Prison Outreach is Growing Rapidly

As a result of one of our own young men, who was on parole, being sent back to state prison three years ago for a minor parole violation, the Prison & Parolee Committee is now working with 14 inmates and parolees to help sustain them emotionally and spiritually during difficult periods in their lives.

Our greatest thanks go to two men in our worshiping community:  Jeffrey Talbutt, who is on the final nine months of his term in Chuckawalla Valley State Prison and hopes to return to Los Angeles to help in this outreach ministry; and former Council member Joe McDermott,who for many months "beat the drum" that Jeffrey, and other inmates he has befriended, should not be forgotten.

In the last eight months the drum beat has been heard loud and clear by other members of the congregation. The committee (which is still searching for a permanent name) now numbers 8 people who are planning and doing genuine ministry through letter-writing, advocacy and teaching, resource gathering and visitation to provide direct assistance to ex-offenders making their en-entry into the community. Paulette Hunnewell and David Conrad, especially, have written to every inmate we know, and continue to send newsletters and bulletins to each one. Carl Hunter is actively working on the difficult job of finding low-income housing for parolees. But in the last year, he was effective in finding housing for five people in our worshiping community, and he intends to succeed again.

Especially helpful so far has been the work of Pastor Steve Fiechter, who with his graduate degree in social work, has been instrumental in researching and tracking down the resources we need to be effective in helping parolees through the re-entry process. We now realize that a significant new ministry could be launched from our congregation to fill a void in Los Angeles. At present, no other Lutheran church is proactively engaged in prison work. Pastor Steve believes that the model for ministry we are developing is "exportable" to other Lutheran congregations, either to work in collaboration with us or to take on a specific form of ministry on their own.

As of June 30, Hollywood Lutheran Church is offering guidance and tangible assistance to several people on parole. Even more significant are the arrangements we are making to visit several inmates this summer, beginning with facilities in Blythe and Coalinga, California.

It is estimated that 80% of prison inmates are reject or "written-off" by their family members. When we hear the words of Jesus (Matthew 25:36), "I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me," our Christian duty and opportunity are unmistakable.

"Mark" (not his real name) was sent to prison at age 16, and has been locked up for 22 years.  Mark is a changed man from the gang, drug and violence circles in which he was caught up as an adolescent.

His mother called us recently because she saw something on this web site that said, "God does not hate!"  She explained, "That's the kind of church I need!"  Other inmates describe her son as kind and sensitive, and always watching out for others. Mark and his mother— who lives in the Los Angeles area—had helped several other inmates readjust to life outside the prison walls when they contacted us by phone and letter to ask for help in particular for a young transgender woman who was about to be released and returned to Los Angeles County.

"The world can a frightening place for transgender people," said Pastor Dan, "and it is a nightmare for many who are serving time." Too many episodes of sexually-charged violence, manipulation and territoriality make the inmates who cannot defend themselves well subject to the mistreatment of both inmates and guards. Our Prison & Parolee Committee is constantly trying to educate itself about the prison environment, which most of us have little knowledge or experience with. Yet alarming evidence backs up the stories of inmates about the difficult and abusive conditions. Several years ago the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of the Inspector General issued a substantial report entitled "Deterring Staff Sexual Abuse of Federal Inmates."

Education and training are still badly needed for state prison staff. Many inmates report derogatory or inflammatory speech if not brutal force from prison guards. In some state facilities, inmates with special conditions are now being segregated from the general prison population, but not necessarily in a beneficial way. Gay and transgender inmates, for example, may be lumped together with child molesters and other sex offenders!

Because of a mother’s love and persistence, Pastor Dan Hooper has written to, and personally talked to Mark in prison. Now he is trying to get the papers approved by the prison authorities to visit him in central California. As a result of our committee’s work, the Congregation Council voted in April 2010 to support California State Assembly Bill 633, which will amend the state Penal Code to provide greater protection for sexual minorities in the consideration of risk factors affecting inmates.

The committee continues to monitor other legislative efforts to reform the over-crowded and difficult conditions in state prisons. "Worst of all," said Pastor Dan," is that the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation spends 95 percent of its budget on locking up prisoners, and less than five percent on rehabilitation." At any annual cost of over $42,000 per inmate—a figure which is going up constantly—most authorities admit that reform is long overdue. In some state facilities, for example, job training and even basic pre-release preparations for parole are minimal. Prison chaplains and worship services can be scarce, or denied to some inmates as a form of punishment, even though our laws guarantee the right to practice one’s religion.

Mark is a straight man who has a solid record of compliance with prison rules and regulations. What is perhaps more surprising is that Mark also knows his Bible better than many people who sit in church pews every week. Although with limited success, he has gathered other inmates in the prison yard for prayer and study together. He lives by the scriptures, and quotes them in his letters as a sign of those spiritual anchors which give him strength from day to day.

Is Mark eligible for parole? Yes, but every several years, his mother tells us, when he comes up for review before the parole board, he is told he’s doing a good job and to wait several more years. "If only he can find other people," says his mother, "who will stand up for him and tell the parole board how he has turned his life around."

Certainly our Prison & Parolee Committee is taking this seriously, because we are seeing other people’s lives being turned around who face other challenges: HIV and AIDS, drug and alcohol addiction, and even physical disabilities. "We try to be in ministry with anyone who walks through our doors," said Pastor Dan, "and we realize that God is bringing these people here because this church is not judgmental. If there is any church in Hollywood where you can feel safe, welcome and respected no matter what your past, this is that church."

You can help our Prison & Parolee Ministry in whatever ways work for your schedule, means and comfort level:

• offer to write letters to one inmate; send stationery, stamps, etc. they can use to write back
• collect and bring hygiene and personal items for parolees, including soaps, shampoos and other unused items provided by hotels for their guests
• become a peer counselor and sponsor for a parolee
• donate to the Prison & Parolee outreach efforts to help defray ministry expenses
• borrow and watch the video "Prison Ministry: A Call to Servanthood" produced by the ELCA’s Division for Church in Society.
• pray for greater understanding and compassion for both inmates and society outside prison walls

Also see:  Mariposa Ministry

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