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Correctional Ministries

- The staff of the Office of Correctional Ministries invites you to tour this site for information that will assist you in resolving issues and answering important questions. On these pages you will learn more about us, how to contact us, and most of all, you will begin to understand what we do. You will find that we provide pastoral services to more than just those who are locked up in our prisons and jails, but we serve their families as well . The ministry does not stop there. Our staff and volunteers reach out to the victims of crime and violence, as well as the families of law enforcement personnel. Crime and violence touch the entire Body of Christ in one way or another. We hope that you have never encountered personal crime, but if you have, we pray that you will find peace and reconciliation through this ministry. May God Bless you.
  Jesus comes as the great reconciler—to set hearts free.
  St. Paul, in speaking of our mission, challenges all of us to be "ambassadors" of that reconciliation.
  Correctional Ministries seeks to bring Christ's healing to everyone affected by crime and violence. It is an enormous challenge, a glorious mission. I hope that you will join us.
  We need you!
  Support Correctional Ministries
Program Highlights
Pastoral Care for Inmates
- Fear of Dying in Texas
  
  Here is one of the many stories that unfold in pastoral care...
  We will call her Susan, but it could be any name. Susan is one of so many women incarcerated in Texas. Hers is a story of great sadness, and great hope. The last time Susan was in the Harris County Jail she shared her life story with one of the Catholic Volunteer Chaplains. It was a story of sexual abuse, drug usage and gang activity. She told our Chaplain that she had seen too many of her friends murdered, and that her greatest fear was that of being murdered. Jesus touched her heart and Susan made a decision. She wanted out of her gang life; she wanted to go home to her family in another state. Through the efforts of our Chaplain and generous donations, the Office of Correctional Ministries was able to purchase a bus ticket home. Susan got out of state jail and dressed in pink prison release scrubs, she walked into the Houston Greyhound Bus Terminal. The ticket was waiting for her, but she never got it. While in the small café of the terminal, she was accused of theft. She resisted arrest and was sent to Ben Taub Hospital for injuries and sent back to jail for four more weeks. Convinced of Susan’s willingness to change her life, we took another chance on her. Susan was released a month later at 1:30 am, our Chaplain met her, spent the day with her, saw her off on a bus that evening. Susan and our Chaplain prayed frequently that day that Susan would stay on that bus until her arrival at her destination. The prayers worked! Thirty-seven hours later, an exhausted Susan stepped off the bus in a distant city. She had reached her destination. Susan’s grandmother had gone to Mass that day and was praying the rosary even as Susan stepped off the bus. The “prodigal daughter” had come home. There would be no dying in Texas. Update: Through Correctional Ministries, Susan is now in a rehabilitative drug program. She wrote us recently saying, “I get out in 13 days and will live with my grandparents. I will never be able to thank you enough. I have come to know Jesus as someone who truly loves me. I finally have a new life and it feels as if I have been born again. The streets of Texas are no longer my home. At Correctional Ministries, we value each person’s life. As Jesus is the Good Shepherd and will not suffer the loss of a single sheep, so Jesus has brought Susan home. Susan’s life will be a difficult one, but she now has a real chance. Pray for her; pray for us as we pray for you.
  For more information, email [email protected]
Volunteer Recruitment
- Correctional Ministries cannot function without volunteers. There are 110—120 Catholics involved in a diverse set of programs.
  Catholic volunteers are involved in a variety of ways. Men and women who are able to spend at least four hours during the day can work at the Harris County Jail. They visit offenders and provide communion, Bibles, and spiritual counsel. For those who cannot work during the day, there are opportunities for evening ministry. Perhaps you can offer a few hours each week to this important jail ministry. Another opportunity exists in the state prison units. Volunteers provide communion services, RCIA teaching, Bible studies, rosary sessions, divine mercy, stations of the cross and other Catholic devotions. They minister under the direct supervision of the unit chaplain. Both areas of ministry require some kind of security application processing. Filling out the forms, taking pictures for identification, doing background checks, attending a training class and working with someone who has experience. This all takes quite a bit of time to accomplish so be patient. In many cases, a visit to a prison can be arranged so you can get a sense of the environment behind the bars.
Isaiah House / Providence House Project
- A project of Christian New Creations, Inc. This project provides transitional services for Catholic men who have recently been released from incarcerated life.
  Catholic men come to Isaiah House to receive assistance in their journey home. Many have been locked up for ten to twenty years or more. They have had someone make all their decisions for many years. Isaiah House offers them a hand up, not a handout. Individual case management plans are worked out between the client and the Isaiah House staff. Upon release, men are given a place to live, spiritual guidance, offered employment opportunities, clothing, city transportation, family reunification, healthcare, victim mediation, tools, and many other services. It has been our experience that men who are given a "hand up" will succeed in leaving the world of crime and violence behind in favor of doing what is right. In the absence of God, housing, food, and a job, a man will resolve to live on the street and take what you have in order to survive. They will return to a life of crime and even welcome the eventual return to prison. Isaiah House is committed to reducing prison/jail recidivism through a comprehensive, structured, program that addresses the issues of each client who walks through the door.
  
  If you are interested in helping this cause, please call 281-442-7200.
Texas Catholic Correctional Ministers (TCCM)
- TCCM is a statewide coalition of the directors of Catholic ministries to the imprisoned.
  In March of 1998, Fr. Ron Cloutier called together the representatives of prison / jail ministries from each diocese in the state of Texas. The purpose of this group was to share details of how each diocese manages the many challenges of prison / jail ministry. It was good to share the stories, the concerns and future plans of each diocese regarding serving the incarcerated. It was decided to gather each year to fellowship and discuss the criminal justice system and explore the role of the church. One of the significant discoveries was that each diocese seemed to view the prison ministry in different ways. Not all of the dioceses’ had paid employees or adequate funding allocated to prison ministry. As a result of the annual TCCM meetings, the Texas Bishop’s began to take a different view. Full as well as part time positions were funded to manage diocesan prison ministries. Budgets grew and programs flourished. In 2006, TCCM hosted the first major conference for men and women who work or volunteer in diocesan prison / jail ministry. They descended on San Antonio to hear speakers from state government, directors from the Texas Dept. of Criminal Justice and lay/clergy volunteers. Certainly, the organization has come a long way from the ten to twenty members a few years ago, to nearly two hundred who attended the 2006 conference.
  For more information about TCCM please visit them online at https://txccm.org or contact the Office of Correctional Ministries, 713-741-8732.

Prison Letters
FAQs
Related Links

Prison Letters

Friends
Friendship to us is very important, especially since we are locked up in prison. There is no doubt that we deserve to be here, but being locked up does not mean that our lives are over. My friend and I have been attending the Catholic classes that are offered here, and we get a lot out of it. The Catholic volunteers that come here are real good with us. Its like, you know, they don't have to be here. They could be home with their families. The truth is we appreciate them for what they do for us. One of us will make first communion this year, and that is a great feeling to belong to this family. We never had a family ...

Cardinal Visits Us
Our Catholic group meets every week for Mass or Communion Service. One day guess who shows up. The Archbishop! Man we were really surprised. He must be the busiest guy in the world, but he came to see us and pray with us. He even heard the confession of each one of us. There must have been 20 or so in the room that we call the chapel. The volunteer who visits us every week took the Archbishop into a small, narrow storage room that was filled with folding chairs, old band equipment, and general junk. Well, he set up two of the dirty, old folding chairs and the Archbishop began hearing confessions. This man did not complain at all. He just listened to each one of us for over an hour. Then he celebrated Mass and preached God's word. I have been Catholic all my life, but I have never met an Archbishop. This day was very special and I will never forget the Catholic volunteers who made it possible, nor will I forget the Archbishop for taking the time to visit us in prison. I look forward to the day when I will see him in the free world.

A Woman in the Harris County Jail
Dear correctional ministries. I am from a small, middle Eastern country and for most of my life I never believed in Jesus. I have been locked up for two years for a crime that I did not commit. Sure, you think everyone says that, but this time it's true. What is more important though is the fact that during this time I have learned about Jesus and have begged Him to be my Lord and Savior. I met several volunteers, two of them told me they are Catholic. I think being Catholic is too difficult for me right now, but she has shown me a lot about myself. Who knows, maybe someday I will learn more about Catholics. Right now, I spend a lot of time reading about Jesus. He will show me the way. Sometimes I wonder what will happen when I go home as a Christian. My family follows the Koran, so they probably will never understand me. Thank you for visiting with me. Pray for me, as I pray for you.

FAQs

What do you do?
Our office is the focal point and coordinator of the sacramental pastoral care for adult Catholics who find themselves incarcerated in the 26 State prisons, 10 County jails, 1 Federal facility, INS detention and numerous city jails within the boundaries of the Archdiocese.
How do I find the location of a prison?
If you have internet access you go to www.tdcj.state.tx.us, click on general info, click on find prison unit, click on unit name; or go to our link page where you will find the address for TDCJ. If you do not have computer access, you may call 936-407-2169 for location information.
How do I locate my loved one who is in prison or jail?
For those who have loved ones in a Texas state prison, and have internet access, go to www.tdcj.state.us; click on general info, click on general offender info, follow instructions. One of the options is to use the on-line search for an offender. You will need to know the person's exact date of birth, and/or TDCJ ID number.
For loved ones in the Harris County Jail, go to www.jims.hctx.net/sopublic/and insert the required information. If you still have difficulty locating your loved one, please call us at 713-741-8732.
My child is getting out soon but he can't live with me. Where can I find a place for him or her to stay?
TDCJ has a list of approved, non-contract transitional facilities. Our office has a copy of this list and will share the information with you. Call 713-741-8732 and discuss the housing information that is available.
What can I do to help the ministry?
There are several ways to help.
Donations:
We have an ongoing need for Catholic Bibles (English and Spanish) to distribute in jail or prison. We have access to a program that allows us to buy Bibles at a much lower price than most other buyers. With that in mind, we encourage donors to provide a check for the purchase of Bibles rather than buying them yourself.

For those who just wish to donate money for Bibles or other special projects i.e. retreats or volunteer support meetings, please make the check payable to Correctional Ministries, 2403 Holcombe Blvd., Houston, Texas 77021.
Volunteers:
For men and women who would like to volunteer during the day, the greatest need is the Harris County Jail located in downtown Houston. For men who are unable to volunteer during the day, but can do so in the evening, the greatest need is the State prison units that surround Houston. There is an application process for both of the ministry areas. Please be aware that this process takes 30-60 days to complete. You will be asked to fill out an application form; the information will be reviewed and a background check will be made; short training classes are mandatory; interviews with chaplains are done and finally, you will begin the ministry. For further information please call 713-741-8732.
Prayer:
The men and women who are on staff, or volunteer, need the faithful prayers of the community. While this ministry is a difficult one, the blessings are many. So for those who cannot see themselves inside the prison walls, please pray for those of us who do go into the prisons and jails of this Archdiocese. You are a blessing to us.

https://www.usa.gov/federal-agencies/u-s-department-of-justice U.S. Department of Justice Department of Justice Statistics.	www.bridgestolife.org Bridges To Life A faith-based nonprofit corporation with a primary mission to reduce crime by reducing the recidivism rate of released inmates.
www.tcadp.org Death penalty coalition Locate information about opposing the death penalty in Texas.	www.catholicnewcreation.org Isaiah House Isaiah † Providence Houses projects, “halfway” housing transitioning Christian men, ex-offenders back into society through a work/study/mentor program addressing issues that cause them to commit new crimes.
https://www.harriscountyso.org/ Harris County Sheriff Dept. To locate a person who is incarcerated in the Harris County Jail. You will need name, date of birth or s.p.n. number.	www.tdcj.state.tx.us Texas Department of Criminal Justice Locate prison units; locate offenders and gain information about incarceration, parole, and death row.
www.mvfr.org Murder Victim Families for Reconciliation Families who have had a loved one killed but oppose the death penalty. Opt for forgiveness.	www.dismag.org The Dismas Magdalene Project A national organization providing serious structured in-prison Catholic brotherhood & sisterhood.
www.rjmntexas.com Restorative Justice Ministries Network Prison ministry resources.	www.tifa.org Texas Inmate Family Association Families who have a loved one in prison.
www.prisonfellowship.org Prison Fellowship In-prison ministry network.	www.prisonministry.net International Network of Prison Ministries Prison ministry resources.
www.reentry.org Former offender reentry Find information about the issues that face former felons when they are released from prison or jail.	www.kairosprisonministry.org KAIROS prison ministry In-prison ministry network.

Correctional Ministries

Friends

Cardinal Visits Us

A Woman in the Harris County Jail