Often I am asked, “Why did you choose to go to jail?” My answer is, “The Holy Spirit”.

In the mid ‘60’s I was happily teaching high school girls at Woodlands and at Sheridan Road (in the Chicago area), and I expected to continue doing so for the rest of my life.  Then Vatican II arrived!

I had always thought of jails and prisons as places devoid of love.  I knew little about them or about those who inhabited them, but it seemed to me that no one really cared about incarcerated persons.  They were among the many “throw always” in our society.  A quote from John of the Cross kept popping up in my mind: “Put love where there is no love and you will find love.”  That quotation began my search for a way in.

My first step was to volunteer at the local county jail. At the Sheriff’s request I sat in the visiting room two hours a week, available for private conversation with an inmate who wanted to talk. Never did I lack business, and it became apparent that what was needed was a non-judgmental listener. 

On Holy Thursday that first year of volunteering, I visited as usual.  When I arrived home the Night Adoration list was posted, with the heading, “Could you not watch one hour with Me?” I will never forget the feeling that swept over me at reading those words; I had absolute certainty that I had just spent two hours with Jesus in the jail and the conviction grew that I was being called to full time ministry to incarcerated persons.

I was given permission to try it for a year and I went to New Orleans to a CPE (Clinical Pastoral Experience ) program in the county jail.  Positive feedback resulted and this, with prayer and discernment, confirmed my belief that this call was of God.  My provincial agreed and I’ve been in jail ever since, for the past 26 years in Cook County Department of Corrections, working mainly with men though sometimes with women. 

Who are these people in jail?  They are people just like you and me, but they have been accused of crimes ranging from driving on a suspended license to armed robbery and murder, and either the judge gave no bond or they do not have the money to post bond to assure that they will come to court on the assigned day. They may stay in jail days, weeks, months, or even years before all cases are adjudicated.  It is mostly the poor and minorities who populate our jails.  A few are serving sentences of up to a year. (Those sentenced to more than a year go to a penitentiary.)

There are exceptions, of course, but most people who are locked up consider themselves to be failures:
        their families have given up on them   
        their friends have given up on them   
        they have given up on themselves.

They are desperately in need.  They need to hear about a merciful, forgiving, and loving God who has not given up on them.  They need to believe in the possibility of change in their lives. They need hope and encouragement; they need people who will treat them with respect and who will listen without judging them. They need to see persons who try to mirror, as best they can, our loving, caring, and compassionate God. In short, like all human beings, they need to be loved.

So where do I fit into this picture?  My earliest thought was to be a chaplain.  In the early ‘70’s Cardinal Cody told me there was already a priest in that position but he was happy to have sisters and seminarians volunteer.  Since I needed a salary, in my three jails I have had to find another way to get on the payroll.  Currently I work as a counselor – social worker; the best description I have of my job is “customer service at K-Mart.” I do everything a chaplain does except conduct services.  I am the contact between the outside world and the 500-600 men on my caseload.  If there is a family emergency or a death, they call me. If they need information about jail procedures, they call me.  Communication is not easy for those in jail so those in my department try to help as much as possible. Each day I pick up request slips from men needing such information as the next court date, amount of bond, date of release, or a man asking why he is still locked up as the judge released him in court yesterday.  Maybe he has another case or maybe the Record Office made a mistake and I’ll follow up to be sure he is discharged.  We get an endless variety of requests. When I get the answers I go on the living units, sit down at a table with those I need to see or who want to see me, and take care of current business. Sometimes a man is obviously very depressed and I’ll ask if he’d like to go to my office. The inmates have not a minute of privacy and occasionally need just a chance to talk or to cry in a safe place. Sometimes a man will slip me a note in which he asks  to be moved off of the wing he is on as he is being threatened.  Jail is a microcosm of the county. Unfortunately we do have a serious gang problem, we do have violence, sometimes with serious injuries, and we have had violent deaths occur. So notes regarding threats are taken seriously and are brought immediately to the Captain.
I do what I can to make life a bit more human for the inmates.. A candy jar is always on my desk.  I bring in paperback books and make them available to the many who want them. Jail is boring. There is very little to do all day but sit in a dayroom and watch TV with 50 or 60 others. I bring in religious material that many request. I pray for them daily and with them if they ask, and many do. In general I find the inmates pleasant, respectful, and grateful for whatever help I can give. Usually they are much easier to deal with than some of the staff or administrators.  They know I care about them and they appreciate that and respond.

Since the day I first went to jail I have found working with the incarcerated extremely satisfying. And I am immensely grateful to God for calling me to this ministry and to the Society for allowing me to follow that call and have the privilege of working with some wounded but wonderful people behind bars.