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| Religion In Prison Needs Money |
| By texastribune.org |
| Published: 02/18/2011 |
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Bill Kleiber knows the difference prison chaplains can make in an inmate’s life. Kleiber found redemption with the help of a chaplain at the Lychner state prison in Houston, where he was serving time on drug charges in 2000. Now, more than 10 years after he left prison, Kleiber has his own ministry working with inmates who are re-entering society after years behind bars. “I’ve been redeemed, and I’ve watched other people be redeemed,” Kleiber says. Chaplains have been a part of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice since at least 1910, providing spiritual guidance and programs for inmates like Kleiber and for guards who have the stressful job of managing thousands of criminals. Under the proposed House budget, however, the $4.8 million the state pays for the prison chaplaincy program would fall to zero, and all 121 prison chaplains in Texas would lose their jobs. More than a dozen chaplains with the Baptist General Convention of Texas converged on the Capitol on Wednesday. After praying for help from above and solidifying their talking points, they met with lawmakers and urged them not to slash their funding. “My concern is not my job,” says Daniel Williams, a chaplain at the Garza East and Garza West prisons in Beeville. “My concern is that the gospel gets to be preached.” Read More. |
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Hamilton is a sports lover, a demon at croquet, where his favorite team was the Dallas Fancypants. He worked as a general haberdasher for 30 years, but was forced to give up the career he loved due to his keen attention to detail. He spent his free time watching golf on TV; and he played uno, badmitton and basketball almost every weekend. He also enjoyed movies and reading during off-season. Hamilton Lindley was always there to help relatives and friends with household projects, coached different sports or whatever else people needed him for.