NCJ Number
59754
Date Published
1978
Length
10 pages
Annotation
SINCE U.S. PRISONS REFLECT OUR POLITICAL PROCESSES AND PRACTICES, PRISON CHAPLAINS SHOULD BE WELL-TRAINED IN PRISON POLITICS. THIS ARTICLE CONTENDS THAT CHAPLAINS CAN BE MOST EFFECTIVE IF THEY HAVE OUTSIDE SUPPORT.
Abstract
AN UNDERSTANDING OF THE IMPLICATIONS INHERENT IN THE FACT THAT PRISONS ARE 'TOTAL INSTITUTIONS' AS DEFINED BY GOFFMAN (1961) MAKES IT EASIER TO VIEW SUCH INSTITUTIONS AS BEING POLITICAL INSTITUTIONS. PRISONS ARE BASED ON THE DISTRIBUTION OF POWER, REWARDS, AND PRIVILEGES--THE ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS OF A POLITICAL SYSTEM. THEY ARE SIMILAR TO THE BROADER U.S. POLITICAL SYSTEM IN THAT BOTH CONSIST OF A VARIETY OF SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS ATTEMPTING TO INFLUENCE PUBLIC OR CORRECTIONAL POLICY ON MATTERS OF SELF-INTEREST. INTEREST GROUPS, BOTH WITHIN AND OUTSIDE PRISONS, HAVE BEEN SHOWN TO INFLUENCE CORRECTIONAL POLICIES AND PRACTICES. IN LIGHT OF THE ACTIVITIES OF SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS, PRISON CHAPLAINS MUST ALSO ACT TO ENSURE THAT THEY ARE EFFECTIVELY REPRESENTED WITHIN THE PRISON POLITICAL SYSTEM. WITHOUT SUCH ACTION, THE SPIRITUAL AND RELIGIOUS OBJECTIVES, AND EVEN THE COUNSELING GOALS OF CHAPLAINS, WILL BECOME SUBSERVIENT TO INSTITUTIONAL GOALS. PRISON CHAPLAINS SHOULD (1) DEFINE THEIR GOALS, (2) DEVELOP A LEADERSHIP CADRE TO ARTICULATE THESE GOALS, (3) DEVELOP AN EFFECTIVE ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE DISTINCT FROM THE PRISON, AND (4) CREATE AND MAINTAIN LINKS WITH COMMUNITY GROUPS WHO WILL SUPPORT THEIR GOALS. PRISON CHAPLAINS WILL FIND IT NECESSARY TO SECURE BROAD-BASED COMMUNITY SUPPORT. SUCH COOPERATION CAN BEST BE ACHIEVED BY ECUMENICAL COOPERATION AMONG VARIOUS RELIGIOUS GROUPS. REFERENCES ARE PROVIDED. (KCP)