Jail Chaplain Program
Providing humane, compassionate and nonjudgmental counseling and religious services for persons incarcerated in Milwaukee County Correctional Facilities.The Interfaith Jail Chaplain Program sustains a religious presence in the jail, bringing spiritual support, pastoral services and ministry to imprisoned men, women and youth of all faiths. Jail Chaplain Catherine Sidney facilitates the participation of volunteers and clergy in the jail ministry, arranges religious services and responds to many of the 900 inmates’ requests for counsel, prayer and religious study.
Last year, the jail chaplain program ministered directly to about 2,500 inmates and families. The chaplain connects with the families and pastors in the community and offers the community deeper awareness and understanding of the human side of the criminal justice system.
Programs and activities facilitated by the Jail Chaplain Program include:
- Religious services, Bible study and other religious classes offered on an individual and group basis
- Individual and family counseling to help inmates struggling with personal issues
- The Jail Visiting Program, which consists of volunteers who visit inmates who would otherwise have no visitors come to see them while in jail
- The Jail Book Club, offering weekly fiction and non-fiction reading, discussion and reflection of readings
The chaplain seeks volunteers of all faiths who have:
- Excellent listening skills
- Ability to be nonjudgmental
- Respect for inmate confidentiality
- Willingness to work in a maximum security environment
- Ability to make a regular weekly, biweekly or monthly commitment for one year
Prospective volunteers must submit an application to the inmate program coordinator. All volunteers must successfully complete a background check by the Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Department and participate in a Jail Orientation Program.
