Wings of Eagles 2002 Annual Report
Dear Friends,
Our New Jersey state prisons and thus Chaplaincy has been given some new challenges since I last wrote to you, most will take some getting used to all the way around. I have been a volunteer chaplain at Southern since it opened in 1983 and have served happily and whole-heartedly. I still do. Southern is the only modular prison on the east coast, was an experiment in that type of housing and apparently considered to be cost-prohibitive considering the upkeep...I'm not sure actually, but modulars are not used any more. It is a medium security, most of our inmates are headed home within the next few years and are ready for drug programs, minimum custody, work release, half-way houses, etc. We have been the last prison in NJ to have what is called an open compound, the compound being the area in the middle section of the prison, surrounded by the housing units, gym, administrative and staff buildings. The men have been allowed to walk around the compound between counts, sit in designated areas and read or talk, mainly due to the limited space inside the units for anything other than sleeping and eating. Well, that just stopped this week, beginning with a lock-down and now restricting of movement. What that means is any movement outside of the immediate living unit will be by call-out (center control calls fro the movement to commence form the housing unit to a designated building IF name is on the appointment sheet) by units. Each section of the prison has 6 housing units holding men. If you don't move when the call-out occurs you stay put. I guess the best way to put it is that there is no free movement of any sort. Many of us have felt Southern would probably not go in this direction due to being modular...modular means each man's space is very limited, less than a regular cell which is generally 8x12', meals are served in the unit, pre-packaged and re-heated, in the "day room". But, we were wrong. Those of you that know me know I am not blind to whom I am dealing with, and why they are where they are...in fact, I may be more harsh than many volunteers are. I have lots of evidences over the years to the fact that many inmates would never have been born again if God had not brought them to prison to get their attention...recognizing that they are primarily a bunch of "hard heads." So they, as well and I, know they aren't there for singing in the choir. Consequently, in general, what they get is what they get, and it is God's responsibility to sort it all out, not mine. You may remember at Christmas the administration decided to restrict holiday events, which was also a big adjustment... Wings did all the Christmas events from the time Southern opened in 1983 until around 1989 when other groups began taking part. The men really looked forward to the one time a year they could have some non-institutional food. However, I have to say having been present at the Christmas events this past year, they did great with what they were allowed to do and we were able to celebrate the birth of Christ, but in a different fashion. I was proud of them. To say we need prayer is a real understatement, change does not come easy but it does indeed come. Incidentally, another restriction since 1/1/08 is no inmate-overseen groups such as videos in the academic building in the evenings, a big thing at Southern especially since we have established such a nice library of DVD's for them to view. It also means if I can't make a class, my teacher's aide can't do my class that day, something we have just begun to do the last two years... giving the men opportunity to teach or lead a group or service for the experience itself...but no more.
I said all that to say that we chaplains need you to pray for us. We must work within the confines of what the administration and custody say is the law of the Medes and the Persians, maintain a positive testimony in front of the men by being obedient to the powers God has placed over us, and still meet the needs of a bunch of very needy individuals, many of whom are hungry for some truth and healing. Thanks for listening...
His
love and mine,
Lynne Farrow, Founder