Message from a Catholic Chaplain:

The following are the guidelines developed relative to pen pals.  The one thing I would

highly stress would be to have the chaplain, if at all possible, screen the inmate to insure his sincerity There are a large number of very needy and manipulative people within our institutions that would have no qualms about taking advantage of a "good hearted soul".  I can give you many personal experiences to this fact.  Caution is the watch word in this case.  In addition, whoever is organizing or over-seeing the "pen pal" program on the outside should screen candidates to insure that no one who is in emotional need starts corresponding to inmates.  I had two volunteers when I originally started working as a Catholic Chaplain with Fr. XXX.  Both were divorced.  Within two months of their beginning their volunteer ministry, they violated several vital rules and regulations we established, almost shut down the Catholic Volunteer program at XXX Prison , embarrassed Fr. XXX and wound up marrying two men doing "life without the possibility of parole".  The qualified candidate needs to be both emotionally and spiritually stable and strong, with the capability of "tough love".  Without this any program is asking for trouble and abuse.

ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST - PRISON MINISTRY

Guidelines for Letter Writing

READ THIS ENTIRE DOCUMENT BEFORE YOU WRITE!

ANY VIOLATION OF THESE GUIDELINES WILL COMPROMISE THE GOAL OF THE

PRISON MINISTRY; TO MINISTER TO THE SPIRITUAL NEEDS OF THE INMATE

What did Christ say about prisoners?

"...Come, you who are blessed by my Father, take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world.  For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me."

"Then the righteous will answer him, "Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink?  When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you?  When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?"

"...I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me".  Mt 25:34-40

BEFORE YOU START:

Many of those incarcerated have lead painful, lonely lives; filled with suffering.  Many have no loving or joyful experiences at all, and have had no contact with a person outside of prison for years.  They are often very needy.  Please be aware of this reality and watch for attempts by the inmate to develop personal or romantic relationships.  If this occurs, you will need to address each attempt in a kind but very firm manner.

Many of those incarcerated are borderline illiterate.  They may spend hours with a dictionary and your letter in hand, reading and preparing a response.  If this is your situation, please be sensitive to their need for simple written communication.

If you are unable to communicate with your Pen Pal due to primary written language, please contact the Prison Ministry and another Pen Pal will be assigned to you.

Many of the inmates sign up using their last name only.  Rest assured that the prison will know who and where they are by their CDC-ID Number, so please be sure to include this information when you address your letter.  If you do not have your Pen Pal's first name, ask him for it in your first letter.

The inmate lives in a numbered cell, this is his internal 'address'.  The cell number on the envelope greatly facilitates the mail delivery within the prison.  Inmates are moved often and their cell numbers change frequently.  Please watch for a new cell number in the return address portion of each envelope.  If you do not receive a cell number initially, please ask your Pen pa to include this in his response.

CORRESPONDENCE DO'S AND DON'TS:

YOU MUST NOT:

-  Give the inmate your last name or address

-  Give the inmate your telephone number

-  Send pictures of yourself or family

-  Send non-approved writing materials, packages, laminated objects, pamphlets, etc.

-  Agree or commit to visiting in person

-  Refer specifically to where you live, work, or attend school

-  Correspond with more than one inmate at the same time and institution

PLEASE DO NOT:

-  Ask him about his crime unless he wishes to discuss it with you

-  Judge him in your heart (this is up to God)

-  Give up on your writing if you don't get an answer quickly

PLEASE FEEL FREE TO:

-  Use your first name or a nick-name

-  Share favorite Scriptures and your love of God

-  Discuss your family (use first names only)

-  Discuss your interests and ask about his

-  Discuss special events in your life

-  Discuss your work with the church

-  Express your concerns, fears, and doubts about writing

-  Inquire about his faith, hobbies, family, friends, daily routines, etc.

-  Include notes, prayers, poems, that are uplifting and informative

-  Send a booklet of 10 or 20 stamps on occasion

(be sure to write his name/ID number on the cover)

-  Send blank envelopes (you may send 3 per letter)

-  Send blank paper (you may send a total of 10 pages per envelope, combined)

09/08/01

SAMPLE LETTER

Dear Mr. Smith,

May I call you John?  My name is Mary.  I am writing to you through my church's pen pal program.  I've never written to someone I don't know before, so this may sound a little awkward but.... here goes!

About me and my family,

I am a music lover (classical) and a great cook who hates to wash dishes.  My favorite things to do are camp, hike, ride my bike, ski, and read.  Do you share any of these interests?

I am happily married and have 2 kids, Jack who is 11 and Sue who is 8.  My husband's name is George.  Well, I'll tell you about my kids first.  Jack is going into the 6th grade this year, and wants to be an astronaut.  But for now, he's a baseball player, and his team won the city championship this year.  I swear, if I'd let him, he would sleep in his cleats!  Sue will be in the third grade this year, and she is developing a passion for ballet.  She is a great little performer, her class just had a recital recently that was very lovely.  My husband is a carpenter....not much work around these days wo we pray a lot about that.... maybe things will get better soon.

Now you.....

So tell me about you.... who you are, what you like to do, what are your favorite things in life?  do you have family near?  Have you been there long?  I'd like to know about you.... how you're feeling, where your heart is?

I'm hoping that you will write back, and that I'll have the opportunity to share my faith with you.  Just know from the start that you can be frank with me.  I will not judge you,  God put me here to be your friend and to send some kindness your way.

I'm looking forward t hearing from you soon, and hope these gentle words brighten you day.

"...I have summoned you by name; you are mine.  When you pass through the waters, I will be with you... They will not sweep over you.... because I Iove you.        Is 43:1-4

Yours truly,