Description
The faith factor has been identified as both a significant variable in positive inmate adjustment and a potential remedy for recidivism. At the same time, very little has been written about the primary facilitator of religious services inside our nation’s jails and prisons—the chaplain. In Correctional Chaplains: Keepers of the Cloak, Dr. Thomas Beckner has provided a comprehensive perspective of this vital profession. This book will familiarize the reader with the work of chaplaincy in contemporary correctional settings and offer a functional model that incorporates a wide range of job roles within an enduring paradigm and to suggest a template for ministry within any correctional setting.
Dr. W. Thomas Beckner is a recognized authority on correctional chaplaincy, having served in a variety of roles in the criminal justice arena over the past 35 years. He has served in jail and prison chaplaincy, non-profit prison ministry, chaplaincy placement & supervision, and as a consultant to several state and county agencies. Dr. Beckner has pioneered educational programming for correctional ministries—for community-based non-profit organizations as well as college certificate programs—and has been both a department head and graduate coordinator for criminal justice degree programs at two universities.
