Prison ministry an ‘essential service,’ but services suffering

Catholic ministries finding ways to continue serving the isolated

For many inmates in B.C. correctional facilities, prison ministry “is a lifeline.” Unfortunately it’s a lifeline that’s now harder to access due to the COVID-19 outbreak.

Prison ministry volunteers are “basically an essential service,” says Bob Buckham, director of the prison ministry program for the Archdiocese of Vancouver. “Quite often the volunteers are the only people that come and visit these men and women.”

Since the pandemic, however, B.C. correctional institutions are closed to visitors, including volunteers and, in many cases, chaplains.

The Archdiocese of Vancouver’s prison ministry program coordinates more than 200 volunteers who visit 14 local federal and provincial prisons to pray, run faith study programs, deliver cheerful cards, and offer other encouragement and spiritual support to the incarcerated.

Buckham said the inmates rely on the volunteers’ visits, some as many as three times a week. If a volunteer misses a week, they notice.

“They quite often say to us it’s really important that they stay in touch with us because we give them a sense of hope and they know that we’re their support in any way we possibly can,” said Buckham.

Correctional institutions face major challenges in the wake of COVID-19. On April 2, health officials announced the first recorded case in a B.C. prison, at Okanagan Correctional Centre, the province’s largest jail.

B.C. Corrections has released 95 inmates deemed low-risk and non-violent from nine provincial jails in response to measures to help prevent the spread of the virus. But there are still about 1,800 people incarcerated in the province, and now they may be feeling even more isolated than before.

Buckham said his ministry is looking into other ways to reach out to the incarcerated besides personal visits, such as providing a phone line they can call. Current regulations prohibit them from making video calls.

Measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19 are also affecting the local branch of Circles of Support and Accountability, a ministry for released sex offenders.

COSA volunteers typically host weekly meetings with released offenders to keep them accountable and support them in securing jobs, housing, and other material needs. Coordinator Maureen Donegan said it’s been a challenge to continue this important work now that in-person meetings are not allowed.

“We are trying to stay connected,” she said. Many released offenders “are not allowed on the internet, so we are limited to group phone calls.”

Another ministry of the Archdiocese of Vancouver is also reporting new challenges in reaching out to vulnerable people. Deacon Dileep Athaide, chaplain to seafarers, said he’s been barred from visiting ships in Vancouver and Delta ports – which used to be his daily routine.

Federal regulations are not holding him back, but ship crews themselves are.

“They don’t want to risk picking up anything from shore” and “passing it on to other crew members in close quarters and not being able to treat the symptoms on the Pacific Ocean.”

Some cautious mask-wearing sailors will step off the boat to collect donated bread, rosaries, and prayer cards. Some will even shout a few greetings from a distance. But it’s a far cry from the ministry Deacon Athaide is accustomed to: distributing Communion, sharing a meal, offering spiritual support to crews away from home up to 10 months at a time, and offering rides to local shopping centres for SIM cards and other essentials.

“We’re erring on the side of caution,” he said, adding chaplains around the world are doing the same.

Some ship crews save his contact information and send him individual messages on WhatsApp or Facebook Messenger. “If they send me a message, I reply” with a prayer and a blessing, he said. 

“The greater precautions we take now hopefully will [lead to] a shorter period where we have to self-isolate.”

Meanwhile, Catholic ministries in Vancouver that serve meals and offer beds to the poor and homeless are busier than ever in these times. Read about their COVID-19 response here.