It's been a while but here I am. Life has been full of transitions here lately from grad school, to no job, to almost having a job, to not getting that job, to having a job, and to having a better job in my field. And that's what I want to talk about today.
My new job is at an all male medium/maximum security prison. Soon I will be one of the night social workers but for now I have been training on day shifts for the last month. People ask me a myriad of questions about my career choice but these are the most frequent:
1. Why a men's prison?
2. Aren't you afraid?
3. What do you DO there?
4. Why do you want to work there?
So, I will use this platform to answer these questions for both you guys and myself.
WHY A MEN'S PRISON?
Well, the long and the short of it is that this is the door that God has opened for me to walk through. Since about March of this year, I have applied for 50 jobs easily. One job, that I thought was a door the Lord opened, abruptly closed and this door was the next wide open one. Out of the 40 applicants, 5 individuals were chosen for interviews and I was the one that was offered the position (sounds like a God set up to me!).
AREN'T YOU AFRAID?
At the start of last fall semester, when I realized I would be on an all male psych unit at my internship, I had great concerns. I don't know that I was ever out right afraid but I definitely dealt with some initial anxiety until I learned the guys on our unit. While our guys were mostly mentally stable, they still had committed major crimes and most had been found Not Guilty By Reason of Insanity.
So, to make the transition to the all men's prison, I had that same initial anxiety until I met some of the men on my caseload. And now, I'm not even anxious. I am alert and I am prepared but not afraid.
WHAT DO YOU DO THERE?
Each day looks a little different but there are several common tasks. Each inmate that has a mental health diagnosis must be seen once every two weeks by a social worker. I have a caseload of men that I meet with for one on one sessions. At this point I meet with them in the Diagnostic office but when I move to night shifts I will meet with them on the cell blocks and in the dorms. Additionally, I also help with the individuals put on suicide watch. We have to make rounds to see them and when an inmate indicates they will hurt themselves or others, we have to put them on suicide watch which essentially means that they have to be placed in special cells and checked regularly to ensure their safety. Of course, with any job, paperwork is involved so I do some of that and when my night schedule starts, I will lead a group and I will participate in night court for those offenders who have been written up. So this area will expand when I move to night shift.
WHY DO YOU WANT TO WORK THERE?
Perhaps my favorite question to be asked about my new place of employment is why I want to work in a prison. And my automatic response tends to be, "Why not?" When I look at the life of Jesus, He majored in the outcasts, the lepers, the people that others wrote off, the broken, the bruised, the scarred, the SINNERS. Jesus LOVES THE UNLOVELY! He looks for the hurting. He likes to find people to show forgiveness and grace too. He chooses ones that others will disregard. If that is who Jesus is drawn to, shouldn't that be who I am drawn too?
When I see these men sitting across from me in a counseling session, laying practically naked on the ground in their cell, walking across the yard or down the walk, I can't help but have compassion on them. Yes, some have stolen, some have molested, some have killed but is there sin any worse than mine? There is no such thing as venial and mortal sins...they are all God separating acts that keep us from the love of Christ. But repentance changes things. And while I may not have the capacity and the capability to reach each and every inmate in that prison, I know that the love of Christ is what will draw them to repentance. If I can show them respect and patience, if I can extend grace and keep no record of their wrongs, if I can instill hope and help them find peace, then I have done what God has called me to do. Yes, I am a social worker but I am a kingdom seeker too! And I can't help but see 2500 men with the potential to be transformed by Christ!
This is my calling for this season and I am thrilled about it! You may be petrified at even the thought of me walking inside a prison gate. But I ask you for your prayers. I need the wisdom of Christ each and every day to talk to/minister to these men. I got nothing on my own but I need to know when to be firm and assertive and when to be kind and accepting. Pray for even greater levels of compassion and that I will see each man as Jesus sees him. So if the Lord leads you, pray for me. And I pray that one day, maybe, you can see what I see!
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