Every Tuesday evening, the Rev. Joe Burton transforms Jamesville prison into a church.
“I’m here,” said Burton, “to tell them about love.”
Burton, also a pastor at St. Lukes Missionary Baptist Church in Syracuse, is one of three chaplains independently contracted by Jamesville prison to give spiritual guidance to inmates. He and two Catholic chaplains – Sister Maura Rhode and the Rev. Ed Reimer — are part of a state-mandated program to meet inmates’ spiritual needs.
And, the chaplains say, their mission extends beyond the religious services they provide. They are counselors for the inmates, liaisons between inmates and their families, and part of a support system to help inmates adjust to life after prison.
“A lot of the people here, they are gambling with their lives and their futures,” the Rev. Burton said. “We let them know that there is hope for them and that things can be better.”
In 2008, the prison spent $66,351 on religious services. For 2009, Onondaga County has budgeted $585,387 for mandated inmate services, which includes religious programs. The budget decreased from $596,981 a year ago, a cut of $11,594.
Despite the cut, Jamesville prison does not expect to change its religious programs, said Assistant Commissioner William Lansley.
In 2008, Jamesville prison admitted 1,430 inmates. Every day, it held an average of 474 prisoners. And a chaplain greeted each one of them.
“We see everyone that comes in here,” Sister Rhode said. “We act as a welcoming-committee in the jail.”
The chaplains counsel any inmate who needs someone to talk to, as well as staff and officers, said Sister Rhode. A chaplain is available at all times. “We give them confidentiality, and they trust us,” Sister Rhode said.
Inside the prison, inmates spend much of their time in lockdown. Their communication with the outside world is limited. The chaplains serve as a connection to the world outside the walls.
“We communicate with their families for them,” Sister Rhode said. “We tell them what their families are doing, let them know if everything outside is alright.”
The chaplains also give their services to those outside the jail. They serve as counselors for former inmates and as intermediaries for rehabilitation centers. The chaplains often refer former inmates to programs like Altamont at LeMoyne Manor. There they receive counseling, resources to pursue further education, and help looking for jobs.
The chaplains collect clothing for inmates and help them find temporary housing after their release, said Sister Rhode. And at Thanksgiving and Christmas, the chaplains offer special religious services.
Fridays at 4:30 p.m., Sister Maura Rhode and the Rev. Ed Reimer give Catholic mass in the prison’s multi-purpose room. An altar changes the room into a Catholic church. The inmates sit in rows of chairs while the chaplains celebrate a full mass. With the help of Sister Rhode, Father Reimer breathes life into the words of the bible.
Sister Rhode has been Catholic chaplain at Jamesville since 1989. She describes religion as vital to the inmates. “What we’ve found is that most inmates can’t stay out of jail without religion,” Sister Rhode said. “The religious connection helps them.”
Tuesday at 6 p.m., chaplain Joe Burton stands silently in the same multi-purpose room. The altar has been replaced by a podium. Sometimes the room is full, and other times only one or two inmates come. Still, he waits for them to file in and sit down. And then he begins to preach.
“I do it because I think that the gospel brings them direction and hope,” Burton said. “A lot of folk come here to get saved.”
(Mark Banick is a newspaper journalism major with a minor in religion.)
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