DID YOU KNOW?
WHAT WE DO
Among the most important roles of the chaplains is that of compassionate listener. Everybody needs someone to talk to, someone who will not judge, someone who will see them anew, who will offer a positive re-direction. Chaplains provide “soul work” in the moment, as needed. Perhaps in being present – really present – to another they may lay the foundation for a bridge that will lead towards transformation, reconciliation, and hope. Most importantly, chaplains provide pastoral care and spiritual guidance to women in prison.
Most incarcerated women have suffered some sort of abuse (physical, mental, and/or sexual) and many have turned to drugs and alcohol as a coping mechanism. Many women say that coming to prison saved their lives or that “God needed to sit me down for a while.” For those who are motivated to live a different kind of life, their time in prison becomes a season of self- reflection and a search for inner healing. The chaplain is a guide and companion on this journey. This kind of inner, spiritual work is demanding under the best of circumstances but even more difficult in a prison setting under crowded living conditions, round the clock observation by correctional officers, and a desire to hide one’s vulnerabilities and weaknesses.
“Going to prison and being a mother is so difficult. Talking to the chaplains helped. With their help, I left prison with plans to become a better mom.”
QUICK FACTS
• The state of North Carolina will not fund a chaplain position at WCCW.
• 85% of women in prison have committed drug-related crimes.
• 75% of women in prison are mothers.
• A majority of women in prison have suffered some form of abuse: physical, emotional, sexual.
• WCCW is a minimum security correctional facility and the only women’s unit in Western North Carolina.
• The chaplains at WCCW provide pastoral care and spiritual guidance to an average of 140 women each month.
• The chaplains at WCCW coordinate volunteers for 60 religious programs per month.
• In addition, the chaplains provide pastoral care and spiritual guidance to the staff of WCCW.
In the challenging conditions of prison, chaplains provide a safe space in a quiet, peaceful chapel where the women are able to take off all the masks they wear for safety and sanity and to find acceptance in all their beauty, vulnerability, fear, confusion, strength, and questioning. Chaplains work to help women find new, positive answers within their own values, beliefs, and traditions.
At WCCW all of the women are within 5 years of release or parole so they are not simply slogging through their prison sentence but actively planning for life on the outside. Many of the women are aware that if they do not use their prison time to examine the root issues behind their addictions, they will go back to their old behaviors and end up back in prison. Chaplains help women prepare to re-enter the outside world as healthier people more able to contribute to their communities and families.
Read about our staff and current board HERE
OUR VISION
“Having benefited from Ministry of Hope’s gifts of authentic connection, genuine belonging and deep healing, participants are empowered to create a better life for themselves and contribute positively to their communities.”
As the sole source of funding for the interfaith chaplaincy program at Western Correctional Center for Women, Ministry of Hope nurtures a safe space for residents to foster personal transformation, inspire future growth, and uncover the potential for new beginnings.