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Wands
and wine for imprisoned pagans
by RICHARD FORD - posted October 17, 2005
U.K Times on line
PAGAN priests
will be allowed to use wine and wands during ceremonies in
jails under instructions issued to every prison governor.
Inmates practising
paganism will be allowed a hoodless robe, incense and a piece
of religious jewellery among their personal possessions. They
will also be allowed to have Tarot cards but are forbidden
from using them to tell the fortunes of other prisoners.
The guidance,
issued by Michael Spurr, the director of operations of the
Prison Service, makes it clear that Skyclad (naked pagan worship)
will not be permitted. Prison staff have been told that pagan
artefacts should be treated with respect.
The formal guidance
on paganism in prison is contained in a 14-page annexe to
a Prison Service order on religion in jails. It was issued
last month to governors, chaplains and race relations officers.
Under sections ranging from the use of wine, dress and hygiene
to festivals, marriage and death, governors are given a complete
guide to paganism, based on information supplied by the Pagan
Federation.
It is the latest
faith guidance sent to governors to deal with an increasingly
diverse prison population in England and Wales. Previous documents
have included guidance on Buddhism, Sikhism and the Church
of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Governors are
told that the main pagan festivals are at the time of a full
moon, and seasonal celebrations such as the spring and autumn
equinox, midsummer and Samhain, on October 31, the Celtic
new year.
“Some Pagans
like to celebrate Samhain with cider for the celebration of
the apple harvest. In prison an apple can substitute for cider,”
the guidance says.
Prisoners will
be allowed to practice paganism in their cells, including
prayer, chanting and the reading of religious texts and rituals.
The wearing of ritual jewellery must be risk-assessed by prison
officers before the inmate is allowed to place it around the
neck.
The guidance
adds: “Washing prior to ritual is considered very important
in some traditions. Where possible, prisoners should be permitted
to shower prior to group worship.”
In addition
to a hoodless robe, prisoners can keep a flexible twig as
a wand, a chalice and rune stones. The guidance makes clear
that the hoodless robe can be used only during worship, and
not by prisoners while on the wings.
The guidance
highlights the part that wine plays in pagan rituals: “Some
. . . will use water while other groups will use red wine.
It is important that both variations be treated equally.”
But wine must
be ordered through the prison chaplaincy, stored securely
and used only under supervision. “Individual consumption
will be one sip only. As part of the ceremony, the pagan chaplain
may also anoint the prisoners with wine on the forehead,”
the instruction says.
Prisoners will
be permitted books of pagan writings, and the guidance specifies
what staff should do in the event of a pagan marriage, to
be performed by a pagan chaplain in addition to an office
register ceremony, and a pagan death.
It is not known
how many pagan prisoners are in jails in England and Wales.
PRISON FAITHS
(U.K.)
Anglican 26,055
Free Church 1,418
Roman Catholic 12,750
Other Christian 2,239
Buddhist 947
Hindu 339
Jewish 184
Muslim 6,136
Sikh 490
Other non-Christian 207
No religion 22,584
Source: Prison
Service. June 2003
Rescue
Came from the Grass Roots - The People, Not FEMA, Saved Themselves,
by BRUCE DIXON, BC Associate Editor - posted October 6, 2005
- The
BLACK CoMMentator
From her Atlanta home, former
Gulf Coast resident Latosha Brown and a few friends watched
the man-made catastrophe unfold in the wake Hurricane Katrina.
"We kept expecting to see
the National Guard, the government, the Red Cross, somebody
to do something. The idea that our leaders would allow people
to fend for themselves two, three, five days with no food,
water, medicine or help from outside -- we just couldn't get
our minds around it.
"People were dying by the
hundreds in New Orleans, and more folks we knew in Mississippi,
in Alabama were hurt, missing and homeless or hungry. You've
got two choices when you see something like that. Choice one
is to feel defeated. Choice two is to be pro-active and do
something about it. There were about six of us in my living
room at that moment, all movement vets. We called around to
see what we could make happen ourselves.
"The first folks to send
a couple of vans of food and supplies was TOPS, The Ordinary
Peoples Society, a prison ministry in Dothan AL founded and
staffed by ex-offenders. They organized food from a food bank,
pooled their money to get additional goods and moved it to
Mobile where they connected with a second organization of
formerly incarcerated brothers down there to distribute it
while they went back to Dothan for more. That's why we tell
everybody now that it was felons who were the first to feed,
the first to respond to need, the first to get up and do something.
They didn't wait for permission or for a contract. That's
real leadership."
The Real
Leaders
Rev. Kenneth Glasgow of Dothan
Alabama and Paul Jackson of Mobile each spent a decade in
prison. Both are part of a network of black civic and religious
organizations that have fought for years to restore the right
to vote to over 200,000 former prisoners in Alabama, most
of them African American men. Glasgow and his organization
hustled food and got the first vans on the road southbound
to the gulf. Jackson and his organization met the vans and
guided them to where the need was greatest. "We started
going into the projects," said Glasgow. "We went
to Orange Grove and other places, somewhere the water had
reached second floor windows, but nobody had seen FEMA or
the Red Cross. We just started targeting areas
where nobody else was coming."
The former prisoners found small
and medium sized black churches in the affected area who also
hadn't been contacted by the Red Cross or any government agency
but who'd mobilized their own members to begin feeding their
neighborhoods. The ex-offenders began sharing their supplies,
their contacts and their information about unmet needs with
these community
partners. By the second food and water trip south, the former
prisoners were bringing families out of flooded and devastated
areas back to safety and temporary housing, and soon the ex-felons
were driving in shifts with vans moving both ways around the
clock.
Abandoned
by the Government
Brown and her friends imagined
that by their second or third trip south, local or federal
officials, the National Guard or someone in authority would
be on the scene to feed people, to evacuate the sick, homeless
and injured, restore essential services, assess the damage
and generally do what governments of modern and civilized
societies are expected to do.
But in Gulf Coast Alabama and Mississippi, just as in New
Orleans, it didn't happen.
"When we realized this
wouldn't be over in a couple days, we hit the phones again,"
Latosha Brown told BC. "We asked for help from community
and civic organizations we'd worked with, from churches we
knew, from businesses and individuals and doors just flew
open. It was amazing. One friend was able to get $10,000 worth
of food donated, but it sat there all
morning because we had no way to move it. A brother in the
community, a truck driver stepped up and volunteered to get
it down to the Gulf Coast for gas money. Paul Jackson down
in Mobile got us a warehouse to receive goods being sent,
and somebody's supervisor on the job lent a forklift and driver.
We found more vans in other places, and on the fourth day
our
group in Selma working with a local church opened up a shelter
for a hundred people. Every truck and van that carried supplies
down brought families out on the way back, including a number
of Cambodian and Vietnamese families"
"The black churches tapped
their own networks," said Paul Jackson of One For Life
in Mobile. "Donations, supplies and volunteers came from
churches all over Mississippi and Alabama. We got help from
churches in Minnesota, Maryland and Virginia that arrived
in black neighborhoods before anybody from FEMA or the Red
Cross. Still, even after the arrival
of official help we kept finding pockets of mostly black people
bypassed or ignored by FEMA and the Red Cross.
This should have been no surprise.
Much of the National Guard was in Iraq. FEMA never demanded
that Red Cross officials leaders expand their personal network
of contacts across the tracks into Black Biloxi, Black Mobile,
Black Gulfport and Black Pascagoula. So well stocked and well-supplied
Red Cross operations sat in white churches only a short distance
from predominantly black areas which had not been reached
by any private or government relief agency before black churches
and black ex-offenders and black grassroots organizations
took matters into their own hands.
Ex-Offenders
are First Responders
"We didn't get as much
help from the Red Cross as we expected," Latosha Brown
told BC, "and at first we put it down to them just being
overwhelmed. But the pattern we saw of them failing to notice
the needs in our community when they were just so close, failing
to partner with those on the ground doing work in those areas
when they have no problem accepting donations from black people
was really disturbing.
"I flew down to Gulfport
on my own dime, partly to meet with local Red Cross officials.
It was a real disappointment to be in a place where all these
supplies and resources were concentrated, and see them make
very little effort to partner with their own neighbors, with
black churches, with the formerly incarcerated brothers and
others who were on the ground
serving the neighborhoods where we knew the need was so great.
"I never answer my cell
phone during meetings, but somehow the spirit told me I should
answer it during this particular meeting, this one time. It
was some of our people driving the vans. Three of our vans
on the way north out of the flooded areas were loaded with
evacuees, but no cash and about to run out of gas somewhere
in Mississippi. They were calling me
because they knew I might have a credit card. I was in a meeting
with several Red Cross bigwigs but I couldn't get any of them
to help gas up our guys on the road, not a one. We got next
to no help from the Red Cross that day. On the way out they
offered us a couple cases of juicy juice and some overripe
bananas. I wanted to cry."
Whether Brown cried that day
or not, the coalition of churches, community organizations,
business people, former prisoners and others engaged in grassroots
relief effort soldiered on. By September 15th they had moved
$100,000 worth of food and supplies to affected areas, gained
access to eight buses, had evacuated over a thousand people
and were helping supply
and run four shelters. Through contacts with realtors and
builders they were arranging temporary and permanent housing
for families, and funneling volunteers from dozens of churches
to affected areas to assist in cleanup. A week later, just
before this article's press time, SOS After Katrina had secured
the cooperation of the National Medical Association, the premiere
organization of African American physicians to provide medical
services to some evacuees and persons in affected areas.
More at
original site
Court
Upholds Religious Rights of Prisoners
By DAVID STOUT - posted May 31, 2005 - New
York Times
WASHINGTON, May 31 - The Supreme
Court today upheld the right of prisoners to practice religion
behind bars, even if their observances are rooted in atypical
beliefs like polytheism, Satanism and white supremacy.
In a unanimous ruling, the court
supported the rights of prisoners by upholding a five-year-old
federal law directing states to relieve "substantial
burdens" on inmates' religious practices unless a regulation
serves a "compelling state interest."
Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg
wrote for the court that the 2000 law does not conflict with
the Constitution.  "It
confers no privileged status on any particular religious sect,
and singles out no bona fide faith for disadvantageous treatment,"
she wrote.
Beyond the individual prisoners
and ex-prisoners involved in the Ohio case, the questions
presented went to the heart of the "religion clauses"
in the First Amendment, which state that "Congress shall
make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting
the free exercise thereof."
Carried to their logical extremes,
the two clauses embodied in the First Amendment might seem
to collide, as Justice Ginsburg noted today and as many scholars
have pointed out before her.
"While the two clauses
express complementary values, they often exert conflicting
pressures," she wrote. She
noted, too, that the Supreme Court had previously found "room
for play in the joints" between the two religion clauses.
Nothing in the ruling today
suggests that inmates will be given carte blanche to do whatever
they want in the name of religion.
"It bears repetition," Justice Ginsburg wrote, "that
prison security is a compelling state interest, and that deference
is due to institutional officials' expertise in this area."
"Further," she wrote,
"prison officials may appropriately question whether
a prisoners' religiosity, asserted as a basis for a requested
accommodation, is authentic."
The Bush administration supported
the prisoners' challenge, as did a somewhat unusual array
of groups and individuals that included Senators Orrin G.
Hatch, Republican of Utah, and Edward M. Kennedy, Democrat
of Massachusetts, sponsors of the law at issue.
In arguing the case before the
justices in March, the Bush administration's acting solicitor
general, Paul D. Clement, said that the government "follows
the best of our traditions" when it relieves burdens
on religious practice for all religions, not just "majoritarian"
ones.
The case decided today, Cutter
v. Wilkinson, No. 03-9877, began as three separate lawsuits
filed by five Ohio inmates who accused the state of violating
their rights in various ways, by not, for example, permitting
group worship sessions or their possession of certain religious
literature and ceremonial objects.
The prisoners identified themselves as followers of
Wicca, Satanism and white supremacist movements.
A federal district court had
allowed the prisoners' suit to proceed. But
the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit,
in Cincinnati, reversed the district court and held that the
2000 law impermissibly advanced one religion over another.
Other circuit courts had come
to different conclusions, and the Supreme Court took the Ohio
case to resolve the conflicts.
Copyright 2005 The New York
Times Company
Prison
Ministry: One Heathen's Experience By
Jordsvin - Jan. 2004 - Earthlink
Just about every religion you could think of has at least
one prison ministry going.
The explanation for this is simple: not only do individuals
of all religious faiths wind up in the prison system, but
many previously "secular" prisoners develop an active
interest in religious belief and practice during their incarceration.
They
make a wide variety of religious choices from the smorgasbord
of faiths present in North American society today. The
reasons for turning to religious faith are no doubt as varied
as the inmates themselves. One
factor is the realization that in order to have landed where
they are, they have had to have made in most cases a long
series of very bad choices, and come to understand that if
they are ever to have a better life, they need to make some
drastic changes, changes that may lie beyond the ability of
their own unaided strength and resources. A
rapidly growing number of prisoners, as of this writing (Feb.
2004) eleven thousand in North America alone, have chosen
our religion, and usually call it Odinism or Ásatrú.
Many prisoners feel a need to know where they and their families
have been in order to chart the way to a better future. This
accounts for some of the interest in religions like Heathenism,
which are not only very old but also have strong associations
with particular ethnic, linguistic and cultural groups. The
number of Heathens in correctional institutions is growing
very rapidly, and many are reaching out beyond the wire for
networking and various forms of assistance.
In some ways, it may be easier to be a Heathen behind bars
than in "mainstream society."
The social conformity pressures are much weaker, or at least
of a very different order.
There is much more time for study and religious practice.
In any case and for whatever reason, Ásatrú
is perhaps the only religion with at least as many adherents
behind bars as in the free world!
This sounded really scary to me when I first heard it, but
on further reflection I calmed down considerably. For
one thing, almost all incarcerated Heathens committed their
crimes before discovering Heathenism. I
believe that in the long run, one of the criteria that Heathenism
in general and Heathenism behind bars in particular will be
judged by is how our religion does or does not transform for
the better the lives of its practitioners.
Our Way has much going for it in that respect. Much
of it is plain and simple common sense.
Most of us understand that we are in large part responsible
for our Wyrd. We
do not offer automatic, easy, and unlimited forgiveness. Christians
hand that out in confessional booths or at altar calls, not
that it really changes anything. We
Heathens must take responsibility not only for our actions
but also to the extent that it is possible, for setting right
the wrongs that we have committed. For
that reason alone, few whiners, excuse-makers, and professional
victims come our way and most of those who do find us either
change their ways in a hurry or else do not stay for very
long.
With us, trust has to be earned, and if one has established
a consistent pattern of untrustworthy actions in life, earning
people's trust can be very difficult indeed. We're
not going to say, "Whatever you did in the past is under
the blood of Jesus and doesn't matter any more."
We are certainly willing to help our co-religionists weave
a better Wyrd and improve their Orlög, but we take a
"show-me" attitude and expect individuals, whatever
their background and present circumstances, to put forth their
best effort. We
are at present few in number and spread widely over Miðgarðr,
and we goðar are volunteers.
We work day jobs and have families. Our
time is therefore very valuable, and we must ration it out
in our Heathen endeavors where it will do the most good.
Heathens are not doormats, and consequently we do not advise
people to forgive wrongdoers "seventy times seven"
as Jesus did. Thus,
the individual who embraces Ásgarðr's Way, whether
behind bars or beyond the wire, is either someone serious
about growing up and taking responsibility, or else is very
stupid indeed.
Our Gods and Goddesses are not "safe," and those
who abuse Heathen Troth typically find that the results are
very unpleasant.
Since there is little to be gained in social terms from being
a Heathen, and there are still many places and situations
where it is socially and even economically advantageous to
serve the White Christ, I presume that any man or woman who
says "I am a Heathen" is serious until that person
gives me reason to think otherwise. Religious
discrimination, while greatly reduced nowadays and illegal
under the 1964 Civil Rights Act, is still a problem. In
prison, prisoners often get good behavior points toward early
release for attending Christian services, but not Heathen
ones. All
this being the case, I try to help as much as I can, no matter
which side of the wire the seeker may be on. One
thing that I can do is share as widely as possible my own
experiences in working with Heathen prisoners and former prisoners
so that both incarcerated Heathens on one hand and those assisting
them can have positive, worthwhile experiences.
For free world Heathens, I believe
that the following suggestions will be of help.
First of all, get a post office box.
They are not very expensive. Life
is uncertain and difficult enough without your name and home
address circulating through the prison system. You
will meet some wonderful Heathens in the prison system, but
there are some really scary ones in there as well. That
little creep that dragged a black man to death in Texas is
a self-proclaimed "Odinist." Be honest and forthright
with correspondents about what you can and cannot do.
If someone asks for something that you may not comfortable
with, such as telephone communication, do not hesitate to
say no. Just
the fact that you are willing to exchange letters means much.
Most
Heathen prisoners are eager for contact with Heathens in the
larger society and are grateful for anything they get.
Start out small, then work your way up to things like prison
visits if you like once you have gotten your feet wet and
have a basic understanding of the situation. This
is good Heathen practice, as Hávamál advises
us to keep a sharp eye out when going into someplace new!
Be aware of the rules and regulations of the institutions
with whose inmates you are in contact. This will prevent wasted
time and money when religious literature, photocopied books,
etc. are returned to you because their format and shipping
were not "regulation." These
regulations, by the way, are often very obtuse and arbitrary,
as well as being subject to change without notice. Ask
your correspondents; they will know.
Some chaplains are willing to work to meet the spiritual needs
of all prisoners in their institutions, while all too many
others abuse their position to try to push their own beliefs
on all prisoners under their care. Your
correspondents will also be able to fill you in on what sort
of chaplain they have.
Try to keep an open mind, especially in regard to social attitudes.
Prisons
are very racist places, and prisoners do what they have to
in order to survive. "Peace,
love and can't everybody just get along" can easily get
you killed in there.
Prison per se will not make someone a racist. However,
if an individual already has racist tendencies, and all too
many in our society do, then prison will make those tendencies
worse. A
prisoner with racist attitudes may still have many worthwhile
qualities. Almost everybody in my family was a racist until
a few decades ago but most were still decent human beings
overall.
Notice please that I am talking about having prejudiced attitudes.
Joining
the KKK and burning crosses in people's yards is quite another
matter.
Free world Heathens involved in prison ministry have the difficult
but essential task of educating incarcerated Heathens toward
focusing more on pride in heritage and less on bigoted attitudes
which will prove very harmful to prisoners' functioning in
society once released. And
by the way the vast majority of incarcerated Heathens will
eventually leave prison.
That is a big reason why after considerable hesitation, I
decided to become involved in Heathen prison ministry. A
huge Heathen community behind bars is a reality; it's growing
every day, and better that those folks should have good information
on our shared religion than bad information. I
think that we all can at least agree on that.
Homophobia is another potential problem in prison ministry.
While it is increasingly unacceptable in mainstream society,
the situation in prison is very different. Many
inmates were sexually abused by men during boyhood or adolescence,
and do not have the background in psychology and human sexuality
to understand the difference between pedophilia and homosexuality
(most men who molest boys and male adolescents are heterosexual
in their sex lives with other adults). Rape,
including gang rape, is an unfortunate fact of prison life.
What
was horrible enough before AIDS is now also life-threatening.
Even
if the victims are aware that their assailants are devout
practicing heterosexuals when in the free world, I doubt that
knowledge provides much comfort! My
understanding is that prison rapes are very often across racial
lines, and that can certainly has the potential of making
the victims' racial attitudes even worse! Once
again, slowly and patiently educating people and helping them
change their attitudes is needed. A
little patience can go a long way. Contrary
to what many think, many incarcerated Heathens are neither
racist nor homophobic.
In closing this section, I would like to mention some of the
areas where assistance from other Heathens can really make
a difference to incarcerated or recently released Heathens.
Pen
pals are always welcome.
Letters of course are great.
Even better, include something useful printed from the Internet
in every letter.
It could be a blót, an article, or even a poem. Outside
volunteers to come in and hold classes, lead blótar
and sumbels, etc. are much in demand.
Every volunteer that I have ever heard from reports having
had wonderful experiences and having received much appreciation.
I hope to do that one day when time and circumstances permit.
If you write articles, poetry, book reviews, or fiction, create
Heathen artwork or music, please consider submitting it to
The Saga, the National Prison Kindred Alliance's newsletter.
They
do a fine job getting positive, high-quality Heathen information
into prisoners' hands, and since the overlap between their
mailing list and those of free world Heathen magazines is
relatively small, they can use things previously printed elsewhere.
The
NPKA can be reached at PO Box 6493,
Napa CA 94581 USA or at www.wyrdsway.com,
our online store. Volunteers and donations are always needed
and very welcome!
If you cannot or do not wish to do prison visits, why not
correspond or meet with newly released Heathens? You
need not do this in your home. You
can just as easily meet in public space and treat your fellow
Heathen to a hot meal and maybe a little shopping for much
needed clothing, etc.
Goodwill would be fine. Many are released with no family support
and next to no financial resources. A
little effort on your part could make the difference between
someone making it or not making it in his new life.
A newly-released Heathen who contacted me almost exactly a
year ago was able through me to make Heathen friends and even
found a Heathen lady with whom he is expecting a child, with
whom he has just purchased a home, and whom he will soon marry.
I couldn't be prouder of him!
Of course, just like many Christians or Muslims who "get
religion" while incarcerated, there is a high "dropout
rate" among those released. Also,
some people profess and practice a particular religion whenever
they are incarcerated but not while free.
Having even minimal fellowship and support available for newly
released Heathens will not only help improve our retention
rate, but as they build solid lives our community can benefit
from experienced and talented individuals who have learned
much wisdom the hard way. Just
for starters, many incarcerated Heathens are incredible artisans,
artists, writers and scholars. The
NPKA has published a calendar with their artwork.
My advice for newly released Heathens and those who are still
incarcerated is of a somewhat different nature.
First for individuals who become Heathen behind bars and are
being released into the larger society, I encourage you to
be open and honest about your background and situation. The
individuals who have written me and said something to the
effect of: "I just got out of prison, and my goði
there gave me your name and address and suggested that I contact
you.
I'm serious about remaining an active Heathen and meeting
other like-minded folks" have really earned my respect.
It
would have been much easier to have waited six months or a
year until they had jobs, cars, apartments, dating partners,
and all the other aspects of everyday life firmly in place
and then contacted me without saying anything about where
they had been the last few years. Of
course, by coming clean with me they gained not only my sympathy
but also my assistance as needed to facilitate their continued
reentry into society and their integration into free world
Heathendom.
Suggest meeting in a public place. Wear
your Thor's Hammer to be easily recognized.
Meeting new people can be hard, but it will get easier as
time goes on. As
a seiðr-worker, I've noticed that newly released prisoners
carry something with them for a while after leaving prison,
a different sort of "vibe".
In prison, you have to be on guard at all times, to project,
for your own protection, a feeling of "better not mess
with me." It
takes a while for this to die down.
If folks seem a bit ill at ease with you at first, this may
be why. Be
polite, be yourself, and the problem will go away over time.
Meditation
and relaxation techniques may speed the process.
Of course, if you are not asked about your criminal record
or incarceration history when applying to join a kindred,
then you don't have to tell. Just
don't lie if/when asked those questions, and be aware that
sooner or later it will probably all come out anyway, and
that by being open and honest from day one, and by demonstrating
over time your ability and willingness to succeed as a free
person, you are making things much easier on those who are
released after you.
I used to have an attitude of "no convicts" in kindreds
I was involved with until I found out that a couple of Heathens
I really respected had done time.
Please don't presume that free
world Heathenry is the same as the Heathenry you were involved
in behind bars.
Of course, the Gods and Goddesses, Runes, blóts, sumbels,
and pride in culture and heritage are essential to what we
do too, but they are often presented in a different way. Sometimes
this can be very subtle. For
instance, the "F-word," in this case "(the)
Folk," can call up very different associations out here.
When
you say the word, you are probably thinking of your fellow
Heathens, people who helped you leave prison alive and sane.
The fact that they were of your own heritage helped the bonding
in a racially polarized situation. There was nothing wrong
with that in itself.
However, that very same word can call up for many free-world
Heathens visions of Nazism, and even among "folkish"
free-world Heathens, Nazis are rightly loathed as perverters
and desecrators of our most sacred symbols.
For the same reason, avoid the "A-word" = "Aryan"
at all costs and be very discrete in the ritual and artistic
use of swastikas if you use them at all. We
are all too aware that for the foreseeable future we will
have to spend untold time and energy making sure, for our
own protection if nothing else, that the general public comes
to understand that Heathen does not equal Nazi.
Neither the prison nor the free world Heathen perspective
is wrong; both are right in their own contexts.
Make sure that your initial letter makes a good impression
and try not to put your foot in your mouth. One
prison kindred wrote a free world goði bragging about
having no gays or addicts in their group.
Little did they know that the recipient of the letter was
gay himself, and had spent a lot of his very limited free
time helping Heathens seeking recovery of from their addictions.
When
he didn't answer their letter, they got a free world friend
of theirs in another state to write him a nasty note informing
him of his "duty" to help out prison kindreds in
the state he lived in.
Of course, it didn't get the desired result.
About the same time, that same goði got a letter from
a newly released Heathen who had just moved to his city.
After several letters were exchanged, the new guy finally
got up the nerve to tell the goði that he was gay and
asked if he would still work with him. The
poor man soon afterward got a letter from his former prison
kindred "outlawing" and "cursing" him
for being gay. They
had found out about his sexuality after he had been released
and thought that the "Gods of the Aryans" would
curse them for having unknowingly had a gay man in their kindred!
The
man was beside himself when he got the letter and was relieved
to learn from his free world goði of non-discriminatory
Heathen groups he could belong to and that the "outlawry"
wasn't worth the paper it was written on!
In that case of course the letter was particularly offensive,
but even if they had reached "straight" Heathens,
those people would almost certainly have had gay friends,
relatives, and neighbors that they liked, and known people
struggling to deal with addictive disease. The
self-righteous tack doesn't work, not even in the free world,
much less in prison.
Let the fundamentalist Christians keep it!
Please enclose a stamp or two when you write someone for the
first time. It's
a courteous gesture, since you are the one initiating contact
and seeking something. However,
enclosing a stamp is not and should not be seen as a guarantee
of a response. Answering
a letter takes a half hour at least and some folks may not
be in a position to do that.
In a very real way time runs differently out here.
I have to continually monitor my life to make sure that my
Heathen ministry work doesn't thrive at the expense of everything
else I need to do. In
any case, some free world Heathens have had bad interactions
with incarcerated co-religionists and are understandably concerned
about it happening again. Some
opt to henceforth stay away from prison Heathenry altogether.
Hasty
and unfair, you say?
You are probably right, but no one is perfect and "once
burned, twice shy."
Heathens seek to avoid unpleasant circumstances and to enjoy
and benefit from the time they spend with other worshippers
of the Æsir and Vanir. Anything
you can do to make associating with you worthwhile helps not
only you but every other Heathen prisoner in the future who
reaches out. A
poem, a piece of artwork, even a few words of heart-felt gratitude
can go a long way. As
a wise modern Heathen once said "no one is so rich that
he will not welcome thanks for a gift given," and your
correspondent is giving his or her time.
Also bear in mind that "you" may very well outnumber
"us"! Many
Heathens out here cannot or choose not to be involved in prison
ministry. Please
don't do anything that will give them a reason to never reconsider
that decision or that attitude.
Those of us who are involved can easily get spread too thin
and we need all the help we can get. I've
had to write people telling them I simply couldn't take on
more pen pals or spend my grocery money copying materials
for indigent prisoners, or even my free time copying materials
for those who could reimburse me.
Thank the Gods for the NPKA and all the other groups and individuals
helping Heathen prisoners in any way they can! I
could at least refer them there, knowing that they could find
help. Of
course, from time to time I still copy a few things for a
few people who are really in need and have not found another
option. I've
had to tell them "not a word to anyone. The
last thing I need is ten letters in my box next week from
folks in just as big a bind as you are. It
breaks my heart to have to say no and disappoint them, but
sometimes I have no choice." As
I've grown older, I've had to accept that I can't do it all.
Please don't push correspondents to do more than they can
or wish to do.
Let them set the terms for the correspondence.
Take no for an answer and move on when need be.
Be patient and I truly believe you will find someone to work
with. And
in any case, I'll let you in on a secret: most of the time
you can do just fine being a Heathen all by yourself. A
few basic texts and a cup of liquid to offer are all you really
need. A
Dixie cup of water will work just fine in a pinch. The Æsir
and Vanir can and will teach you the rest. Of
course, a kindred, ritual tools, outside correspondents, etc.
are all wonderful enrichments but are not strictly necessary.
Remember
that "Self-Reliance" is one of the Nine Noble Virtues!
Whatever happens, while there is life there is hope. Even
if you are on death row and by your own admission deserve
to be there, you are still a child of Askr and Embla, given
gifts by Oðin and his brothers and helped to evolve by
Rig himself! If
you can see where you went wrong, with their help you can
grow into a better and more worthy you. Who
knows what a hero you might become, if not in this life, then
in another? Our
Gods and Goddesses are with you, and in a very real way so
are all the Heathen Folk, past and present. Grow
with us and help that which is coming to be to be something
we can all be proud of!
Labyrinth
at jail offers another path
By
CHRIS STESKY
(staff
writer for Brockville Recorder and Times:(original
no longer available - see OMNI)
)
People can get lost in a maze
but may find themselves, spiritually, in a labyrinth even
if it¹s inside a jail.
Labyrinths are ancient patterns
used all over the world, featuring a circular
path leading to a centre. To
leave it, one retraces the path. A
maze, on the other hand,
has false paths that lead to dead ends.
In the belief that walking a labyrinth
can have a healing effect, a blue labyrinth
with the image of a leafy tree at its centre has been painted
on the concrete floor of
the Brockville Jail¹s outdoor exercise yard.
³It is the only labyrinth in a
correctional facility in Canada,² says Crystal
Butt, chaplain at the jail. It
was created this summer to give inmates
another path to self-discovery.
Butt had heard a presentation
in September 2002 about labyrinths, given by
Ruth Richardson, who uses the labyrinth in nurses¹ training
at Algonquin College.
³The idea caught my attention,²
Butt says.
Last spring, she approached Richardson
about creating a labyrinth at the jail, and Richardson said,
³No problem.²
The two worked out a date for
the project and got security clearance for those involved.
On
June 26, volunteers from Bells Corners United Church showed
up at Wall Street United Church, across from the jail, to
design the jail¹s labyrinth, based on the Santa Rosa labyrinth.
Then
they were let into the yard, where they taped down the pattern.
Using
a long-handled paint roller they filled in the wide pathway
with blue paint, then removed the tape.
Unlike traditional labyrinth designs,
the jail labyrinth has people walking
on a defined path, rather than between defined walls. This
gives a sense of freedom
rather than confinement in a sterile high-walled setting that
is all about confinement.
³They¹re not walking between walls
laid out by someone else but walking a
positive path,² Butt says.
It seemed a good idea to have
something alive pictured in the centre, Butt
says. A
week later, a talented inmate who needed an outlet for his
creativity something hard
to come by in a jail offered to paint a tree in
the large blue centre of the labyrinth. While
those with a spiritual bent might
see it as the tree of life, the inmates like to call it ³the
big shade tree.²
Adult inmates and young offenders
are all given the opportunity to walk the
labyrinth during their 20-minute daily exercise period. When
Butt introduces it to young
offenders, she tells them the path can be the path of their
life or the path of their inner being. She
says that whatever happens is
supposed to happen. There
is no predictable reaction, because it depends on
what the person brings to the experience.
She tells them the centre of the
labyrinth is ³the place to soak up whatever
is there for you.² They
can stay as long as they want and then walk out
again, on the path.
The journey begins on the threshold,
as the person waits and gathers himself,
focusing for the walk. Then
the walk begins. For
many inmates, it is a quick
walk, even a dance, along the path to the centre, and a quick
walk out again.
But others open their minds during
the walk and their thoughts and emotions flow freely. Possibly,
at the centre, they may have a new awareness about themselves
or their lives. This
discovery stays with them as they walk out of the labyrinth.
If
they wish, they are encouraged to talk over the experience
with the chaplain, to put it into perspective.
³It is the only labyrinth in a
correctional facility in Canada.²
- Crystal Butt Jail chaplain
Inmates often come to the labyrinth
filled with frustration and stress. Butt
believes they benefit from the labyrinth no matter how fast
they take it.
One inmate told her he likes to
do it because it¹s a form of self-discipline,
something he hasn¹t had much of in his life. It¹s
something he does for himself
every day.
Another young man, feeling angry
and frustrated, got only more so as he walked. When
he reached the centre, he wanted to blow everything up.
When he came out of the labyrinth, he told Butt he was glad
it was only a vision and said that somehow it had helped him
feel less stressed.
A third walked the labyrinth three
times with no response but on the fourth
day felt his burdens fall away, Butt says.
Labyrinths have been traced on
rock, marked out on the ground with stones, carved into turf
and used to decorate artifacts in civilizations all over the
world, dating back thousands of years. Today,
original designs are being restored and replicas made all
over the globe, and modern, innovative designs are proving
just as popular in churches, hospitals, retreats and more.
Not attached to any one faith
or tradition, they offer a means of meditation.
The walk to the labyrinth¹s centre echoes an inward movement
to the deep centre inside
each person.
Several ministers and others who
give pastoral care in Brockville and area had the opportunity
Wednesday to walk the jail labyrinth. For
some it was the first time they had travelled a labyrinth.
After
all had completed the walk, Butt asked for their reactions.
Some, conscious of their own freedom
to leave the jail yard, in contrast to
the inmates, found their thoughts going to the men confined
in the jail.
Debra Wade, pastoral care co-ordinator
at the St. Vincent de Paul Site of
Providence Continuing Care, expressed it well: ³This labyrinth
is a touch of heaven in
a stark place. I
was praying for them. I
hope (the labyrinth) brings
them comfort and peace.²
Rev. Doug Warren said that Wall
Street United Church plans to make a permanent labyrinth on
the floor of its Serenity Hall. In
future the church intends to construct a labyrinth on property
outside the church in sight of the nearby hospital and funeral
home where people may come to find comfort and healing.
OMNI
Update: October
03, 2003
A
Day in the Life of a Prison Chaplain,
by Carl Wake,
Coordinating Chaplain at Ottawa-Carleton Detention Centre.
Exerpts below re "Wiccan priestess"
refer to our Ontario Elder, Gina Ellis. (Note the multi-faith
atmosphere this chaplain fosters.)
I spend the next forty minutes
in my office on the phone. Negotiations
with the deputy superintendent to permit a Jewish young offender
to wear a wooden star of David given to him by his rabbi are
successful. I
confirm with the front door officer that the Wiccan priestess
is indeed security-cleared and is there to meet with two inmates
at my request. I
also speak with the Roman Catholic deacon candidate who meets
with inmates I refer to him for counselling... From
2:30 to 4:00 p.m., I meet with four Muslim inmates who had
been conducting a hunger strike over their religious rights.
We
are able to resolve their concerns...Back at my office...
I make two more phone calls... The front door officer speaks
with me about the Wiccan priestess.
This article originally appeared
in the Testimony May 2003, Vol.84, No.5, and was reprinted
by permission.
Bringing
Zen into prisons -By
Amy White -
posted June 21, 2003
- Buddhist
News Archieve
Each time Grace Schireson drove
past signs for the two women's prisons in Chowchilla, she
felt pangs of suffering.
Schireson, a Zen Buddhist priest
who lives in Madera County, passed the signs often on her
way to teach meditation classes in Fresno and Modesto.The
licensed psychologist -- ordained as a Zen priest in 1998
-- was grateful to have found meditation, which, she said,
"enabled me to have a bigger space in which to turn my problems
over on another side."
It pained her to think of the
women behind the prisons' wire fences and cinder-block walls
-- women who "didn't have an opportunity to change their minds,"
said Schireson, 56, of North Fork.
She broached the idea of bringing
Zen -- an Asian Buddhist tradition of meditation -- into the
prisons to Jeanette Callow, a member of Modesto's Valley Heartland
Zen Group, which Schireson leads."It
just worked like a synchronistic moment," said Callow, 65,
of Ripon, who had been reading about such prison outreach
and wanted to start doing it."It
just sounded like something very needed in our area."
Reaching out
Since spring, Schireson has led
small groups of Zen practitioners from the Modesto area, North
Fork and Fresno into Valley State Prison for Women.They
volunteer every other week to meditate with inmates who are
serving sentences as short as six months and as long as life.
They also periodically visit Central
California Women's Facility across the street, which houses
similar inmates, as well as those condemned to death.Each
prison holds about 3,500 women serving time for crimes ranging
from embezzlement, petty theft, robbery and burglary to manslaughter,
attempted murder and murder.About
80 percent are serving time for drug-related offenses, prison
officials said.
"The conditions in prison are
not that different from conditions in a monastery," said Schireson,
who has studied Zen in the United States and Japan.
At Valley State Prison for Women,
most inmates live in dormitories, each housing eight women.They
spend their days working in various service jobs, studying
and sometimes engaging in recreational activities such as
sports or crafts.Periodically,
they are counted.Hours
are defined by bells.
"This is an excellent place to
develop that spiritual part of yourself," said Coreen Sanchez,
51, of Eureka, who has served six years for manufacturing
methamphetamine."It
is so structured here, you can develop your technique really
well. ... (The meditation) gives you a balance and grounding."
…The inmates lie on blue plastic
mats on the prison gymnasium's concrete floor; light sifts
in from small, high windows.Schireson
begins the hour-long session with stress-reduction, meditation,
yoga stretches and visualization.She
urges them to focus on their breathing to release tiredness,
boredom and tension."Remember,
when you hear sounds, let the sound pass right through you
like light through a glass," Schireson instructs.
As chests gently rise and fall,
Schireson urges the women to "be connected to life in all
its forms.This
is your right as a human being. ... Remember to breathe and
be gentle with yourselves.It
doesn't matter how harsh other people are, no one is with
you more than yourself."
Schireson guides the diverse group
of women -- very young to middle-age, white, black, Hispanic,
Asian and American Indian -- into an upright meditative posture.They
sit for 20 minutes, eyes shut, hands clasped in their laps.
"Remember to keep your mind like
a big sky," Schireson says in a calm voice."If
you feel thoughts arise, let them pass like clouds."
Focus helps
Focused breathing and concentration
help the women learn to "observe their own mind," Schireson
said.
"They are learning how to use
awareness to reflect on an activity before they do it, and
how to use their awareness to transform their pain and suffering
into a more positive response."For
example, she said, the women may learn to identify and separate
themselves from anger, rather than allowing it to dictate
their responses."If
you have habits of mind and you indulge them, such as getting
angry or feeling disappointed, you add hardship," she said.
Schireson's goal is to offer the
ability to reflect on life and to develop a greater understanding
of what life is about.She
is sharing "the understanding that there is a deeper wisdom
than is normally accessed
by most people. ... Perhaps that wisdom will guide (the women)
to fulfill themselves in that, whether they are in prison
or out."
Meditation works
Several of the women said meditation
is working.They
find quiet spaces and times to meditate during the day.They
feel less tired and tense, they said, and more relaxed in
their crowded and sometimes hectic living conditions.
"You just need to take a break
and really think about getting in touch with your inner self,"
said Angela Shepard, 39, of Whittier, who is serving a life
sentence for second-degree murder."It
is really important to know yourself, body and mind, and talk
yourself down. ... It helps me manage."
Meditation helps them cope with
being away from their children, the stress resulting from
a lack of control over events in the outside world, the tension
of life within the facility and unresolved issues from their
lives, they said."In
here, you feel a lot of loneliness and pain, both because
of the sentencing and because of being away from your family
unit," said Nelly Sanchez, 49, of Clovis."If
it comes out, you get angry; you don't know what to do with
it.Lashing
out really is not the way."Here,
I feel loved," she added, looking around to the other women
in the class.Meditation
is helping her cope with the recent death of her mother, she
said, which occurred while she was incarcerated.She
did not attend the funeral.
"It's hard out there, being a
convict," said Sanchez, who is incarcerated for her second
time."To
try to deal again with how to live out there, it's hard; society
does not accept you.But
if you are OK and centered with yourself, then you will be
able to handle whatever comes toward you."
Zen meditation has helped Sanchez
do that, she said, as well as find forgiveness in herself
and relearn coping tools that, she said, many inmates have
lost "along the way."
The women plan to keep up the
practice, both inside the prison and, for those who will eventually
be released, on the outside, they said.They
hope to teach others."You
feel better in your mind and spirit," said Arlene Whitney,
50, of Oceanside, who is nine years into a life sentence for
first-degree murder."(And)
it teaches you that you can do it anywhere."
Making a difference
Dan Walsh, recreation coordinator
at Valley State Prison for Women, oversees each Zen meditation
session.The
women seem calmer and have a better outlook on life since
joining the class, he said.
"There are a lot of gates and
procedures you have to go through (here); you have to deal
with the structure of an institution and an inmate population
-- some of whom are corrupt or bad," he said."(Inmates)
are feeling on edge already.But
when they leave (the class), they float out of
here instead of being rigid."
He and other prison officials said any course that helps inmates
get along and control emotions -- both within the facility
and in society once released -- is a plus.
"This is not what they are here
for, but it definitely makes them better people," said Sylvia
Hedlind, community-resources manager at the prison, who worked
with Schireson to set up the sessions."They
will definitely get out and live in our neighborhoods, so
anything we can do of a positive
nature here will be of benefit to the community."
Though classes are secular and
do not go into the religious aspects of Zen Buddhism, the
outreach has become a unique way for the local Zen community
to practice and share together, Schireson said.Volunteers
said that seeing the personal growth and gratitude of the
women has deepened their own practice.
Stan Cunningham, 62, of Modesto,
for example, recently shared a message of regret from his
own life with the group.Tears
formed in some inmates' eyes, and one woman approached him
to tell him she appreciated his message.
"It has allowed for more compassion
and awareness and gratefulness.(The
inmates) are saying it's meaningful, but it's a two-way street,"
Callow said."When
you get face-to-face with who you really are, the core of
whatever it is we all are, one can then achieve a freedom
and a sense in the world that is just precious and is so special."
Ky.
prison suspends satanic services
by Valarie Honeycutt Spears
- posted
August 31, 2002
- Herald
The state Department
of Corrections suspended formal satanic services by inmates
at one Kentucky prison yesterday until officials can research
and develop a statewide policy.
Inmates at Green
River Correctional Complex, a medium-security prison in Central
City, have been allowed since earlier this summer to hold
weekly satanic services as part of the official religious
services calendar, said Lisa Carnahan, a spokes-woman for
the state Department of Corrections.
The state suspended
the services after the Herald-Leader inquired about the issue
this week.
Inmates in at
least two of the state's other 14 prisons -- Eastern Kentucky
Correctional Complex at West Liberty and the Kentucky Correctional
Institution for Women at Pewee Valley -- practice Satanism
on their own, said Carnahan, who surveyed the institutions'
wardens.
There is no statewide
policy on whether Satanism can be practiced by inmates, and
the decision is left up to each warden.
"We honestly didn't
know it was on the religious calendar," Carnahan said yesterday."We
are researching it to see what we are required to allow under
the law.But
we've found information that indicates that satanic services
could be a threat to the institutions, so for now we won't
aid or abet satanic worship."
State officials
began working a few months ago to draft a policy on religious
services, including Satanism and witchcraft as practiced in
the Wiccan religion.
Carnahan said
the state has not suspended Wiccan services, which also are
held at Green River and three other prisons: Luther Luckett
Correctional Complex in Oldham County, the Marion Adjustment
Center in St. Mary's and Lee Adjustment Center in Beattyville.A
few Wiccans also practice informally at the Kentucky State
Penitentiary at Eddyville, Carnahan said.
Satanism emerged
as an issue in Kentucky a few months ago, when an unidentified
inmate at Green River pushed to practice it.
The warden, Patti
Webb, decided that it was safer to give inmates a specific
time and place to worship, where they would be monitored,
rather than letting them practice satanic ritual among themselves
on the prison yard, Carnahan said.
"She made a decision
to give them a room to meet instead of meeting on the yard,
so they could be monitored a little more," she said.
In the past, other
inmates across the country have asked for candles, candle
holders, incense, a gong, black robes, chalices and short
wooden staffs or other objects
But Carnahan said that to her know-ledge, inmates at Green
River had asked only to copy satanic materials.That
request was denied.
The Green River
inmate, whose name officials declined to release, has since
been transferred to another state prison.The
transfer was not related to the satanic services, Carnahan
said.
Only two inmates
showed up last week for the satanic services at Green River,
Carnahan said.
Earl Pruitt, founder
of Kentuckians' Voice for Crime Victims, said he was unaware
that Satanism was being practiced in state prisons and wants
to research exactly what is happening before issuing an opinion.
But, said Pruitt,
"I certainly don't think that they ought to be holding satanic
services in prison.It's
because of those kinds of activities that some inmates are
there in the first place."
Under federal
law and U.S. Supreme Court decisions, correctional institutions
are not to prohibit the exercise of inmates' religious freedom,
as long as the practice of the recognized religion does not
compromise the safety of other inmates or the staff, said
Joe Weedon, manager of government affairs for the American
Correctional Association.
Weedon said he
doesn't think numbers have been compiled on how many inmates
across the United States practice Satanism.
The challenge
for Kentucky officials will be to determine whether satanic
services compromise safety at the prisons.
Kentucky officials
have learned that policies in other states vary.
For instance, prison officials in Texas, where 150 inmates
say they follow Satanism, prohibit the services.
"We've looked
at the satanic bible ... and are convinced that what it advocates
would put our prisons at risk, safety-wise," said Donald Kaspar,
chaplain for the Texas system."One
of their tenets is revenge -- if somebody hurts you, hurt
them back."
Witchcraft as
it relates to Wicca,
a pagan religion that sees the divine in every element of
nature, is viewed more favorably by prison officials across
the country.By
some estimates, there are at least 50,000 Wiccans in the United
States and perhaps as many as 200,000.Not
all Wiccans, however, consider themselves witches.
In January, Wisconsin
hired the Rev. Jamyi Witch (she adopted the last name years
ago) as the first Wiccan priestess in the nation to serve
as a full-time state prison chaplain.
Wiccans do practice
magic, but it involves focusing psychic energy on a worthy
goal, using meditation to achieve good.Wiccans
say that magic is just another word for prayer and it can
be used only for healing.Wiccans
are forbidden to use magic to enact curses.
"We don't have any materials that
indicate that Wicca compromises the safety of the institutions,"
Carnahan said.
News
of Concern
Florida's
faith-based prison is a dangerous idea
- By Wayne Besen MY VIEW
Tallahassee New - Posted on Tue, Jan. 20, 2004 (no longer
available - see Wiccanet)
Gov. Jeb Bush's pronouncement
that Florida will open the nation's first "faith-based"
prison is a terrible idea that is unethical, probably unconstitutional
and may even lead to favoritism of fundamentalist Christian
inmates.
Bush and prison officials disingenuously
try to allay public fears by claiming that the prison is nondenominational
with the 791 prisoners representing 26 faiths. However,
Bush quickly exposed the transparency of this supposed pluralism.
"I can't think of a better
place to reflect on the awesome love of our Lord Jesus than
to be here at Lawtey Correctional. God bless you," said
Bush.
Bush doesn't get it. There
are many taxpaying Florida citizens who don't consider Jesus
"our Lord."
We are offended by his apparent
religious supremacy and we don't agree with his slick, tax-funneling
scheme to support his preferred faiths. It
is clear that this ill-conceived initiative most likely violates
the separation of church and state.
While Bush's new initiative
may claim to represent several faiths, this too can be deceptive.
No
faith is monolithic and each religion has several branches,
which interpret religious texts in radically different ways.
Gay activists such as myself
will be watching closely to make sure our tax dollars are
not illegally used to teach a right-wing view of religion
or homosexuality. We
consider such extreme religious views dangerous and bad for
society.
True freedom of religion requires
Bush to fully embrace the value of all faiths represented
in the prison system. This
includes equal treatment and a full array of services for
Eastern religions, such as Buddhism and Hinduism, as well
as unorthodox faiths such as Wicca.
Perhaps the most disturbing
part of the new scheme is the potential for abusive favoritism,
religious coercion and additional punishment for nonbelievers.
The
governor has already made it clear that Lawtey is his pet
project.
This may send a signal or create the perception among inmates
that entering Bush's beloved experiment may be a ticket to
early release.
It is not a leap to see how
an inmate might think a parole board may be more sympathetic
to Bible-believing inmates at Lawtey than they might be to
nonbelievers at traditional state prisons.
This may coerce some inmates
to fake conversions to receive systematic advantages.Others
who remain true to their unpopular faith, or proudly profess
no faith, may receive harsher treatment by the Florida correctional
system.
While Bush says each inmate
has a "choice" in whether to participate in a faith-based
program, the only choice inmates may truly face is conforming
or confronting the consequences of not converting.
I doubt that Bush wants the
emergence of a theocratic prison system that gives early release
to prisoners in faith-based programs. However,
a paradigm such as this can easily spin out of control.
Prison officials know the governor
has placed a lot of political capital into this program.
"Wouldn't it be nice if
we could figure out a way to lower that 38 percent (recidivism
rate) closer to zero percent, for your family and your community?"
asked Bush during his speech announcing the new faith-based
prison.
Although he has no solid evidence,
Bush clearly believes repeat offenders would nearly vanish
if inmates found religion. This
attitude of religious favoritism will surely filter its way
down the correctional food chain, as employees of the governor
will work to please him.
Sadly, the most likely people
to be abused by this inchoate religious pecking order are
those least likely to complain. How
apt is a gay, Jewish or atheist inmate to object to religious
persecution when such a minority prisoner might have to face
the wrath of angry prison officials or zealous inmates? And
what incentive does a virtually powerless inmate have in challenging
a favored policy of a powerful governor?
In fact, the first evidence
of faith-based intimidation has already occurred.
In a Miami Herald article announcing the new program, Lawtey
inmate Bryan Lemaster was asked about inmates who want to
stay at Lawtey without taking part in religious programs.
"They'll get weeded out,"
said Lemaster. "When that gets taken care of I think
it will be pretty good."
One does not have to watch HBO's
"Oz" to realize what "weeding out" might
imply in a prison setting.
The governor's shortsighted
new program is likely to fail because it is almost certain
to lead to gross inequities, religious partiality and doctrinal
discrimination.
Supreme
Court to Consider Prisoners' Religious Rights
By Lauren Etter -
Religion News Service (no longer available and date
of posting unknown)
Washington - The right of prisoners to practice unusual religions
behind bars will be at stake when the Supreme Court hears
arguments Monday (March 21) about the constitutionality of
a federal law.
A Satanist, a Wiccan, an Asatru
follower and a member of the Church of Jesus Christ Christian
say prison guards refuse to give them access to religion-specific
books and ceremonial items. The inmates, in a suit against
the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction, say
that this violates their rights guaranteed by the Religious
Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act. The act makes
it illegal to impose burdens on prisoners who want to practice
their religion.
"There has been a tendency in Ohio to accommodate mainstream
religious exercise and pay much less attention to the religious
beliefs of non-mainstream religions," said David Goldberger,
lead attorney who will argue before the court for the Ohio
inmates.
But Ohio prison officials say that RLUIPA should be invalidated,
arguing that it amounts to an unconstitutional advancement
of religion in state institutions because it "gives prisoners
who clothe their demands in religious garb a benefit unavailable
to other prisoners."
They also contend that religions like Satanism and Asatru
don't deserve recognition because they advocate violence.
Accommodating them is dangerous, they say, and could shatter
law and order in prison by infusing prison life with violence
and exacerbating the already violent dispositions of prisoners
who may be involved in gang activity.
"RLUIPA gives prisoners a powerful weapon ... the right
to use religious demands ... to force state prison officials
to change the way they manage prisons," said the Ohio
legal brief.
But Goldberger said non-mainstream worshippers are hardly
asking prisons to disavow all rules and regulations.
"Not every whim of someone based on their religious belief
will be accommodated," Goldberger said. He added that
"the security interest can be accommodated at the same
time that religious exercise is accommodated."
Proponents of RLUIPA say the issue is about freedom of religion.
"You don't lose your constitutional rights just because
you're in prison," said Pierre C. Davis, archpriest and
founder of the Aquarian Tabernacle
Church, a Wiccan church in Index, Wash., that has prison ministries
nationwide.
Davis said religions like Wicca have been misunderstood. "Prison
staff seem to think that Wiccans and Pagans are some sort
of demon worshippers," he said.
Paul Rogers, president of the American Correctional Chaplains
Association, said that developing a sense of spirituality
and responsibility toward a higher power is key to reducing
the rate of recidivism and helping inmates transition back
into society after their release.
"Religious experience certainly makes for better citizens
and aids in reintegration," Rogers said.
In addition, he said, those who worry about violence associated
with non-mainstream religions are overly fearful and should
rely on the chaplains to do their jobs.
"As a professional chaplain," Rogers said, "they're
going to know who these people are and if a gang member is
going to try to infiltrate a group whether it's a Catholic
group, a Pagan group or a Buddhist group."
"Prison staff seem to think that Wiccans and Pagans are
some sort of demon worshippers," he said.
Paul Rogers, president of the American Correctional Chaplains
Association, said that developing a sense of spirituality
and responsibility toward a higher power is key to reducing
the rate of recidivism and helping inmates transition back
into society after their release.
"Religious experience certainly makes for better citizens
and aids in reintegration," Rogers said.
In addition, he said, those who worry about violence associated
with non-mainstream religions are overly fearful and should
rely on the chaplains to do their jobs.
"As a professional chaplain," Rogers said, "they're
going to know who these people are and if a gang member is
going to try to infiltrate a group whether it's a Catholic
group, a Pagan group or a Buddhist group."
'Faith-based'
prison debuts at Lawtey -
posted
Dec 7, 2003 (source lost)
All inmates required to join church
programs
GAINESVILLE - Lawtey Correctional
Institution was named by Gov. Jeb Bush
Friday to become the first U.S. prison to be designated a
faith-based program.
Faith-based is a term used by
federal officials to define church and other faith and community
based organizations that are involved - usually as volunteers
- to help other Americans in need.
Beginning later this month, inmates
who volunteer to be transferred to
the rural prison north of Starke must be willing to participate
in self-improvement programs
offered by volunteers from local churches and
community organizations.
Bush's announcement about converting
Lawtey into a faith-based prison was
made during a White House conference on faith-based efforts.
The details came from the Florida
Department of Corrections, which has been operating faith-based
dormitories inside 10 state prisons since being directed to
do so by the 1999 state Legislature.
"I don't have any statistics on
recidivism but there have been some national
studies that found that faith-based programs do reduce recidivism,"
said department spokesman Sterling Ivey.
State officials said a variety
of the 120 religions recognized by the prison system are already
represented in the existing faith-based dormitories.
Prison records show 33 percent of inmates statewide identify
themselves as Baptist, 14 percent are members of other Christian
faiths, 13 percent are Roman Catholic, 3 percent are Muslim,
less than 1 percent are Jewish, Wiccan, Native American or
of another religious faith
and the religious preference of 6 percent is unknown.
"This prison will be open to those
of all faiths and those of no faith,"
Ivey said. But,
he concluded, "to be successful as a prisoner at
Lawtey you have to participate in programs."
Inmates assigned to Lawtey will
be given about the same daytime assignments
as inmates in other institutions, such as participating on
work squads. However,
their evenings will be spent working to improve
their lives by taking parenting classes or life skills courses
taught by volunteers from area churches and community groups.
To be considered for assignments
to Lawtey, inmates must be within three
years of their anticipated release date and have had no disciplinary
referral for at least a year. Prison
officials are considering
which inmates should be moved to Lawtey from lists of inmates
awaiting a transfer to a faith-based dormitory at other prisons.
Ivey said the program is not expected
to incur any additional costs.
Prison officials are predicting
the program may actually generate savings over the long term
because participants may not be as likely to return to prison.
"Our goal at Lawtey is provide
a smoother transition back into society,"
Ivey said. "What
we have found in our faith-based dormitories
is that we have fewer problems - people are in those dorms
because they want to be there to better their lives."
In a release issued by his staff
in Tallahassee, Bush was quoted as saying, "It is imperative
for government to work in close and careful coordination with
community and faith-based organizations because government
alone will never solve the problems tearing the fabric of
our society."
Bush's view and his plans for
the rural prison were challenged by two organizations, the
American Civil Liberties Union and Americans United For Separation
of Church and State.
Howard Simon, executive director
of America Civil Liberties Union of Florida, said the decision
to expand the faith-based approach from single dormitories
inside prisons to an entire prison is on the thin edge
of the constitution.
"This may be a good program and
a successful program, but that doesn't
mean it should be sponsored by government," Simon said.
"Under our constitutional system, there are some things that
can't be sponsored by government,
but our governor has a blind spot when
it comes to separation of church and state.
He is not hiding it. He
thinks it is permissible."
Simon predicted that the faith-based
prison program was one more step toward
a "major constitutional test" of where the state must stop
to maintain the federal
and state constitutional amendments to keep church
and state separated.
Americans United for Separation
of Church and State recently filed a suit in Iowa challenging
the constitutionality of a similar faith-based prison program,
according to the Rev. Barry Lynn, the group's executive director
who is also an attorney and an ordained United Church
of Christ minister.
"There are many of the same issues
as in Florida but the Iowa case is more
convoluted because it appears some special privileges are
being granted to inmates
willing to participate in what is really a 24-hour-a-day
Bible study and religious education program," Lynn said.
"States
are not supposed to be in the business of converting people
to any religion or to religion in general. This
sounds like a perfectly
bad example of government sanctioned religion."
Lawtey prison officials said they
expected the conversion to a faith-based
facility to be completed within a few weeks.
(KAREN VOYLES
writes for The Gainesville (Fla.) Sun)
[to our knowledge,
Pagan faiths are not included in this program]
Texas - Problems
for Asatruars and their access to the runes.
Asatru, often under the name
of Odinism, has been misused in prison and out by white supremacists
and anti-Semites.That
adds to problems that genuine, non-racist Asatruars face.
May
23, 2003 (no longer available)
Subject: Important
RE Heathen Prison Ministries
In HeathenRant@yahoogroups.com,
"Jordsvin" wrote:
Heilsa one and all,
Here is something that you may
wish to act on.It
is better that those who are behind bars get good information
about the Gods than poor information.This
group (the NPKA) seems to be doing that
Regardless of how you feel about those who come to the Gods
when in prison it is not right that those who truly want to
learn are not allowed access to the Runes.Misuse
of our holy symbols has a tragic history, but if we are to
reclaim our symbols we must not allow them to be classed as
signs of gang or hate.Please
consider the following letter and pass it to others if you
wish.
In Frith and Troth,
Scott
Forwarded Message:
Subj:
NPKA Bulletin
Date: 5/19/2003
Please be advised that we
are seeking assistance in a letter-writing campaign… aimed
at lobbying the Texas Department of Criminal Justice to desist
from continuing to ban the runes.Many
organizations are having their publications banned as a result
of TDCJ banning the runes.
Officials at TDCJ have banned
the runes, stating that they are gang-related and attached
to hate groups, used for "secret codes" and communications
between gang members.Such
simply is not the case.
As we all know, the runes are
ancient symbols of our faith, and form a vital portion thereof.
To
ban such an important part of one's religion would be similar
to telling a Christian he could no longer have access to a
Greek or Hebrew Concordance, or a Jew that he could no longer
read his Torah in the old language, or a Muslim that he could
not possess a dual-language Koran
In fact, we are curious if JRR Tolkien's books have been removed
from the libraries in Texas, too.[PPO
note – the reference is to the "Elvish" language,
based on old English and Norse, created and used by the author
in his books.]
We are not asking for anything
special, but for parity.Those
prisoners who are attempting to pursue the Tru faith of our
Holy Religion are not being allowed to do so, while others
of various faiths are
Parity is all we ask for, and several organizations have shown
a willingness to provide training for TDCJ staff.
This campaign is by no means our
first contact with TDCJ in regard to this matter, and as all
other informal attempts have failed, we are hopeful that a
small barrage of letters will get someone's attention.Below
is information for those to be targeted by the letter-writing
campaign.In
our research, we found that these folks may be our best bet
in firing this first shot:-
The nine-member Texas Board of Criminal Justice (TBCJ) is
appointed by the governor to oversee the Texas Department
of Criminal Justice (TDCJ)… The board members… are responsible
for hiring the executive director of the department and setting
rules and policies… TBCJ members also serve as the Board of
Trustees for the Windham School System within the Department
of Criminal Justice.In
this capacity, they are responsible for providing general
oversight and the hiring of the school system's superintendent.
Texas Board of Criminal Justice
P. O. Box 13084, Austin,
Texas 78711
(512) 475-3250 phone, (512)
305-9398 fax
SAMPLE
LETTER
Dear _________:
 I
am writing to protest the fact that the Texas Department of
Criminal Justice has banned the study and use of the Runes
for adherents of the holy faith known variously as Asatru,
Odinism and Wotanism.
I
am an adherent of this ancient faith, and must communicate
to you that the study and use of the runes is a vital part
of our living religion today, as it was for our ancestors.To
deny an adherent access to information regarding the runes,
as well as the runes themselves, is a violation of the law,
on several levels.The
United States Constitution guarantees such rights under the
first (Religious Freedoms) and fourteenth amendments (Equal
Protection under the law), as well as in the Bill of Rights.
Article
1, section 3a of the Texas State Constitution states: Equality
under the law shall not be denied or abridged because of sex,
race, color, creed, or national origin.This
amendment is self-operative.(Added
Nov. 7, 1972.) Article 1, section 6 of the Texas State Constitution
states: All men have a natural and indefeasible right to worship according
to the dictates of their own consciences.No
man shall be compelled to attend, erect or support any place
of worship, or to maintain any ministry against his consent.No
human authority ought, in any case whatever, to control or
interfere with the rights of conscience in matters of religion,
and no preference shall ever be given by law to any religious
society or mode of worship.But
it shall be the duty of the Legislature to pass such laws
as may be necessary to protect equally every religious denomination
in the peaceable enjoyment of its own mode of public worship.
Article
1, section 6 of the Texas State Constitution states: Every
person shall be at liberty to speak, write or publish his
opinions on any subject, being responsible for the abuse of
that privilege; and no law shall ever be passed curtailing
the liberty of speech or of the press.In
prosecutions for the publication of papers, investigating
the conduct of officers, or men in public capacity, or when
the matter published is proper for public information, the
truth thereof may be given in evidence.And
in all indictments for libels, the jury shall have the right
to determine the law and the facts, under the direction of
the court, as in other cases.
The
Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act was passed
by Congress on July 27, 2000 and signed into law by President
Clinton on September 22.It
provides federal remedies to protect the freedom of religious
assemblies and institutions to use their property to fulfill
their missions.It
also protects the religious rights of institutionalized persons.Aspects
of this ban on a vital part of our faith are included within
the body of this law.
To
state that a ban on the runes is because they can be used
as a code by prisoners is not a compelling reason, unless
other languages and symbols for other faiths are banned, too.
We
wonder if J.R.R.Tolkien's books (The Hobbit & Lord of
the Rings) have been banned and removed from prison libraries
as well as rejected by mailroom staff.These
books, as with many fantasy genre books, are full of runic
references, though not connected directly with our faith.
We
are also appalled that the home state of President Bush, who
has set an example and made a point of righting wrongs and
protecting rights on an international scope, would seem to
be rejecting such noble notions.
In
closing, I would like to mention that there are several local
and national volunteers and organizations which are willing
to offer TDCJ information, as well as free training in regard
to our faith and the runes, and that through informal attempts
to resolve this matter with TDCJ, such offers have been made.
I
thank you for your time and honest consideration.
Sincerely,
All we ask in this matter
is that each and every one of you take a few moments out to
send a letter to each of the people listed above.
Thank You,
John Post, Steersman, National
Prison Kindred Alliance
Colorado
– Possible end to all religious programs for prisoners
Here is another appeal for
help – this time it’s a threat to religion in prison, period.
June 2, 2003 - (no longer available)
These are the people from Temple
Of Universal Metaphysics Atc
as listed in Links
- Other Pagan Prison
Organizations)
Subject:
We need Action, Please!
Please read the whole posting,
and forward to other appropriate lists and individuals.
I am Martin Anthony.My
partner, Carridwen Brennan, and I conduct a Wiccan and Pagan
Prison Ministry Program, headquartered in Denver CO, although
we deal with the Federal Bureau of Prisons and prison systems
in other states as well.We
have been working with BoP since 1997 and the Colorado Department
of Corrections since 2000.We
became chaplains in CDOC in September of 2002.The
work we do matters; it helps offenders who desire the opportunity
to change their lives, and it presents Wicca and Paganism
as important and legitimate faiths to the institutions of
our society.
We recently found out that
the position of Religious Services Administrator for CDOC
is being eliminated, and that the holder of that position,
Mr. Lee Hendrix, will no longer be employed by the Department,
ostensibly due to budget cuts.People
who work in large organizations will understand that often,
when the decision to cut certain positions and people during
necessary staff reductions is made, there may be other agendas
that are governing the decision.We
believe that to be the case here.
We have noticed that there
is a strong anti-religion bias that exists within CDOC administration
(all the chaplaincy positions were terminated several years
ago and now the only chaplains are volunteers, not paid by
the state).It
particularly targets minority faiths, but all religions suffer
because of it.In
the three years we have known Mr. Hendrix, he has been a tireless
advocate for offenders of all faith groups, to be able to
exercise their religious freedoms to the fullest extent possible
within a corrections setting.He
has worked hard to achieve fair and reasonable policies, and
to achieve parity in the implementation of those policies.
There is still a long way to go, but things had been moving
in a positive direction.We
believe that the decision to eliminate his position and end
his employment is the first step by CDOC administration to
end the progress of religious programs, and to roll back the
religious freedoms of inmates, which have been hard won through
long years of concentrated and difficult struggle.If
Mr. Hendrix is not retained in his position, we believe it
will make it virtually impossible to continue our work, as
well as negatively impact the religious freedom of all inmates
in CDOC.
Before you decide that you
don't care about this, because criminals are beneath your
contempt, please let me say a few things.
There are over 400 declared
Wiccan offenders incarcerated in CDOC.We
have met and worked with many of them.Most
of them had not even heard about Wicca until they had committed
their offense and been incarcerated.Most
of them are deeply sincere about their faith (although mostly
ill-informed and untrained), and they truly desire a spiritual
connection to help them to change and transform their lives.If
you think back to when you first heard the Goddess call to
you, you may realize that many of us had reached a crisis
point in our lives before we listened to that call.
Religion and spirituality
are vital to the rehabilitation of offenders.
It has been said that if you give an inmate computer training,
you then have a criminal able to commit computer crime.In
order to truly rehabilitate offenders, we must awaken in them
a spiritual awareness and a sense of human connection.They
must be helped to change how they think about themselves and
others before they will change their behavior.Not
everyone will hear it, but the opportunity must be available
to those who seek it.
Rehabilitation is vital
to public safety.98%
of incarcerated felons will be released back to the community
at some time.They
will be living in your neighborhoods; they're living there
now.Prison
changes everyone who enters; staff, volunteers, visitors,
but especially inmates.If
we don't consciously work to make that change positive and
uplifting, the change *will be* negative.They
will come out worse.
What I am asking you to
do, in addition to forwarding this message to other appropriate
lists and individuals, is to send an e-mail to the two addresses
below, and if you agree, in your own words, say that religion
and religious programs are vital to the goal of Corrections,
and that the Religious Services Administrator for CDOC should
be retained.If
you are a Colorado taxpayer and voter, say that too.Please,
I want, I *need*, for these guys' inboxes to be flooded with
*thousands* of messages.
Thank you, and Goddess bless you.
Martin Anthony
joseph.ortiz@doc.state.co.us
A
‘Witch’ hunt in Waupun?Prison
chaplain says Wicca faith is misunderstood --
By Colleen Kottke -
posted
Oct.
24, 2002 (no longer available)
WAUPUN — As a
child, Jamyi Witch learned early that her chosen faith of
Wicca would attract many trials and tribulations her way.
Today, as a prison
chaplain and a mother of two, controversy continues to assail
her.
Most recently,
the Waupun Clergy Association passed a resolution banning
non-Christian clergy members from its membership, thereby
ousting Witch and fellow chaplain Imam Ronald Beyah, a Muslim
who ministers to inmates at Dodge Correctional Institution
in Waupun.
The vote has left
the clergy membership divided, with one group exploring the
need to establish a separate interfaith association that welcomes
clergy from all religions.
… in her professional
role as a counselor of inmates at Waupun Correctional Institution,
Witch assumes the role of an interfaith non-denominational
chaplain.When
word leaked out that Witch was being considered for the position,
legislators and other critics spoke out against the appointment.
…The Rev. Kenneth
Spence, associate pastor at Pella Lutheran Church in Waupun,
opposed the hiring of Witch
He also brought forth the resolution a week ago to ban Witch
and Beyah from the Waupun Clergy Association.
Spence said, "To
me there are only two worlds: the Christian world and the
non-Christian world."
"I have nothing
against them (Beyah and Witch) as persons, but it’s a matter
of principle," said Spence, who knew the issue was potentially
divisive.
|
