A privilege and a great honour
- deansimpson7
- Jun 19
- 4 min read
BY MAJOR DAVID SIMPKIN – PRISON CHAPLAIN AT JUNEE CORRECTIONAL FACILITY
After working in various churches for 24 years, I was asked if I would be interested in becoming a prison chaplain. I had never really considered working full-time in prisons, although I had been a part-time prison chaplain in a previous role.
At first, it was frustrating because I had to wait four to six weeks for my prison pass to arrive, which seemed to take forever. Then once my pass was approved, things moved very quickly. I went to four different prisons in one week with the Prison Chaplain Coordinator.
I remember going to one of these prisons and the manager saying, “Thank you for coming. Prisoner X has his wife in hospital dying and is not sure what is happening to the children. He is driving other inmates crazy. Would you talk with him?” I said to the coordinator that he could take this one, and I would watch him. He bluntly said, “No, you’re taking this one.”
What do you say? What do you do? In the church, I would take the man in my car to see his wife, but I couldn’t do this. I soon realised that chaplaincy is about listening, walking with people, and being a support to them. As someone has said, being trusted to hold somebody else’s story.
A rewarding journey
Within a few weeks, I discovered that I enjoyed going into prisons. It was almost like my calling to the grassroots of society was being fulfilled.
It wasn’t a chore; it was a privilege to sit and journey with these men. One thing I discovered was that these guys loved and valued their chaplain. There is such a thing as a prison persona, which inmates have for their own protection, but when they sit in front of a chaplain, they pour their hearts out and become very open and vulnerable.
The other thing I discovered was that many people were at rock bottom and were searching for a different way of life. They were receptive to the Christian message, embracing forgiveness and a new beginning.
“Chaplaincy is about listening, walking with people, and being a support to them.”
I held this role for seven years, and most of it was personally rewarding. I moved into a community chaplaincy role for about 18 months and then was asked if my wife and I would be interested in chaplaincy at Junee Correctional Centre, near Wagga Wagga, NSW. A private prison had approached The Salvation Army requesting three full-time chaplains to assist in the prison.
In many ways, this experience differed from the first, as we were based at a single prison, allowing us to build relationships with the staff and journey more closely with the inmates, and sometimes their families. This involved more intimate relationships and an opportunity to show the love of Jesus. The difficulty is that with more intimate relationships comes greater accountability. More eyes are on you, watching to make sure you are genuine and sincere – the real thing.
Growing personal relationships
One of the programs I love is The Salvation Army’s Positive Lifestyle Program. This is an eight-session program designed to help individuals re-evaluate their lives. Those eight sessions give the opportunity for mentoring. The facilitator gets to know a person’s background and life, and the sad thing is that many times, the inmate has never had someone who has taken a personal interest in them. I have seen lives transformed by this simple program. It is a privilege to be a part of this.
As a chaplain, I lead worship services, run Bible studies, and facilitate other groups like Kairos, Prison Fellowship and Crossroads Bible Studies. I help people with clothing on release and offer pastoral care.
It’s an honour to be part of The Salvation Army Christmas Cheer program. Every prisoner in the country gets a Christmas pack. Some of the prisoners don’t get any recognition from their families at Christmas time. Just seeing the gratitude and appreciation on their faces is worth the effort, as someone has taken the time to think about them.
One of the greatest joys in this ministry is when we can link inmates to Salvation Army services on the outside. For various reasons, this does not happen often, but when it does, it is exciting to see the possibilities.
We had one person who was concerned about his father. We contacted the corps officer, and he visited this gentleman, assisted him with the original issue, and then referred him to a community lunch and seniors program within the corps (church) and community.
I have found great satisfaction in the work I do and the people I meet. The challenge is always presenting the love of Jesus in a way that is relevant and understandable. It is a ministry where we interact with people we wouldn’t normally associate with, and present Jesus to them. What a privilege and great honour.
More information on prison chaplaincy Salvation Army prison chaplains are available at correctional centres throughout Australia and are part of a multi-faith chaplaincy team. Where a Salvation Army Chaplain is not operating in a particular prison, a referral will be passed on to another member of the chaplaincy team. Chaplains provide a range of support to people in prison, such as:
· One-on-one support – emotional, spiritual and pastoral
· Regular visits
· Chapel services
· Bible studies (not available in every prison)
· Referrals to other agencies in preparation for release
For more information, click here
