In her first days as the prison's first female chaplain, the author contemplates the daunting environment of a federal penitentiary. Dressed in protective gear, she faces skepticism both from herself and colleagues about the potential impact of her role on the inmates. Interaction with a fellow officer highlights a pervasive cynicism regarding the likelihood of inmates changing their lives. The officer's bleak experience with the previous chaplain further underscores the challenges of fostering hope within a harsh environment, revealing a complex dynamic of care and despair in institutional settings.
"I watched men file out of a housing unit and into the cafeteria, gazing at the hills beyond the watchtowers and lines of barbed wire."
"How many do you think you are going to help here? Not very many, I said. Maybe five or six."
#prison-chaplaincy #inmate-rehabilitation #challenges-of-ministry #female-leadership #correctional-facility
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