Articles
Prison Ministry
The Office of Jail and Prison Ministry of the Diocese of Camden functions as a reflection of the Church’s Social Justice Teaching, particularly as it applies to the Criminal Justice System. The principal approach of the Office’s activities are the principles of Restorative (as opposed to Retributive) Justice
The Office serves as a resource for the parishes and faithful of the Diocese of Camden, providing information and ministry opportunities for clergy and laypersons in the correctional institutions of the Diocese. Specific goals of the Office include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Direct pastoral and sacramental ministry to incarcerated men and women;
- Education the parishioners of the Diocese about the nature of incarceration as well as the needs of prisoners and their families;
- Recruiting and training clergy and lay contract and volunteer ministers;
- Advocating for the rights of the incarcerated, especially those on death row, and their families;
- Lobbying with civic and community leaders for a more just and humane correctional system, emphasizing the abolition of capital punishment;
- Establishing and maintaining a halfway house for ex-offenders;
- Establishing and maintaining a hospitality center for prisoners’ visitors, especially those who travel significant distances.
