviews the history of correctional chaplaincy inside of the profession from a vast experience in teaching and associating chaplains, both professional and volunteer. Unique in the market, he offers a structural model of four dimensions: personal, pastoral, administrative, and community. He association with the Wheaton College as a developer of the their chaplaincy curriculum certainly paved the way for his current position as Director of Chaplaincy Services for Bridges of America, a premier supplier of private correctional services in America.

      Every chaplain should have this volume in his or her library.

Learning to Sing in a Strange Land
^ Click to Buy ^ $18.40
Wipf & Stock, 2009, 210p

Learning to Sing in a Strange Land
When a Loved One Goes to Prison

By Wesley Stevens, Houston, Texas
E-mail author
wfstevens1@pdq.net

Foreword by Walter Brueggemann

Prison is a strange land, a land of deep heartache and sadness.  Over two million people are serving prison time in America.  Millions more are carrying the mark of prison as those who were formerly incarcerated, including large numbers of men and women who have been released on parole.  In the midst of such human misery, when "loosened tongues" are freed to sing of God's redemptive love, grief is diminished and the prison loses its power.

Ministry to the Incarcerated
$16.86 Paperback
$3.99 Amazon Kindle  

Ministry to the Incarcerated

Dr. Henry G. Covert ~ Covert's Website ~ hgc7@verizon.net  

(1995: Loyola Press, Chicago; 2014: Henry Covert; 198p.)

Dr. Covert is a retired state prison chaplain, United Church of Christ minister, that came to that position after the military and a career as a police officer and county detective.  His website notes that this book has received numerous endorsements, including the American Correctional Association, Journal of Pastoral Care, Prison Fellowship International, Yokefellows International, Coalition of Prison Evangelists, and the American Chaplaincy Training School at Taylor University.

     The book explains in detail the many facets of being a chaplain, and is full of guidance for the "person" of the chaplain inside of the interpersonally hostile environs of a major prison.  One might think it easy, or an easy job, however authentic ministry among street-smart criminals as well as redeemed prisoners who are trying to live right inside of prison.  Every prison minister should have this book in their library, especially every staff prison chaplain. 

Excellent contribution to the vast corpus of literature on affects of religion on crime ... and thereby in every sentence supporting the value of staff prison chaplaincy
.  .  .  .  .  .  .


open source

 

Religion and Crime:
Theory, Research, and Practice
by Kent R. Kerley, editor for Religions
(
Basel, et al: MDPI, 2018)

Kerley is Professor of Criminology and Criminal Justice and Chair of the Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice at The University of Texas at Arlington.  From the preface: "The scientific study of religion is a rather recent development in colleges and universities in the United States and in other nations. Beginning in the 1960s, researchers from many social science backgrounds began conducting data-driven studies of the extent to which religiosity is related to crime, deviance, and delinquency. Since the 1980s, social scientists have also studied the nature, extent, practice, and impact of faith and faith-based programs in prisons and other correctional contexts. This volume contains the most contemporary and cutting-edge research on religion and crime, which includes data-driven (quantitative and qualitative), conceptual, review, and policyoriented papers."
  J. T. Headley, The Chaplains and Clergy of the Revolution (New York: Charles Scribner, 1864; 414 pp.), the biographies and stories of 50-plus chaplains and clergy in various places and battles during the revolution, with the first couple of chapters on the influence of religion, their lives, and their sermons before, during, after the revolution. 

Lucy A. Forster-Smith, ed., foreword by  Janet M. Cooper Nelson, College & University Chaplaincy in the 21st Century: A Multifaith Look at the Practice of Ministry on Campuses across America (Nashville: SkyLight Paths, 2013; 447 pp.), credited as the first comprehensive resource for chaplains and campus ministers of all faith traditions--a vital resource for ministry in multifaith and secular contexts. Forster-Smith is chaplain and associate dean for religious and spiritual life at Macalester College in Saint Paul, Minnesota, and co-director of the Macalester Lilly Project for Vocation and Ethical Leadership, a Lilly Endowment program for the theological exploration of vocation; and Janet M. Cooper Nelson is chaplain of Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island, and teaches at Brown’s Alpert School of Medicine.

Aaron W. Mobley, Fear No Evil: A Guide for Prison Chaplaincy (Manchester, KY: Lulu.com, 2017; 154 pp.).

Naomi Kohatsu Paget and Janet Rea McCormack, The Work of the Chaplain (King of Prussia, PA: Judson Press, 2006; 128 pp.), Paget is crisis interventionist for the FBI, for Southern Baptist Disaster Relief, and for the American Red Cross, and author of “Disaster Relief Chaplaincy” for the North American Mission Board. Mccormack is a retired Air Force chaplain and is the director of and professor of chaplaincy and pastoral counseling programs at Denver Seminary.

Rabbi Stephen B. Roberts, ed., Professional Spiritual & Pastoral Care: A Practical Clergy and Chaplain’s Handbook (Woodstock, VT: SkyLight Paths, a division of  LongHill Partners, 2011; 480 pp.). A broad spectrum of mostly healthcare chaplains on the practice in four parts in 33 articles, each a specialized setting. Roberts is past president of the Neshamah Association of Jewish Chaplains and served on their board for almost a decade. Few books show the diversity of chaplaincy services like this one.

Louis N. Jones  and Laverne E. Brewster,  Help! My Loved One Is in Prison (Washington, D.D.: Conquest Publishers, 2005; 128 pp.). Jones is executive director of Conquest Reintegration Ministries in D.C., and Brewster has 15 years in social work in D.C.

Lennie Spitale, Prison Ministry: Understanding Prison Culture Inside and Out (Nashville, TN: B&H Books, an imprint of LifeWay Christian Resources, 2002; 304 pp.). Spitale is an ex-offender who after his conversion began to hold Bibles studies in jail and then continued for two decades in prison ministry. 

Mary M. Toole, Handbook for Chaplains: Comfort My People Paperback (Paulist Press, 2006; 96 pp.). Toole outlines eight different faith traditions and is certified chaplain with the National Association of Catholic Chaplains, residing in Elmont, NY.

David M. Schilder, Inside the Fence: A Handbook for Those in Prison Ministry (Staten Island, NY: Alba House, 1999; 154 pp.).

Duane Pederson, How to Establish a Jail and Prison Ministry (Nashville: Nelson, 1979; 126 pp.).

David M. Schilder, Inside the Fence: A Handbook for Those in Prison Ministry (Staten Island: Alba House, 1999; 154 pp.).

Alan R. Duce, “Prison Chaplaincy,” in A Dictionary of Pastoral Care, edited by Alastair V. Campbell (New York: Crossroad, 2002; 300 pp.), 218–219.

Dale S. Recinella, When We Visit Jesus in Prison: A Guide for Catholic Ministry (Chicago, IL: ACTA Publications, 2016; 576 pp.). He is Catholic Chaplain for Florida’s death row, known as “Brother Dale,” over 20 years.

Larry Nielsen, Thinking About Jail and Prison Ministry; a Guide for the Lay Volunteer (CreateSpace, an Amazon imprint, 2005; 88 pp.).

Robin Casarjian, Houses of Healing: A Prisoner’s Guide to Inner Power and Freedom (Boston: Lionheart Foundation, 1995; 255 pp.). She founded Lionheart and developed emotional literacy programs for prisoners.

Reuben Ben Kadosh, Training Manual for the Jail and Prison Chaplains (Createspace, an Amazon imprint, 2016; 98 pp.).

Chaplain R. Diaz, Prison Chaplain Handbook: Getting Started Serving in The Prison Culture (Amazon Kindle Edition, 2017).

Reuben Ben Kadosh and Reuben ben Kadosh, Training Manual for the Jail and Prison Chaplains (CreateSpace, an imprint of Amazon, 2016; 98 pp.). A basic book on prison chaplaincy, which has admirably its first sentence, “You hold in your hands the key to a great treasure box,” indicating the blessings of ministering inside a prison to desperate men and women.

Mark R. Johnston, “Wage Peace: Faith-based Diplomacy as a Critical Task for the Military Chaplaincy,” (United States Army Sergeants Major Academy, Ft Bliss, Texas, 2007; 18 pp.).

Church of Satan, “Information for Prison Chaplains” (Poughkeepsie, NY: Church of Satan, c. 2014; 10 pp.). 

U.S. Army, FM 16-5, Department of the Army Field Manual: The Chaplain (U.S. Army, 1952; 50 pp.).

David W. DeRevere, ed., Chaplaincy in Law Enforcement: What It Is and How to Do It, Second Edition (Springfield, IL: Charles C. Thomas, 2005; 148 pp.).

National Sheriffs’ Association, Chaplains: Reference Guide (Alexandria, VA: National Sheriffs’ Association, 2006; 71 pp.; www.Sheriffs.org).  

Ben Ryan, A Very Modern Ministry: Chaplaincy in the UK (London: Theos, 2015; 175 pp.). Theos was launched in 2006 with the support of the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams and the Cardinal Archbishop of Westminster, Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O’Connor.

M. Mansur Ali and Sophie Gilliat-Ray, “Muslim Chaplains: Working at the Interface of ‘Public’ and ‘Private,’” chapter 4, in Muslims in Britain (London: Routledge, 2012; 17 pp.). 

Sophie Gilliat-Ray, Mansur Ali, and Stephen Pattison, Understanding Muslim Chaplaincy (London: Routledge, 2014; 226 pp.). Gilliat-Ray is professor in religious and theological studies and rirector of the Islam-UK Centre, Cardiff University; Ali is Jameel lecturer in Islamic Studies at Cardiff University, UK; Pattison is professor of religion, ethics and practice and head of theology and religion, Birmingham University, UK. 

 

V  V  New Data  V  V  New Data  V  V  New Data  V  V  New Data

New Data on Texas Prison Chaplaincy - FY 2010 and more

Chaplaincy Faith Percentages FY2010 - comprehensive look at the faith population in TDCJ for FY 2010 ...

 

Much more to come ...

 

Historic Documents Texas Prison Chaplaincy

Chaplain Professional Equity Proposal - 2000 ~ Original proposal that gained support and attained the 1st pay group raise of Texas Chaplains in 40+ years during the 2001 Texas Legislature - a bear to complete and still a powerful presentation on Chaplaincy, the Chaplaincy Market, and the value of Chaplaincy to TDCJ and Texas.  See Programmer Pay Grade.

Chaplain Professional Equity Fact Sheet 2000 - first two-page fact sheet used that showed statistics and specific contributions to mission-critical functions of the agency.

Chaplain Professional Equity Letter 2001 - four-page color letter used in Austin 2001 as we fought for Chaplaincy Professional Equity, made a couple hundred color copies and passed out in Austin.

 

V V V  House Appropriations Chair Rob Junnell receives Honor State Chaplain Award  V V V

Rob Junnell Honorary Chaplain

^ click to see larger ^

 

Some have minimized my work and, sadly, a few even took credit for some
of it here is a letter from Texas Representative Jim McReynolds efforts to help chaplains

McReynolds Letter

^ click to see larger ^

 

 $1,000,000
^ click to see larger - used to saturate Austin in 2001, 2007, 2011 ^
 

Chaplain Equity TIMELINE April 2002 for Gary Johnson - a 100-page letter to Executive Director Gary Johnson, that four of us chaplains personally presented to Johnson over that included many unethical business practices.  It contains much of the 2000 proposal, revised, and a critical TIMELINE of the unethical tweaking of the Chaplaincy Director's job description and much more.  A piece for the archives, if ever there was.  Pages 54-65 have timeline of unethical practices.

Gary Johnson - September 2002 - Moratorium on Director of Chaplain Position - to forestall more unethical hiring and degrading of TDCJ Chaplaincy - Johnson initiated an internal affairs investigation, but it was determined nothing purely illegal took place, though ethics had been thrown out the window.   It was a warning that unethical practices would continue, and they did, in the hiring of Bill Pierce shortly afterward, who did not even have an accredited bachelor's degree.
See Bill Pierce's 2000 Application here, at the time, the lowest qualified "director" of chaplains in the history of the U.S.

Chaplaincy Audit 2001 ~ First in Texas History, the raw data on questionnaires from 136 of the TDCJ's chaplains in November of 2001.  No other more comprehensive look at correctional chaplaincy exists anywhere or to date.  See how they themselves view the profession. 

History of In-Prison Programming in the USA  by Dr. Michael G. Maness, 1997  for his dissertation at New Orleans Seminary

Etymology of "Chaplain" ~ Michael G. Maness history and etymology of word "chaplain" 

Legislation on "Chaplain" in Texas' 81st Legislature    

Equity for ALL Behind the Wire - and Chaplains - Letter to Steve Ogden, Chairman of Texas Senate Finance Committee, et al  

 


-  End of Professional Prison Chaplaincy -

Maness' Faith-Based Housing Letter, December 1, 2011, including pastoral care and cost issues that needed addressed, and I blew the whistle lightly on unethical staff and a few buggy volunteer ministries given absurd favor. This letter to Brad Livingston cost me dearly and quickly, for within 3 months, I faced three disciplinaries, two so very sloppily contrived, with a mandatory dismissal hearing.  After 20 years of honored service.  More whistleblowing below, the likes of which boggle the mind, but I kept up documenting the violations.

Document Preface:  I won the dismissal after a fight, yet was forced to Polunsky, then the most policy-violating chaplaincy in TDCJ history.  All documented ... sadly, I trusted too many for too long, and saw an impotent OIG and cowardly wardens for something still a mystery--all documented now.  Also ... many other letters to Bryan Collier and TBCJ Chair Dale Wainwright, with more unique exposures of TDCJ violations followed those major works below--all to no avail, ah, I mean except for the one-sentence letter from Collier in 2012, not a single response to over 1,000 pages of documented malefeance--documented.  See the Book of Secrets Pt 1, Pt 2, and the TDCJ Deep State Report below ... linked to another 1,000 pages in letters, charts, statistics, ad infinitum ... God Bless Texas ... and help TDCJ Chaplaincy ... 

100,000 Mothers' Parole Option - this was ongoing and played an unseen part, as a revolutionary way to improve prison effectiveness, reduce recidivism, and save Texas perhaps $100 million in the long run.  Totally ignored by legislators for 10+ years now, including the Texas House and Senate Corrections Committees, and the Honorable James White who promised early support, but was unable to get anything done on it.  This, I was told, played a part in the contrived disciplinary by a confidential source ... for shame, that 100,000 hours of in-prison state employee offender contact hours have ZERO impact on the decisions of parole-eligible offenders parole ... very sad, and a 20th century travesty of justice.  

TDCJ Deep State Report--Case of the Collared Fox - Revised 2nd Edition 2019, no response after six months, nothing done after 1st Edition in January 2019.  All unlocked.  Tells horrid story of cover up by wardens under a Regional Director cleaning contraband years in coming and clearing all of disciplinaries, then racist hiring, promotion of traitors, violators cleared, Polunsky chapel still violating policy to April 2019, and OIG prevented from investigations ... then continuing to hire the lowest qualified many times after 20 years of exposure--the end of professional chaplaincy!  If chaplaincy, seriously, how many other departments and divisions have hired the lowest qualified among applicant pool?  It has ... and will continue.  The TBCJ and Texas House and Senate Committees on Corrections are powerless to supervise.  Only by grace and statewide action were we able to save Chaplaincy in 2011.  TDCJ will try to kill it again--certainly!

Three Outstanding Open Record Requests - appealed to Texas AG, some over six months old--TDCJ really wants to keep the their Seminary Prisoner Field Minister Missionary Program TOP SECRET, and more.

First Chapel Property Analysis in TDCJ History = 2015-2018 Polusnky Fiasco - no one knows what is going on there, now documented for 10 years!  Cover up continued and why they hired Timothy Jones as Deputy of Director of Religious Services, who was trained in TDCJ chaplaincy there.

Large Letter to ALL - Itemization 8-27-14 to Livingston, TBCJ Board, Gov. Perry, AG Abbott, House Corrections members, more, 16 pages, no lampoon, pleading for justice--no answer.

Book of Secrets, Pt. 2, 2007 Goodman Unit Hiring Fiasco - purely racist hiring of white TDCJ career laundry man over a retired Black combat veteran career Army Chaplainin, totally ignoring the military preference ... again ... and worse.   Not the first time.

Book of Secrets on the Longest Cover-up in TDCJ History--Case of Sherlock Holmes and the Enchanting Chaplain, January 2014 - 700+ pages, 147MBs, with photos and links to audios, all my set up, TDCJ falsifying disciplinaries, and the Polunsky fiasco, the most policy-violating chaplain in TDCJ, Regional Director cleaning contraband years in coming and clearing all of disciplinaries, life-sentenced murderers given high-end computers, cameras, and color laser printers TOTALLY UNSUPERVISED for years--documented, with warden's knowledge.  

How We Saved Texas Prison Chaplaincy 2011--the Immeasurable of Relgions, Volunteers, and Their Chaplains ... Forget not that Madeline Ortiz tried to kill chaplaincy in 2011 without a single cost analysis, ignoring data 10-years old showing how chaplaincy recovered its cost several times over--simply ignoring the value of religions--the Programs & Services Division regularly hiding chaplaincy statistics.... A long history of undervaluing the chaplaincy profession continues despite exposure of many violations of ethics and violations of TDCJ's good written policies. 

TBCJ No Action on Public Comments in 12 Years & Word-frequency Analysis in 70 Minutes 2007-2019, chaplaincy nearly absent, and no action on any public statement, and more.  

TDCJ 10-Year Disciplinary Report 7-25-2003 to 7-25-2013 - first one published in TDCJ History on 86,775 disciplinaries - NOT a SINGLE disciplinary for a warden, Reg. Dir. Michael Upshaw, or Chaplain Collier for the multitude of violations everyday at the Polunsky Chapel for 6 years ... fairness flew the coup at Polunsky

Chaplain Equity TIMELINE April 2002 for Gary Johnson - a 100-page letter to Executive Director Gary Johnson in 2002, that four of us chaplains personally presented to Johnson that included many unethical business practices.  It contains much of the 2000 proposal, revised, and a critical TIMELINE of the unethical tweaking of the Chaplaincy Director's job description and much more.  A piece for the archives, if ever there was.  Pages 54-65 have timeline of unethical practices.

Establishment Clause Research

 Alexander Volokh, "Do Faith-Based Prisons Work?" 63, No. 1 Alabama Law Review (2011), 43-95 - complementing the Faith-Based Housing Letter above in a superb way.

Roy L. Bergeron Jr., “Faith on the Farm: An Analysis of the Angola Prison’s Moral Rehabilitation Program Under the Establishment Clause,” Louisiana Law Review, 71, No. 4 (Summer 2011): 1220–57, showing the many conflicts with the establishment clause.

Douglas Roy, “Doin’ Time in God’s House: Why Faith-Based Rehabilitation Programs Violate the Establishment Clause,” 78, No. 3 Southern California Law Review (March 2005): 795–834, see also  https://SoutherCcaliforniaLawReview.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/78_795.pdf.  

Chaplain Surveys

Religion in Prison: A 50-State Survey of Prison Chaplains (3-22-12), what they do, what happens

 

 

Documents of Note Related to TDCJ Rehabilitation & Reentry

General TDCJ Operations

Chaplaincy & Volunteers

Texas Sunset Report 2006-07 - TDCJ Another 12 Years - First issue rehabilitation - TX recidivism 30% v. CA 60%

Chaplaincy Healthcare 2001 & Wyatt-Solucient Comparison

TDCJ  Budget Summary 2007

Volunteerism in Texas 2002 - nothing sub. on TDCJ chaplaincy

Texas Governor's Performance Measures 2000

Volunteer Environmental Scan 2001 - nothing sub. on TDCJ chaplaincy

Report or Reentry Policy Council 2004 - 658pp

Baylor Religion Study 2006 & Texas Religion Chart - importance of religion in general to most of the population

Reentry Texas by Urban Institute 2004 - 124pp

California Chaplain Study - 1991 ~ Leadership Complexity

California Chaplain Study - 2001 

Pew Report - Behind Bars 2008 - look at prisons in USA

Wisconsin Chaplaincy Study 1998

Texas State Auditor's Classification Plan for 04-05 - All Jobs

Florida Chaplaincy Study 2001

Texas State Auditor's Classification Plan for 06-07 - All Jobs

Maryland Chaplaincy Expansion Proposal 1992

 

 Inside Corrections - Ok Chaplaincy, Oklahoma Dept. of Corrections (March/April 2012 • 24:2), devoted to Chaplaincy

Texas State Auditor's Correctional Officer's Report

TDCJ Chaplaincy Audit Results 2001 - raw data on 150 TDCJ chaplains

History of In-Prison Programming in the USA 

Faith-based Dorm 5 Years - Alfred Unit - Disciplinaries decrease 

  Chaplain Professional Documents
Supporting Documents & Technical Treatises

Highlighted Items 

Poems & Artistic Works 

Primary Chaplaincy Documents

Where "Professional Equity" Began 

Relevant Technical Studies & Other Info 

Directly Relevant Web Sites 

Historically Relevant Works of Note 

TDCJ & TX State General Information

U.S. Army Chaplaincy Program 

Volunteer & Volunteerism Information

Chaplaincy Info - General   

TX Chaplain Lists  

Legal Docs, TX Legislative Aids 

Chaplaincy Manual (08-2012) – 14 chs, 167 Policies & Attachments, 224 pgs

Chaplaincy Forms Folder – 40 forms

Appendix – Directives, Updates, in 200 pgs

ED-07.29r2  “Religious Policy Statement”

ED-02.01r4  “TDCJ Ethics Policy”

ED-02.40r4  “News Media Relations”

AD-01.82r4  “Lines of Authority for Dual Supervision Positions”

AD-03.02r1  “Impermissible Offender Conduct”

AD-03.29r7  “TDCJ Procedures to be Followed in Cases of Offender Death

AD-03.83r6  “TDCJ Offenders Who Refuse to Comply with Grooming Standards

AD-04.18r5  “Offender Jobs: Assignments, Job Descriptions, Selection Criteria, Work Programs and Supervision”

AD-06.10r1  “Notification Regarding Seriously/Critically Ill Offenders”

AD-07.30r6  “Procedures for Religious Programming”

AD-07.35r6  “Administration of Volunteer Services”

AD-07.38r2  “Administration of Mentor Services”

AD-11.02r4  “Attorney General Representation, Indemnification and Limitation of Liability”

AD-11.03r3  “Lawsuits Against TDCJ Employees”

AD-14.31r4  “Accountability for TDCJ Property”

BR-152.71  “Acceptance of Gifts Related to Buildings for Religious and Programmatic Purposes”

Deletion of Computer Equipment

Instructions to Access Agency Policies (06-02)

Religious Devotional Item Update

Religious Practice Committee Decisions

RPD-02.03-Request-for-Information

Suggested Religious Vendors

Volunteer Services Plan

TDCJ Volunteer Services Plan (Policy) - 2010 - 34 pages

TDCJ Volunteer Services Handbook - 2014 - 24 pages

For Other Very Relevant Docs See
Religious Freedom Docs    ( a Separate Page )
 

Where Prison Chaplaincy Began:  History, Theory, Rationale 

Chaplain Links in America, Canada, More

Highlighted Items   

Professional Correctional Chaplaincy:  Fact or Fiction, by Dr. Vance Drum, Senior Chaplain, Eastham Prison, TDCJ, a paper presented at the 2007 American Correctional Chaplaincy Association convention.

Measuring Prison Chaplaincy Complexity, Maness 2001 Article, Restorative Justice News  

Chaplains & Career Ladder ~  small request to raise 50 of the most senior TDCJ chaplains to Chaplain III;  this would be the first career ladder for TDCJ chaplains in Texas history, even as they recover entire operating costs.

Baylor 2006 Landmark Study of Religion - unique and comprehensive look a religion


Chaplaincy Audit 2001 ~ FIRST in Texas History, the raw data on questionnaires from 136 of the TDCJ's chaplains in November of 2001.  No other more comprehensive look at correctional chaplaincy exists anywhere or to date.  See how they themselves view the profession. 

History of In-Prison Programming in the USA  by Dr. Michael G. Maness, 1997  for his dissertation at New Orleans Seminary

Restorative Justice—America's New Frontier (print ready) and RJ Original Publication - Michael G. Maness, published in Texas Journal of Corrections Vol. 29:4, Nov. 2003


Prison Re-Entry

Report of the Re-Entry Policy Council (2004)  A huge 658-page cross-continental study, see more at www.ReEntryPolicy.org 

Re-Entry in Texas (2004) A good study by the Urban Institute in Washington, D.C.


Special Studies

Pew Center on the States - One in 100 Behind Bars 2008 -- comprehensive look at prison in the USA

Jody L. Sundt and Francis T. Cullen, “The Role of Contemporary Prison Chaplains,” The Prison Journal 78, No. 3 (1998): 271–298.

Jody L. Sundt and Francis T. Cullen, “The Correctional Ideology of Prison Chaplains: A National Survey,” Journal of Criminal Justice 35 (2002): 369–385.

David Grosse, Exploring Chaplaincy Ministry, Church of the Nazarene (2006; 182 pp.).  

Donald Meichenbaum “Trauma, Spirituality, and Recovery: Toward a Spiritually-Integrated Psychotherapy,” (2009; 39 pp.), He is the distinguished professor emeritus at the University of Waterloo and founding member of The Melissa Institute for Violence Prevention and Treatment. He holds the dual distinction of having been voted “one of the ten most influential psychotherapists of the century” (reported in the American Psychologist) and being the most cited psychology researcher at a Canadian university; www.MelissaInstitute.org/.

Lydia Hearn, Renee Campbell-Pope, Joanne House, Donna Cross, Pastoral Care in Education (Western Australia: Edith Cowan University, 2006; 92 pp.).

Judy Fleischman, “Chaplaincy Best Practices for Care of ‘Spiritual Not Religious’ Persons,” APC Conference, (Anaheim, CA: June 22, 2014). Fleischman, PhD, is the founder of www.OpenSourceChaplaincy.com.

 

 

 

 

 

 


Chaplaincy and Volunteers

COST-Effectiveness ~ Fiscal Impact Statement ~ Chaplains Recover ENTIRE Operating Costs 3x over, irrefutably, even more with thought --Best Kept Secret in Texas  

Chaplaincy Market ~ Texas Chaplains are deserving of Professional Equity

Hospitals in Texas, Phone & Addresses, a Resource 

National Chaplaincy Standards TRUE Benchmarks for Success

TDCJ Chaplaincy & ACA Standards THE Pursuit of Excellence involves the American Correctional Association:  Chaplaincy was there from the beginning     

Flannelly, Kevin J., Linda L Emanuel, George F Handzo, Kathleen Galek, Nava R Silton, and Melissa Carlson. “A National Study of Chaplaincy Services and End of Life Outcomes,” BMC Palliative Care 11, no. 10 (July 2012).

 

Chaplaincy STATISTICS

    NEW:  TDCJ Staff Chaplain Cumulative Stats FYs 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016 
      Superlative numbers deserving equity in support  

    NEW:  TDCJ - RPD Quarterlies, 21 in All - FYs 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016
     Staff Chaplain stats not mentioned one single time

Chaplaincy Statistics Cumulative 2010-2011-2012 

Chaplaincy Statistics CLIPPED for FY2010-11

FY2004 Chaplaincy Stats ~ Compare > FY 2018FY 2002 ~ FY 2001 ~ FY 2000 ~ FY 1999 ~ FY 1998 These are extraordinary Performance Measures -- here for the first time.  See also the
TX State Auditor's Guide to Performance Measure Management - 2000 ed. 

TDCJ Chaplaincy Volunteer Statistics
^ click to see larger ^

The Independent Sectorvalued a volunteer’s time at $23 per hour in 2015.  With 560,261 volunteer hours reported in 2012, that is over $13.4 million for one year. Therefore, upon facilitation of volunteers alone, chaplaincy recovers its entire operating costs over three times! Some volunteers are worth much more

TDCJ RPD Division Reports from Marvin Dunbar, Manager III to Director, though reports do not have routing
Chaplaincy Overview 2012 - Chaplaincy Overview 2011 - Chaplaincy Overview 2010
Open Record requests did not yield that any of these went to TBCJ

TDCJ Chaplaincy Audit Results 2001 - First in Texas History, the raw data on questionnaires from ALL of TDCJ's 150 chaplains in November of 2000.  See how they themselves view the profession.

Faith-based Dorm 5 Years - Alfred Unit - Disciplinaries decrease 

Volunteer Environmental Scan in Texas 2001 ~ Look at how much takes place in Texas, millions of dollars saved, about 50% of ENTIRE state facilitated and nurtured by TDCJ Chaplains, only NOT mentioned!

Investing in Volunteerism in Texas 2002 ~ Ditto, with saving to TDCJ of $7,906,520.16 with about 90% of that by 100 chaplains, and more if by the Texas State Auditor's Office of valuation $10.39 to $23.20 is calculated at high rate for religious volunteers, where 513,744 hours equals $11,918,860 worth, which over 90% is chaplaincy religious volunteers, well OVER current total operating costs!  Yet there is no mention of TDCJ chaplaincy?

Watson-Wyatt vs. Solucient Surveys - the most significant data source used by the Texas State Auditor's office on Chaplains was from the Watson-Wyatt survey, yet the survey is grossly inadequate to discern a true market for chaplains. Watson-Wyatt list of 551 hospitals is compared to the "Top 100 Hospitals" selected by Solucient, where Solucient's 460 Top 100 are culled from 3,000+ hospitals from 1993-2000, as well as 18 of the 20 largest pharmaceutical manufacturers in the US (all the US hospitals reporting to Medicare):  astounding is the fact that so few of Watson-Wyatt hospitals appear in any Solucient Top 100.

COMISS Report 1992 -- Georgia - sent to all TDCJ chaplains 1993 - What happened in Georgia when they deleted their chaplaincy program

 

TDCJ Chaplaincy 700+ Network  


Poems and Artistic Works ~

A Chaplain's Task ~ Poem by Barry Goode, Prison Chaplain in South Australia


Primary Chaplaincy Equity Documents ~

Chaplains - Help - with Career Ladder small request to raise 40 of the most senior TDCJ chaplains to Chaplain III;  this would be the first career ladder for TDCJ chaplains in Texas history--and still they recover ENTIRE operating costs.

Chaplain Equity Proposal - Old - 2001 ~ Original proposal that gained support and attained the 1st pay group raise of Texas Chaplains in 35+ years, the initial justification for full Chaplain Professional Equity 

TDCJ Chaplaincy Audit Results 2001 ~ FIRST in Texas History, the raw data on questionnaires from 150 TDCJ's chaplains in November of 2000.  No other more comprehensive look at correctional chaplaincy exists anywhere or to date.  See how they themselves view the profession. 

Cost-Effectiveness -- Chaplains Recover ENTIRE Operating Costs
 3x over, Irrefutably, even more with thought --
Best Kept Secret in Texas  

Chaplaincy Market ~ Without doubt - Texas Chaplains are Long Overdue

History & Value of Correctional Chaplaincy  ~  Emmett Solomon (R.I.P. - 1936-2014)

Carol Vance on Chaplaincy ~ former TDCJ Board Chairman 

Desert Storm & Prison Chaplaincy ~ Senior Chaplain M. Mantooth 

Measuring Prison Chaplaincy Complexity, Maness 2001 Article ~ Restorative Justice News, Sept.-Dec., 2001, by Michael G. Maness  

Chaplain's Job:  Complex & Pervasive ~ Michael G. Maness 

Brown, Leo E., “Prison Chaplaincy,” Inside Corrections (March/April, 2012), 9-33, see www.Ok.gov/doc/documents/marchapril.pdf, the role of prison chaplaincy in Oklahoma, the whole issue devoted to highlighting chaplaincy--superb article!

Professional Correctional Chaplaincy:  Fact or Fiction, by Dr. Vance Drum, Senior Chaplain, Eastham Prison, TDCJ, a paper presented at the 2007 American Correctional Chaplaincy Association convention.

Professional Chaplaincy:  Role in Healthcare 2001 - no photos 
One of the most significant pieces of work on the contribution of professional chaplaincy by the largest collection of cross-disciplinary chaplaincy professionals as a joint statement by the ACPE, APC, CAPPE, NACC and NAJC, a thought provoking look at the complexity and depth of service by a professional chaplaincy.  " The first joint statement on this subject prepared by the five largest healthcare chaplaincy organizations in North America representing over 10,000 members.  As a consensus paper, it presents the perspectives of these bodies on the spiritual care they provide for the benefit of individuals, healthcare organizations and communities." 
FULL Version > Professional Chaplaincy Role 2001 - 2.5 Mgs
** 
See site of origin >
www.healthcarechaplaincy.org/publications/publications/white_paper_05.22.01/index.html

Impact of Inmate Participation In Chaplaincy Programs 
Florida DOC 2001 document a clear correlation between inmate chapel attendance and institutional adjustment, namely, lower disciplinary reports.  Chapel attendance was tracked for the months of July, August and September 2001 and compared with statewide disciplinary reports on prisoners.  The result is incontrovertible:  Chapel attendance by inmates positively effects the institution with as much as 2/3 less disciplinary reports for those who attend 10+ times a month.    

Watson-Wyatt vs. Solucient Surveys - the most significant data source used by the Texas State Auditor's office on Chaplains was from the Watson-Wyatt survey, yet the survey is grossly inadequate to discern a true market for chaplains. Watson-Wyatt list of 551 hospitals is compared to the "Top 100 Hospitals" selected by Solucient, where Solucient's 460 Top 100 are culled from 3,000+ hospitals from 1993-2000, as well as 18 of the 20 largest pharmaceutical manufacturers in the US (all the US hospitals reporting to Medicare):  astounding is the fact that so few of Watson-Wyatt hospitals appear in any Solucient Top 100.

Prison Ministries - Partial List of TDCJ Chaplains' Network - 700+  


TDCJ Chaplaincy Statistics

FY2012-Chaplaincy ~ FY2011 ~ FY2010 < these as given for volunteers only - no time to consolidate yet  
~
FY2004 ~ FY 2002 ~ FY 2001 ~ FY 2000 ~ FY 1999 ~ FY 1998 ~
These are extraordinary Performance Measures -- here for the first time. 
--See TX State Auditor's Guide to Performance Measure Management 2000 Ed. 

    NEW:  TDCJ Staff Chaplain Cumulative Stats FYs 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016 
      Superlative numbers deserving equity in support  

    NEW:  TDCJ - RPD Quarterlies, 21 in All - FYs 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016
     Staff Chaplain stats not mentioned one single time

 

TDCJ RPD Division Reports from Marvin Dunbar, Manager III to Director, though reports do not have routing 
Chaplaincy Overview 2012 - Chaplaincy Overview 2011 - Chaplaincy Overview 2010 
Open Record requests did not yield that any of these went to TBCJ

 

TDCJ Cumulative Statistics on Chaplaincy 2012-2011-2010 - Extraordinary Service

TDCJ Cumulative Statistics CLIPPED for FY2010-11  

 

See the Independent Sector's Valuation of Volunteer Service - $23 per hour in 2015
www.IndependentSector.org/volunteer_time  As chaplains facilitate volunteers, there is a two-fold cost recovery on that alone.  And many volunteers are worth much more than that, and chaplaincy contributes much more.

 

Chaplaincy Records Retention 2000-2015   


Bibliography:  Professional Chaplaincy ~ A Comprehensive WORKING bibliography, with other significant works directly related to Correctional Chaplaincy.

Serials & Periodicals Relevant to Chaplains ~  3,700+ Nearly comprehensive & up to date as of December 2001, culled from the three massive catalogs of Ulrich's Periodical Directory, Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary & the Library of Congress -- indicative of the broad scope of the Chaplaincy & Religious Professions and the diversity of disciplines that do powerfully inform and impact the quality of a Chaplain's delivery of pastoral care, the scope of networking and level of organizational expertise. 

Aftercare List  ~  TDCJ Chaplaincy Network:  750+  


Prison Unit Employee Pay Equity ~ How "attrition" is not the best excuse to give raises

TDCJ & Texas State General Information

Prison Unit Employee Pay Equity ~
How "Attrition" is a poor excuse to give raises

State Classification Proposal for 2000-2001** ~ This was the proposal offered to the 77th Legislative Session.  Chaplains are on page 40.  Beyond this proposal, our Legislators in 2001 gave a one pay group raise to State Chaplains, the first in 40+ years.  Also beyond this proposal, the Correctional Officers of our prisons received a career ladder up to 5 levels from 3 - somewhat paralleling what proposal was offering Juvenile Correctional Officers.

2002-09-22 Letter to Gary Johnson asking for Moratorium on Hiring Director of Chaplains because of hiring improprieties. 

2004-2005 Proposed Changes to State Classification Schedule --
Chaplaincy Left Out Again --
Surprising Adjustments and Rationale that makes CHAPLAIN Professional EQUITY all the more reasonable --

Auditor's Correctional Officer's Report ** ~
The State Auditors report on Correctional Officer Staffing, needs, assessments, etc., that does NOT necessarily reflect the experience of the officers themselves.  They could have done better for our staff -- namely focused attention on how to increase pay in proportion to the "value" of their service to the state of Texas.  For instance, there is much well analyzed data on raw facts but nearly nothing done on the complexity or stresses of the job or how that job impacts the overall effectiveness of the TDCJ's mission statement. 

TX State Auditor's Guide to Performance Measure Management 2002 edition **HOW performance measures are SUPPOSED to be used

Texas State Auditor's Methodology Manual - Frames ~ No Frames ~ This is how they do what they do - expansive AND informative to Chaplain Professional Equity ** 
            
** NEEDs Adobe Acrobat Reader 5.0  < Free>  click here 

http://TDCJ.state.tx.us/  ~  http://www.CAPITOLstate.tx.us/  ~ 

http://www.SAO.state.tx.us/  ~  http://www.TXDirectory.com/  ~ 

http://www.LBB.state.tx.us/  ~  http://www.STATE.tx.us/ 

Where "Professional Equity" Began

Chaplains Speak:  Education & Experience Second to None 

Rationale for Professional Equity for Chaplains ~ M.G. Maness 

WHY for Chaplains ~ M.G. Maness 

Watershed History ~ Where & When it all began 

First Pay Scale Comparison ~ To TX Representative Ellis
showing odd differences & asking basic questions 

Chaplains Get a Small Boost ~ RJN article, May-Aug., 2001: from Texas Senate & House to a conference committee, "how" we got a the 1st pay group raise for state chaplains in state history, not yet Professional Equity, but a nice boost

U.S. Army Chaplaincy Program

U.S. Army Chaplaincy Constitutional Defense ~   

U.S. Army Chaplaincy History ~ the BEST history of any Professional Chaplaincy Organization in the World -- bar none -- extraordinary 

Where Prison Chaplaincy Began:  History & Theory 

Chaplaincy:  Greatest Story 'Never' Told ~ David B. Plummer   

Etymology of "Chaplain" ~ Michael G. Maness history and etymology of word "chaplain"

Chaplain as Representative of the Transcendent ~ Guy Greenfield 

History of In-Prison Programming in America ~ M.G. Maness 

Chaplaincy Studies

Relevant Technical Studies & Other Info ~

new PBS Documentary,

"How Chaplains 'Lean into Painful Places'" article in Huffington Post, by Adelle M. Banks of Religion News Service (11-2-15, 7:47 pm), summing and telling about PBS Documentary 

Strategic Plan to Reduce Crime Through a Public/Private Partnership
Proposal to Build Prison Chapels
** ~
Frank Graham & Chapel of Hope Huge, noble effort to build free standing chapels in ALL Texas Prisons 

Congress on Ministry in Specialized Settings (COMISS) Report 1992, sent to all TDCJ Chaplains in 1993 - sage advice still relevant

California Chaplain Study - 1991 ~ Chaplain Leadership Complexity 

California Chaplain Study - 2001 ~ Chaplain Leadership Complexity 

Marsh v. Chambers 1983 ~ Supreme Court decision supporting state paid chaplains to open Nebraska's legislature with prayer

Maryland Chaplaincy Expansion Proposal 1992 ~ Sociologically Poignant 

Wisconsin 1998 Faith-Based Approaches** ~ Chaplaincy First  

Brown, Leo E., “Prison Chaplaincy,” Inside Corrections (March/April, 2012), 9-33, see www.Ok.gov/doc/documents/marchapril.pdf, the role of prison chaplaincy in Oklahoma, the whole issue devoted to highlighting chaplaincy--superb article!


Major Chaplaincy Networks & Training

Clinical Training & Networks

Association of Clinical Pastoral Education ~ Find ACPE Center  

Institute for Clinical Pastoral Training

Health Care Chaplaincy Network & CPE.org

Spiritual Care Association

Chaplain Connection

Major Chaplain Certifications

American Correctional Chaplains Association

Association of Certified Christian Chaplains

Association of Professional Chaplains

Canadian Association for Spiritual Care

Center for Spiritual Care & Pastoral Formation

College of Pastoral Supervision and Psychotherapy

Healthcare Chaplains Ministry Association

International Association of Christian Chaplains

National Association of Catholic Chaplains

National Association of Veterans Affairs Chaplains

National Conference of Veterans Affairs Catholic Chaplains

Neshama: Association of Jewish Chaplains

National Institute of Business and Industrial Chaplains    


Oklahoma Prison Chaplaincy

email me if link to original is changes:  maness3@att.net


Other Books on Chaplaincy Profession

Man's Search for Meaning 

Victor E. Frankl, Man’s Search for Meaning, foreword by Harold S. Kushner and biographical afterword by William J. Winslade (Beacon Press, 2006 [1st 1959]; 184p.).  Frankl was professor of neurology and psychiatry at the University of Vienna Medical School until his death in 1997 and founder of what has come to be called the Third Viennese School of Psychotherapy (after Freud's psychoanalysis and Adler's individual psychology)—the school of logotherapy.  This is his personal memoir and analysis of life and survival in Nazi death camps with perhaps the most seminal quote being: “Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms—to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way.”   During his time there, including Auschwitz, his parents, brother, and pregnant wife were killed.  By the time he died, the book sold more than 10 million copies in twenty-four languages.  When first published in 1959, Carl Rogers called it "one of the outstanding contributions to psychological thought in the last fifty years."  A 1991 reader survey for the Library of Congress named it one of the ten most influential books in America.  From 1993 to 2011, I required it for reading of all my volunteer chaplains at the Gib Lewis State Prison in Woodville, Texas--good, insightful book for those who Care for the Soul!  

 

Prison Chaplaincy Experience

Hosea Quinby (1804-78), The Prison Chaplaincy, and Its Experiences (D.L. Guernsey, Concord, N.H.; Morning Star Steam Job Printing House: Dover, N.H., 1873; 208p.).  See www.Gutenberg.org/ebooks/29797 for several free copies of this book in several formats. This masterpiece was reprinted into digital form by volunteers and is available in Kindle Edition on Amazon for FREE). Quinby artfully tells of his story and insights as a New Hampshire state prison chaplain, his early reluctance, then surprise at the depth of the ministry. Outstanding. He was given a raise in part because he was also the school teacher, and the book reveals his advocacy over 100 years ago. How “dehumanizing,” he declares to let the women eat at tables but force the men to take their allotment to their cells, a few bathing troughs in their washrooms to clean, marched in naked one after another. Quinby is a heated in his sarcasm, and it’s a bit amazing he was allowed to remain employed with this degree of criticism. Want to know the variety of hats and enormous hosts of duties of a conscientious chaplain?

Hosea Quinby (1804-78), eighth of twelve children, was reared upon his father’s farm. In 1821, at 17, he entered the New Hampton Literary and Theological Institution. He a teacher of common schools and gained wide reputation as a model teacher and disciplinarian. Finishing his preparatory studies in 1828, but instead of entering college, he accepted a tutorship for one year at New Hampton and married. Then in 1829, he entered the sophomore class of Waterville College and graduated in due course. He joined the Freewill Baptist denomination in 1824, and from the beginning he became prominent and influential among them. In October, 1827, on the first organization of their General Conference at Tunbridge, Vt., he was chosen Clerk, and as such officiated till 1835. He was the first Freewill Baptist who received a college education. On graduating, he was installed as Principal of the new Parsonsfield Seminary, Maine, the first institution of learning established by his denomination. Here he taught for seven years with abundant success, adding to his school labors those of a clergyman, having been being licensed in 1827 and ordained to the ministry in June, 1833.

After Parsonsfield, he was pastor of a church in Meredith, N.H., for one year in 1839-40. He was subsequently settled in the pastorate at various places, viz.: a second time in Meredith, 1855-57; Pittsfield, N. H., 1857-61; Lebanon, Me., 1861-64; Lake Village, N. H., 1864-68. In all these places, besides preaching, he taught with great popularity and success. In 1868, enfeebled by age and excessive labor, he purchased a home in Concord, N. H., where he laid aside the functions of teacher and preacher, except that for above two years, 1869-72, he resumed both while acting as Chaplain of New Hampshire State Prison.

In October, 1872, he returned to the pastorate at Nottingham, N. H., where he remained till the close of 1874, and he was again settled in Pittsfield, January, 1875-76, and at Milton Mills, N. H., from April, 1876, until his death, apparently by heart attack from the description in the newspaper.  Says Rev. Mr. Stewart: “He more than any one man was active and wisely efficient in changing the tide of interest in the denomination in favor of education. His great humility, his excellent spirit, his great discretion and undoubted piety enabled him to do what no other man could have done…. He was the father of our educational interests, and none stood higher than he in the confidence of the people.”  

On his last day at the prison, Chaplain Quinby recalled,

The deputy followed me, indulging in a tirade of most abusive language. As he finished the words, “You had better not be over here making a fool of yourself, but keep away lest you get kicked out,” I had arrived at the top of the stairs, where I stopped, supposing he proposed to kick me down, remarking, in a subdued tone of voice, nothing frightened or excited, “Here I am. If you wish to kick me down stairs, you can. I came in civilly on business, supposing, as a citizen, I had a right to that” (sec. 53, p. 96 of pdf).

the first sentences of his last paragraph are so instructive:

This matter is now before the people. Will you not study the questions carefully and act? Will not ministers of religion and of law, merchants and artisans, all those in the various industries of life, men and women come to the help? True, the latter, however pure and exalted, is now forbidden entrance to the chapel in labors of love for the fallen men. Hence, that somewhat recent shock to the community in the stern refusal of Elizabeth Comstock's request for permission to address the inmates on their moral and religious interests. How long shall such things be in our prison? How long shall the light of science, of morality and of pure religion be virtually shut out from that abode? How long shall we work so as to make bad men worse, hard hearts harder, the depraved more iniquitous, the pestiferous more destructive to the safety and quietness of society? Till the people shall stir effectively, make their voice heard and their power felt.

Ministry of Presence Winnifred Fallers Sullivan, A Ministry of Presence—Chaplaincy, Spiritual Care, and the Law (University of Chicago Press, 2014; 240p.).  From press web site:  Most people in the United States today no longer live their lives under the guidance of local institutionalized religious leadership, such as rabbis, ministers, and priests; rather, liberals and conservatives alike have taken charge of their own religious or spiritual practices. This shift, along with other social and cultural changes, has opened up a perhaps surprising space for chaplains—spiritual professionals who usually work with the endorsement of a religious community but do that work away from its immediate hierarchy, ministering in a secular institution, such as a prison, the military, or an airport, to an ever-changing group of clients of widely varying faiths and beliefs. In A Ministry of Presence, Winnifred Fallers Sullivan explores how chaplaincy works in the United States—and in particular how it sits uneasily at the intersection of law and religion, spiritual care, and government regulation. Responsible for ministering to the wandering souls of the globalized economy, the chaplain works with a clientele often unmarked by a specific religious identity, and does so on behalf of a secular institution, like a hospital. Sullivan's examination of the sometimes heroic but often deeply ambiguous work yields fascinating insights into contemporary spiritual life, the politics of religious freedom, and the never-ending negotiation of religion's place in American institutional life.
Press Site:  http://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/chicago/M/bo8268248.html.
 

Spiritual Care in Crisis George Fitchett (editor), Steve Nolan (editor), John Swinton (afterword), Christina Puchalski (foreword), with 17 contributers, Spiritual Care in Practice: Case Studies in Healthcare Chaplaincy (Jessica Kingsley Publishers, 2015; 320p.).  From Amazon description:  These diverse case studies make a compelling case for the importance of effective spiritual care in healthcare and provide unprecedented insight into the essential role of the chaplain within the healthcare team. Presented alongside critical reflections and responses from professionals within chaplaincy, psychology, psychiatry and nursing, they provide an honest and detailed look into how healthcare chaplains actually work with the people in their care and reveal the vital role of narrative and imagination in effective transformative practice. 
Disaster Spritual Care Stephen B. Roberts (Author, Editor) and Willard W. C. Ashley Sr., Disaster Spiritual Care: Practical Clergy Responses to Community, Regional and National Tragedy (SkyLight Paths, 2008; 384p.).  Rev. Willard W. C. Ashley Sr., MDiv, DMin, DH, speaker on the topics of leadership development, clergy resiliency and interfaith dialogue, is acting dean and associate professor of practical theology at New Brunswick Theological Seminary, was the interim pastor at Union Baptist Church in Montclair, New Jersey, and is founding pastor of Abundant Joy Community Church in Jersey City, New Jersey, and serves as a consultant on disaster recovery and clergy self-care to congregations and Fortune 100 companies. Rabbi Stephen B. Roberts, MBA, MHL, BCJC, is the editor of Professional Spiritual & Pastoral Care: A Practical Clergy and Chaplain's Handbook, and is a past president of the National Association of Jewish Chaplains, and recently served as the associate executive vice president of the New York Board of Rabbis, directing their chaplaincy program, providing services in more than fifty locations throughout New York, and serving as the endorser for both New York State's and New York City's Jewish chaplains;  prior, he served as the director of chaplaincy of the Beth Israel Medical System (New York), overseeing chaplains and clinical pastoral education (CPE) programs at three acute care hospitals, one behavioral health hospital, and various outpatient facilities served by chaplains.
Work of the Chaplain Naomi K. Paget and Janet R. Mccormack, The Work of the Chaplain, part of Work of the Church series (Judson Press, 2006; 128p.).  Paget is a board certified chaplain with the Association of Professional Chaplains and crisis interventionist for the FBI, Southern Baptist Disaster Relief, and American Red Cross.  Paget is the author of Disaster Relief Chaplaincy (North American Mission Board) and also has broad chaplain experience in the workplace, parish, healthcare, community, and law enforcement arenas.  McCormack is a board certified chaplain with the Association of Professional Chaplains and an American Baptist Churches USA minister. She serves as director of the Chaplaincy and Counseling Training Centers and is assistant professor of Chaplaincy and Pastoral Counseling at Denver Seminary, also a retired Air Force chaplain with extensive experience in military, hospital, police, prison, NASCAR, crisis, trauma, and industrial chaplaincy.  See also Paget's doctoral disseration, “Disaster Relief Chaplaincy for Community Clergy” (D. Min. diss., Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary, 2003)
 
NAMB Disaster Relief Chaplaincy Manuel Southern Baptist Disaster Relief Chaplain Training Manuel (SBC NAMB; 2007; 93p.).  From intro to book:  The development of chaplain ministry has its roots in ancient history. Religious men and women often accompanied armies into battle as priests. From the settlement of Canaan through the period of the judges, spiritual leaders provided encouragement and compassionate care to people who were constantly in crisis. Chaplains sailed with Sir Francis Drake in the sixteenth century and fought with Washington during the Revolutionary War. They prayed through human suffering, encouraged in despair, and officiated over ceremonial events. They have counseled and consulted for kings, parliaments, and governments— for the incarcerated, the sick, and the disenfranchised. Today, chaplains are found in many settings—military, healthcare, law enforcement, institutions, business and industry, resorts, racetracks, gambling casinos, job corps, shelters, rescue missions, professional sports teams, factories, and corporations.
    Naomi K. Paget was the author, though the not listed specifically.

Down in the Chapel

Joshua Dubler, Down in the Chapel: Religious Life in an American Prison (Picador, 2014; 400p.) From Publishers Weekly:  University of Rochester religion professor Dubler (Bang! Thud: World Spirit from a Texas School Book Depository) takes readers where every American should go at least once—to prison. The highly religious United States also has the highest incarceration rate in the world. Examining chapel life at Pennsylvania's maximum-security prison at Graterford, readers follow two prison guards, five chaplains, 15 prisoner-workers, 20 volunteers, one secular professor of religion, and hundreds of religious followers of Sunni Islam, Salafi Islam, Judaism, Nation of Islam, Moorish Science Temple, Evangelicals, Catholics, Christian Science, Native American Church, and more. His postmodern frame keeps Dubler, as the interpreter, always in plain view, while profitably weaving in Graterford's social location (an era that prioritizes punishment, not rehabilitation), and historical context (Pennsylvania's early experiments in reforming prisoners through religious instruction and solitary confinement). In this important book, Dubler reveals an essential American conversation that is complex, nuanced, highly intellectual, woefully uninformed, often humorous, and deeply theological among men held in violent, repressive circumstances. This book aptly proves Dostoyevsky's claim that one can judge a society's civilization by entering its prisons.

Professional Spiritual Pastoral Care Rabbi Stephen B. Roberts, MBA, MHL, BCJC, editor, Professional Spiritual & Pastoral Care: A Practical Clergy and Chaplain's Handbook (SkyLight Paths, 2011; 480p.), A comprehensive resource with articles from a host of top author/experts on chaplaincy and professional pastoral care designed for spiritual and pastoral caregivers—a vital resource for clergy, seminarians, chaplains, pastoral counselors and caregivers of all faith traditions.  This essential resource integrates the classic foundations of pastoral care with the latest approaches to spiritual care. It is specifically intended for professionals who work or spend time with congregants in acute care hospitals, behavioral health facilities, rehabilitation centers and long-term care facilities.  Roberts is past president of the National Association of Jewish Chaplains, and recently served as the associate executive vice president of the New York Board of Rabbis, directing their chaplaincy program, providing services in more than fifty locations throughout New York, and serving as the endorser for both New York State's and New York City's Jewish chaplains;  prior, he served as the director of chaplaincy of the Beth Israel Medical System (New York), overseeing chaplains and clinical pastoral education (CPE) programs at three acute care hospitals, one behavioral health hospital, and various outpatient facilities served by chaplains.

Soul Repair

Rita Nakashima Brock and Gabriella Lettini, Soul Repair:  Recovering from Moral Injury after War (Beacon Press, 2013; 176p.).  Brock is research professor and co-director of the Soul Repair Center at Brite Divinity School, Ft. Worth, Texas. Lettini is Dean of the faculty and Aurelia Henry Reinhardt Professor of Theological Ethics and Studies in Public Ministry at Starr King School for the Ministry, Graduate Theological Union.

 

 

FOR MANY MORE ON CHAPLAINCY
www.PreciousHeart.net/Saved/Bibliography-Chaplaincy.pdf
 

Volunteer & Volunteerism Documents ~

TDCJ Volunteer & Mentor Policies - 2012 - with forms

Texas Youth Commission FY 2002 Volunteer Report ~ excellent report

Universal Declaration on the Profession of Leading
and Managing Volunteers
 -- see web site Association for Volunteer Administration   

Volunteerism In Texas**

Faith & Philanthropy**

Volunteer Environmental Scan 2001** 

          **NEEDs Adobe Acrobat Reader 5.0  < Free>  click here 

Directly Relevant Web Sites

Re-Entry Prison & Jail Ministry ~ Chaplain Art Lyons  
The LARGEST archive in the world on Prison Ministry resources
 

Aftercare List

TDCJ Chaplaincy Network   

Historically Relevant Works of Note

Dorthea Dix Memorial ~ perhaps the FIRST successful prison reform

Garrison's Liberator, Vol. I, No. 1 ~ FIRST use of & appeal to the moral tenants of "ALL Religions" in defense of a noble cause 

Seneca Falls ~ The Beginning of Women's Rights in USA in part based upon "divine" revelation of "Equality" 

Roosevelt's "Four Freedoms" Speech ~ Poignant & directly 
related to the "vital issues" Chaplains negotiate within a prison
 

Saint Martin - "Chaplaincy" Originated in the 4th Century A.D. 

Legal Docs, TX Legislative Aids & TX Chaplain Lists

TX Code 552:  Public Information Act - Open Records ~ for Texas Citizens:  i.e., Government Documents are "Public Records"

TX Code 556:  Political Activities . . . Individuals ~ for TX Employees 

TX Code 305:  Registration of Lobbyists ~ for TX Employees   

EEOC - Equal Employment Opportunity Commission Laws ~ i.e., what laws the EEOC enforces & links to them 

Equal Pay Act 1963 ~ Kind of "SPEAKS" for itself doesn't it?

Civil Rights Act 1964, Title VII ~ Title VII prohibits employment discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex and national origin.

How a Bill is Passed in the Texas Legislature:  A Chart 

77th Texas Representatives District Zips ~ Dated, but many still good

77th Texas Senators District Zips ~ Dated, but many still good

   - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Chaplains of TDCJ by Regions 1 - 5 ~ Oct. 2001 List

Chaplains of TDCJ by Alphabetical List ~ Oct. 2001 List

   - - - - - - - - - - - v  Old - but serviceable  v - - - - - - - - - - -

TDCJ  Region 1 -- 76th  ~ Representatives & Senators in TDCJ Region 1

TDCJ  Region 2 -- 76th  ~ Representatives & Senators in TDCJ Region 2

TDCJ  Region 3 -- 76th  ~ Representatives & Senators in TDCJ Region 3

TDCJ  Region 4 -- 76th  ~ Representatives & Senators in TDCJ Region 4

TDCJ  Region 5 -- 76th  ~ Representatives & Senators in TDCJ Region 5
These may be used, but should be checked, as the districts will have changed as well as changes from elections -- in need of up-dating -- BUT the general districts will "most" likely remain the same WITHIN the broad spectrum of TDCJ Regions 


TDCJ Chaplaincy Info - General

Gib Lewis Chaplaincy Department, Woodville, TX - 2011

 

TDCJ Chaplaincy 700+ Network  

 

Aftercare List

Volunteer Handbook - 1994 ~ Written with TDCJ Prison Volunteer in mind, first one published in TDCJ in 1994, used at the Lewis Unit, Stiles Unit, and Polunsky Unit, and others throughout the state until TDCJ developed its own

Secretary's Handbook ~ View of part of tasking elements of office 

Secretary's Handbook - File System  ~ the primary records schedule

 

Christian Library International free Christian books, Bibles to 1,366 U.S. prisons and jails 
www.ChristianLibraryInterntional.com - jwatsoncli@gmail.com
see CLI Order Form Here to order books and Bibles 

    Chaplaincy-Volunteer Statistics Record Retention - no change 2000-2015, 15 years

Hospitality Program Rules ~ General Rules for hosts 

Marriage Seminar - Inmate Orientation ~ Orientation outline "prior" to seminar

Marriage Seminar - Check List ~ List of items prior to & throughout for a quality full prison marriage seminar

Erik Erikson's Eight Stages of Life - more work needs to be done on the hand-in-glove work of senior volunteers in prison.  As a 20-year chaplain, I could write a book on this, and perhaps ought to. The long story is how much the volunteers do already, in faith, certainly and foremost, but there is so much more and a whole line of psychology still untapped. Not first but surely refined and articulated best in Erik Erikson’s eight stages of life, how senior volunteers have successfully negotiated the first seven stages of life and desire to give back, and in prison where most of the still developing young men have failed in the first few stages and are still in search for of a decent civilized identity, etc.—and, no, work on that yet in Texas either. Furthermore, some Christian theorists have added to Erikson analogous faith stages, though Erikson is still the place to start. See Erikson’s Identity and the Life Cycle (NY: International Universities Press, 1959), Insight and Responsibility (NY: Norton, 1964), and Identity: Youth and Crisis (NY: Norton, 1968).

          See more here:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erikson%27s_stages_of_psychosocial_development.   

          and here:  www.SimplyPsychology.org/Erik-Erikson.html.

 

EXTRAS -

Polunsky Security Cameras:

See then TDCJ Michelle Lyons' 2011 article

           www.SecurityInfoWatch.com/news/10534358/texas-prisons-migrate-to-network-video. 

Compare with STS360’s VP Jessica Clark’s 2013 article

          http://security-today.com/Articles/2013/09/01/Behind-the-Bars.aspx

See www.PreiousHeart.net/OIG/Clark-2013.pdf and www.PreciousHeart.net/OIG/Lyons-2011.pdf,

in case any of the primary sources change the original addresses to the articles.

 


NEW --- 70 TBCJ Summary Reports 2007 to 2019
with Chaplaincy Word Frequency Analysis

by Michael G. Maness
author of How We Saved Texas Prison Chaplaincy 2011

See PDF with all 70 summaries in 895 searchable pages here: 

www.PreciousHeart.net/chaplaincy/TBCJ_2007-2019.pdf

These 70 Texas Board of Criminal Justice meeting summaries cover March 2007 to Feb. 2019—12 years—TBCJ meeting #130 to #203.  At each meeting, each board member had a stack of other material related to each agenda item.  Most summaries are 10-15 pages, for 895 pages in all, with 300,482 words. Of the 12 years from.

TDCJ Links to each report from March 2007 to Feb. 2019 at www.TDCJ.Texas.gov

February 08, 2019 ~ December 13, 2018 ~ October 18, 2018 ~ August 24, 2018 ~ June 29, 2018 ~ April 20, 2018 ~ February 23, 2018 ~ December 15, 2017 ~ October 19, 2017 ~ August 25, 2017 ~ June 30, 2017 ~ April 06, 2017 ~ February 10, 2017 ~ December 09, 2016 ~ October 18, 2016 ~ ugust 18, 2016 ~ June 24, 2016 ~ April 15, 2016 ~ February 19, 2016 ~ December 15, 2015 ~ October 15, 2015 ~ August 07, 2015 ~ June 10, 2015 ~ April 17, 2015 ~ February 20, 2015 ~ December 5, 2014 ~ October 9, 2014 ~ August 22, 2014 ~ June 5, 2014 ~ April 17, 2014 ~ February 21, 2014 ~ December 12, 2013 ~ October 10, 2013 ~ August 23, 2013 ~ June 21, 2013 ~ April 5, 2013 ~ January 11, 2013 ~ November 30, 2012 ~ August 23, 2012 ~ June 15, 2012 ~ April 19, 2012 ~ February 10, 2012 ~ December 9, 2011 ~ October 14, 2011 ~ August 19, 2011 ~ June 10, 2011 ~ April 8, 2011 ~ February 11, 2011 ~ December 9, 2010 ~ October 14-15, 2010 ~ August 16, 2010 ~ June 17, 2010  ~ April 8-9, 2010 ~ February 11, 2010 ~ December 10-11, 2009 ~ October 8, 2009 ~ August 21, 2009 ~ June 19, 2009 ~ April 3, 2009 ~ February 13, 2009 ~ December 2-3, 2008 ~ September 26, 2008 ~ August 14, 2008 ~ May 20, 2008 ~ March 26-27, 2008 ~ January 23, 2008 ~ November 29, 2007 ~ September 13, 2007 ~ July 12-13, 2007 ~ May 24, 2007 ~ March 30, 2007 

Certainly, no one is going to read most of these, and few will read more than one.  What is interesting are the two revisions to the TBCJ Board Rule on donated property for religious purposes that had to wait 30 days with publication in the Texas Register.  The “no comments” to that publication is likely not that unusual, being that the readers are mostly lawyers and so few even attend the TBCJ meetings.

TBCJ #146, 12-10-2009 & TBCJ #147, 2-11-10  ~  TBCJ #173, 6-5-14 & TBCJ #174, 8-22-14

Why was such attention given to this?  Just to clarify seemed moot.  We shall never know, though we have initiated an Open Record request for a list of the donated projects.  We’ll see.

Word Frequency Analysis on “Chaplaincy” in 70 TBCJ Reports

Of these 70 TBCJ summaries from 2007 to 2019—12 years—TBCJ meeting #130 to #203, this moderate analysis reveals how little chaplaincy is used, even minimized, related to their contributions in the facilitation of the vast array of volunteer and religious facilitation.

Chaplaincy 18x … Chaplains 2x … Chaplain 2x

12 x Chaplaincy refers to one of the many volunteer awards, “from Chaplaincy”
            while most all the other awards are religious oriented under Chaplaincy

1x Chaplaincy, Barak Foundation personal property donation of 342 books to “Chaplaincy Program,” (TBCJ #130, 3-30-7).  In ten years, and from a single donation, yet most TDCJ Chaplains will receive individual and bulk donations of books and Bibles, newsletters, pamphlets and booklets of a value between $30-50,000 each year.

1x Chaplaincy, “addition of 20 additional staff positions to Chaplaincy Department,” (TBCJ #130, 5-24-7), though the minutes do not mention that 25 in all were added by the legislature, and TDCJ decided to put five into parole positions.

1x Chaplaincy, TDCJ Exec. Dir. Brad Livingston noted simply that that the “House and Senate appropriations bills restored funding for the TDCJ chaplaincy department” (TBCJ #154, 4-8-11).

1x Chaplaincy, in a long paragraph on volunteer contribution “TDCJ’s rehabilitative program” TDCJ Exec. Dir. Brad Livingston also added “success of the volunteer effort in chaplaincy” (TBCJ #160, 4-19-12).

1x Chaplaincy, TDCJ Council Sharon Howell proposed an amendment to TBCJ board rule 1. Section 152.71 to “clarify that donated buildings shall be used by offenders, to participate in programs with religious and other volunteers, the TDCJ Chaplaincy staff, and other programmatic personnel” (TBCJ #173, 6-5-14).

1x Chaplains in Public Comments, 8-21-9, Jim Dinsmore “advised the TBDJ that there was great need for additional chaplains.”

2x Chaplain, 1x Chaplains 1x Chaplaincy, when Marvin Dunbar recognized Chaplain Vance Drum as “president of the American Correctional Chaplains Association, which is an affiliate of the American Corrections Association” and “Chaplain Michael Rutledge as the assistant director of the Chaplaincy Department,” the latter not a member of ACCA and whose position Dunbar created to leapfrog Rutledge from a unit chaplain to supervisor of chaplains (TBCJ #166, 4-5-19).

Religion 1x … Religious 52x

1x Religion, EEO correction of PD-12, “color, sex (gender), religion, national origin, age (40 or above), diability…” (TBCJ #146, 12-10-09).  

25x Religious, at annual volunteer awards, Religious Service, usually two.

1x Religious, from Public Comments, Alison Dieter spoke on “restoring religious services to death row offenders” and mentioned harsh conditions (TBCJ #136, 4-26-19).

5x Religious, on the agenda and in several minutes, related to BP-02.84 and Title 37 Texas Administrative Code Section 152.71, Acceptance of Gifts and Grants Related to Building for Religious and Programmatic Activities (37 TAC §152.71), TDCJ Counsel Melinda Bozarth noted BP-02.84 was identical to Board Rule 152.71, considered at a later meeting, and 37 TAC was under mandatory 4-year review and needed amending (TBCJ #146, 12-10-2009).

2x Religious, on the agenda and in several minutes, Title 37 Texas Administrative Code Section 152.71, Acceptance of Gifts and Grants Related to Building for Religious and Programmatic Activities (37 TAC §152.71), since no comment was made upon its publication in (12-09) Texas Register, TDCJ Counsel Melinda Bozarth recommended TBCJ adopt the rule as presented in packet (TBCJ #147, 2-11-10).

1x Religious, TDCJ Counsel Melinda Bozarth recommended changes to offender Disciplinary Rules, specifically Sec. III.B.3.d that “certain religious items may not be taken from an offender as a disciplinary sanction” (TBCJ #148, 4-8-10).

1x Religious, during Public Comments, Gloria Rubac spoke on behalf of death row and solitary confinement offenders and asked when “suspended programming will be reinstated, such as piddling, the work program, and religious programs” (TBCJ #168, 8-23-13).

5x Religious, on the agenda and in several minutes, Title 37 Texas Administrative Code Section 152.71, Acceptance of Gifts and Grants Related to Building for Religious and Programmatic Activities (37 TAC §152.71), TDCJ Counsel Sharon Howell presented the rule, “noting its amendment to clarify that donated buildings shall be used by offenders, to participate in programs with religious and other volunteers, the TDCJ Chaplaincy staff, and other programmatic personnel” (TBCJ #173, 6-5-14).

3x Religious, on the agenda and in several minutes, Title 37 Texas Administrative Code Section 152.71, Acceptance of Gifts and Grants Related to Building for Religious and Programmatic Activities (37 TAC §152.71), TDCJ Counsel Sharon Howell presented Board Rule 152.71 previously “noting its amendment to clarify that donated buildings shall be used by offenders, to participate in programs with religious and other volunteers, the TDCJ Chaplaincy staff, and other programmatic personnel” and that appeared in Texas Register (6-20-14) with no public comments, and she asked that it be finally adopted (TBCJ #174, 8-22-14).

See Texas Register (v39:25, p. 4734, pdf p. 26), which changes seem moot.

1x Religious, during Public Comments, Pat Harwell spoke on solitary confinement reading an offender’s list of complaints, “no make-up for recreation time lost due to bad weather, and the deprivation of sleep, religious services,” and asked the TBCJ investigate (TBCJ #174, 8-22-14).

4x Religious, on the agenda and in several minutes, Title 37 Texas Administrative Code Section 152.71, Acceptance of Gifts and Grants Related to Building for Religious and Programmatic Activities (37 TAC §152.71), TDCJ Counsel Sharon Howell presented proposed amendments, as it is up for 4-year review, and “proposed changes do not affect any practice and clarify the responsibilities associated with donating buildings to the TDCJ” (TBCJ #202, 8-13-18).

4x Religious, on the agenda and in several minutes, Title 37 Texas Administrative Code Section 152.71, Acceptance of Gifts and Grants Related to Building for Religious and Programmatic Activities (37 TAC §152.71), TDCJ Counsel Sharon Howell presented the previously approved amendments, that it has appeared in the Texas Register 12-28-18 with no subsequent comments and that the board move forward with final adoption (TBCJ #203, 2-8-19).

   See Texas Register (v43:52, pp. 8568-69, pdf pp. 58-59), which changes are dramatic, though similarly moot, as if a volunteer org would hire unqualified builders or that TDCJ might have been somehow obligated prior to change to use unqualified builders, further secularizing and appear to make it harder for volunteers to build chapels.  One wants to ask if all the Board Rules were similarly scrutinized, especially since so few (if any) donated buildings or enhancements were ever done by purely secular organizations.  That is, I doubt any building or significant enhancement has ever been done by a purely non-religious organization.  That is, as most know, all or most all have been done for Chaplaincy Programs, or at least by those with religious motives, and mostly by Christians.  Be   interesting to see that studied.

   Were any prospective donor groups were invited?  I doubt it.  Likewise, where there any prospective donor groups in mind for these changes?  Or more simply, were there any current donor projects in progress at all? 

Volunteerism 5x, Volunteer 360x

   Most all uses were during the Annual Governor’s Criminal Justice Volunteer Services Awards Ceremony. … now, maybe it is just a coincidence that two Board Rule changes happened during the four meetings where there were no significant volunteers invited.  Maybe not.

03-24-07       12th Annual Governor’s Awards Ceremony        TBCJ #131
05-20-08       13th Annual Governor’s Awards Ceremony        TBCJ #137
04-03-09       14th Annual Governor’s Awards Ceremony        TBCJ #142
04-08-10       15th Annual Governor’s Awards Ceremony        TBCJ #148
04-08-11       16th Annual Governor’s Awards Ceremony         TBCJ #154
04-19-12       17th Annual Governor’s Awards Ceremony         TBCJ #160
04-05-13       18th Annual Governor’s Awards Ceremony         TBCJ #166
04-17-14       19th Annual Governor’s Awards Ceremony         TBCJ #172
04-17-15       20th Annual Governor’s Awards Ceremony         TBCJ #178
04-15-16       21st Annual Governor’s Awards Ceremony         TBCJ #184
04-06-17       22nd Annual Governor’s Awards Ceremony        TBCJ #191
04-20-18       23rd Annual Governor’s Awards Ceremony         TBCJ #198 

TBCJ Board Rule changes on donated property for religious purposes:
#146, 12-10-2009   #147, 2-11-10 … and #173, 6-5-14  #174, 8-22-14

On #154, no mention was made of the volunteers that HELPED save Chaplaincy earlier in the year. 

Conclusion?—If the TBCJ Really Valued Volunteers, Chaplaincy Would be Secure

     The TBCJ looks at a lot of material for a huge agency. One might think the Chaplaincy Department within the Rehabilitation Programs Division (RPD) a small affair not deserving Board attention—a near non-entity in their reports.  And the Programs Division itself has never published anything significant on what the Chaplains do for the last 25-plus years.

    Volunteers are noticed once a year at the TBCJ meetings in the guise of an Annual Governor’s Award, some 20,000 strong, with numerous awards for a variety of services.  Look at the award names.  Good causes all of them.  What is not apparent is that most are for religious volunteerism.  Even the “Employee Volunteer” is most often a Chaplaincy volunteer.  Who “volunteers” for a strictly secular purpose?  The AA volunteer at the Gib Lewis Unit in Woodville for 15 years was a CVCA, Certified Volunteer Chaplains Assistant, and he volunteered for AA for strictly Christian purposes.  It’s the same for most volunteers, though the RPD has gone to great lengths to make as much volunteerism as possible appear non-religious, when the facts are actually the opposite.   

    What is NOT APPARENT and never related with clarity by the RPD or anywhere is that the 120 Chaplains are the staffers that facilitate 95% of the 20,000 volunteers, perhaps 99.999% of them religious.  But who knows?  The TDCJ and RPD have rebuffed efforts at honest analysis for decades, and the recent hiring of non-educated Dir. of Religious Services is just another part of the sad story of obfuscating the work of Chaplains and hiding the benign profession’s work.*

    Notably, at the 158th TBCJ meeting on Dec. 9, 2010, there was no mention of TDCJ’s plan to delete—i.e., zero budget—the entire Chaplaincy Department.  Only on the 154th TBCJ meeting on April 8, 2011, was there mention that Texas House and Senate restored funding.  The only—only—reason in Austin was that “the volunteers can do it all.”  That story was told in full in How We Saved Texas Prison Chaplaincy 2011—the Immeasurable Value of Religion, Volunteers, and Their Chaplains which detailed all.**  Volunteers are facilitated by staff, and no one cares for them more than the Chaplains, and Madeline Ortiz knew that when she attempted to kill the department.  The volunteers helped save it—and the TBCJ should have, too.

    The greatest source of change in human history is religion, and chaplains care like few.

 See PDF with all 70 summaries in 895 searchable pages here: 
www.PreciousHeart.net/chaplaincy/TBCJ_2007-2019.pdf

 * See the TDCJ Deep State Report, www.PreciousHeart.net/OIG/TDCJ-OIG-2019.pdf… for documented details and links to much on this and other tragedies to chaplaincy and travesties to justice and fair play.

** See www.PreciousHeart.net/Saved/

 

Books on Prison Life

Fyodor Dostoevsky (1846–1880), The House of the Dead, or Prison Life in Siberia (1862)
autobiography of Dostoevsky’s experience in a Siberian prison

 

 


Author of
How We Saved Texas Prison Chaplaincy 2011
Immeasurable Value of Religion, Volunteers and Their Chaplains
email author:  Michael G. Maness

Forewords by

Frank E. Graham Jr., Founder and President, Chapel of Hope

Jerry A. Madden, Senior Fellow, Right on Crime;  Chair, Texas House Committee on Corrections 2005-09 and 2011-12

Carol S. Vance, Former Chairman of the TBCJ;  Harris County District Attorney, 1966-79

Dr. Keith Bellamy, Senior Minister, Woodville Church of Christ;  TDCJCertified Volunteer Chaplain and Chaplain of Tyler County

< Go to Book's Page Here >

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How We Saved Texas Prison Chaplaincy 2011

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