MIDDLESEX COUNTY PRISON
COORDINATING COMMITTEE NEWSLETTER
MCPCC met in West Newton on October 8, 2008. Those present
were Tom Crowther, Mary Ann Donaldson, Marjorie Moerschner, Carol Winton and
Dorothy Weitzman. Our guests were Rev. and Mrs. Milton Thomas. Rev. Thomas is
the Protestant Chaplain at Billerica and also the pastor of a church in Lowell.
Mary
Ann welcomed everyone and asked Rev. Thomas to start us off with a prayer.
He told us about the many spiritual activities which he oversees
at the prison and the Cambridge Jail. Since the chapel that MCPCC helped to
create so many years ago is now beyond the perimeter for inmates, Protestant
and Catholic services for the pod men are held in the "Chow Halls" of
the new building. These were originally designed to be dining areas, but it
proved to be more practical to take meals to the pods. Rev. Thomas holds
services for the pod men Monday nights with about 50 t0 70 men attending each
one. A talented guitarist provides the music, as he's been doing for many
years. A volunteer holds services for men on the tiers in the old building.
These men are mostly old hands who've been in prison before, perhaps many times
before, and who aren't interested in the treatment programs for substance abuse
etc, in the pods.
Deacon
Bill Macmillan is the Catholic Chaplain. Rev. Thomas looks after all others,
and the two work well together.
There are only a few Muslims in the prison population at
the moment; they haven't had an imam for a while, but an imam from a mosque in
Lowell is about to start going to the prison. The month of Ramadan was recently
observed. The prison accommodated Muslim inmates with the required daytime
fasting and prayer, and provided a feast for them when Ramadan ended.
There are some Asians in the prison population and some
are Buddhists. They haven't asked for a monk, but know that a monk in Lowell is
available if needed.
A rabbi is on call.
Rev. Thomas provides Bible study Thursday mornings at
Billerica and goes twice a week to the Cambridge Jail. He also has Bible study
for men in protective custody at Billerica. Mark Hemenway does Bible study
Sunday nights.
Rev.
Thomas is often called to the pods to minister to an inmate. Inmates must ask
to see a spiritual advisor.
He
counsels groups of family members who will be involved in the reentry of
inmates. This is an important part of the reentry process. Under discussion is an
outreach system for wives and
significant others, so they can get the help needed
to help their ex-inmates. With the sheriff's support, the chaplain would like
to contact family_ agencies and invite them to a meeting and perhaps a meal at
the prison.
Chaplain Thomas has a background in psychology and
together with a co-leader with a family therapy background has started a
parenting class. It is expanding and he's very enthusiastic about it. It's a
twelve-week class, with 8 to 10 members; some are recommended by their case
managers and some join through word of mouth. The class gets these men to look
at what their fathers did. It's intense. He'd like to have a parenting class or
"parented" class for all fathers.
In addition to all of the above, Rev. Thomas is
working on his Doctor of Divinity degree. His thesis will involve offenders and
why they are often unable to grieve.
Rev. Thomas reported the good news that the prison
is planning to make it possible to have visitor contact between inmate and
child, allowing the inmate to hold his child.
Rev. Thomas recently went to a Drug Court
graduation, a joyous and moving event. The Drug Court program is a very tough
one and it's for real addicts, many of whom have tried and failed other
programs. At sentencing after a drug offence, the offender may be offered the
choice of prison or Drug Court and sometimes chooses prison because it's
easier. In the Drug Court program, the offender lives in a halfway house and
gets treatment, but later may have a job and live outside, with monitoring. The
Drug court doesn't give up- if there is a failure; a person goes back to square
one and starts all over.
It's time to collect Christmas cards for inmates to send to their families. There are 1100 inmates between Billerica and the Cambridge Jail and Chaplain Thomas would like to get at least two cards to each inmate. MCPCC members, please bring your cards to the November meeting. If anyone needs cards to be picked up. call 617-527-5613.
We thank the Thomases for taking time from their
very busy lives to drive a very long way to attend our meeting. It was a great
meeting!
Our November
guest will be Tom Larkin, a former County Commissioner, who leads the Smart
Recovery drug program at Billerica. Remember, you're all welcome to attend!
NEXT MEETING: NOV. 12 AT 7 PM SECOND CHURCH IN NEWTON 60 HIGHLAND STREET, WEST NEWTON