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| Volunteers Lighten Load for Prison Ministries |
| By Raleigh News |
| Published: 03/05/2003 |
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When last year's state budget cuts eliminated two dozen prison chaplain positions, some of North Raleigh's volunteer prison ministries became more important than ever. An interfaith Christian community from many churches -- including North Raleigh's Providence Baptist, Asbury United Methodist, Christ Baptist and Crossroads Fellowship -- works with female prisoners and former inmates. And a small group of men from the Islamic Center at 3020 Ligon St. ministers to the growing Muslim population in men's prisons as far away as Franklin County. '[The staff cut] has placed a great deal of burden on us, but we've been able to get through it,' said Chaplain Betty Brown at the N.C. Correctional Institute for Women on Bragg Street. 'Our responsibility is to facilitate all the different faith practices that are recognized by the Division of Prisons.' The initial loss of paid personnel left chaplains worrying whether they would have enough time to counsel all the inmates facing family crises from the outside -- spouses filing for divorce, children taken away and assets rapidly dwindling. At one time, Chaplain Bryan Chestnutt of Central Prison worked with a staff of five. Now it's down to two. To help ease the load, Chestnutt said he looks for volunteers from the outside, particularly those who can fulfill the needs of inmates who practice faiths other than Christianity. Jameel Abdul-Rasheed, who worships at the Islamic Center, regularly makes Central one of his three prison stops. He pays particular attention to inmates on death row. 'It's important to remember that people behind bars are still human, and there's a need for the type of volunteer work that we do,' said Abdul-Rasheed. Brown got some relief when the Correctional Institute for Women was able to hire an additional chaplain, bringing the staff up to two. There used to be three. Fortunately, Brown also has had some help from Linda Horton and other women of the North Raleigh-based Shepherd's Heart group, who teach Bible study at prison every Wednesday night. 'I've been working closely with Shepherd's Heart to maintain that program and keep them coming in,' Brown said. In addition to prison ministries, many church-based volunteers and donors are involved in transitional programs for ex-convicts. In 1991, members of the giant Providence Baptist Church on Glenwood Avenue put up seed money for the Beacon Haven Family Home at 417 S. Boylan Ave. The residence, run by the Raleigh Rescue Mission, provides a temporary home for women just out of prison. Volunteers from Asbury United Methodist Church on Creedmoor Road also pitched in at the beginning with renovation work to bring the building up to standard. Beacon Haven was inspired, in part, by Margie Gonzales, who was once brought to North Carolina on a $1 million bond as a drug dealer. She later became resident director at Beacon Haven and a beloved member of Providence Baptist. When she died of cancer last year, Providence covered funeral expenses and conducted the service. Elaine Funderburk is a member of Christ Baptist Church, a newborn offspring of Providence Baptist that meets in the HAAS Building on Newton Road. Funderburk has been active in prison ministries for years, and she helped get Beacon Haven off the ground when she was a member of Providence. Funderburk remembers Gonzales through bad times and good. 'She was trafficking drugs between North Carolina and Miami,' said Funderburk. 'She was arrested and brought to the prison here. When she was getting ready to get out, she told me she didn't have any place to go. She did not want to return to Miami and her old way of life, her old friends, because she knew she'd get back into the same kind of trouble she was in before. She really wanted to start a new life.' Other ex-convicts who want to start anew require a one-on-one relationship. Some, like Rebecca Forbes, are matched with a mentor from a local church, and their relationship continues after the inmate is freed. Forbes, 38, said that Christianity has turned her life around. After adopting the criminal enterprise of a then-boyfriend who was serving time for it, Forbes was convicted of manufacturing, possessing and selling marijuana in 2000. She served 26 months at three prisons, the last being the Raleigh Correctional Center for Women on State Street. With good behavior, she worked her way up to a level where she was allowed to leave the prison with community volunteer Anitra Todd, a Re/Max broker and North Raleigh resident who attends Christ Baptist. Todd would take Forbes on errands like shopping, and she later helped her find a house once she was released. Most importantly to Forbes, Todd helped connect her to a spiritual community. 'My relationship with God has pulled my family back together,' said Forbes, who has regained custody of her 12-year-old daughter. Todd said she hopes more people of faith will volunteer in prisons to help fill the void left by the budget cuts. And, like Abdul-Rasheed, she wants people on the outside to remember everyone's common humanity, even in light of the terrible things that some people do. Besides, Todd added, a prisoner's past doesn't matter to her if the prisoner is willing to change. 'I don't ask these people questions,' said Todd. 'I help them.' |
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