Religious Rights for Prison Inmates

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wllmjoseph

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I perform Catholic Ministry at Alexander Correctional Institution in Taylorsville, NC. I currently serve on the Diocese of Charlotte Prison Ministry Steering Committee. The Catholic population continues to grow and as a result, there is a population of Catholic Inmates in most of the prisons throughout the western part of North Carolina. Our objective is to create a Catholic presence in all prison facilities in western North Carolina where the Catholic inmates will be able to attend Mass, receive the Sacraments, and have Bible study / religious education.
It would be helpful for us to know what the rights are of inmates to be able to have access to the Mass, Sacraments, and religious education. We would like to speak with an individual or organization to have a better understanding of the law to provide the Catholic inmates with the spiritual food they need.
 
I think you should call the department of corrections in your state. Inmates do not retain all of their constitutionally guaranteed rights while incarcerated and what they are permitted to do may vary by state, as they are in state prisons.

They will likely be able to do all the things you listed but I assume it would be at the discretion of the prison, not the inmates. One example I can think of is if the jail is short staffed, they don’t run “programs” that day, as it requires more correctional officers to monitor inmates that break off into different groups.
 
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Perhaps someone at the prison would know what is actually allowed, or otherwise, a lawyer might be able to help you. Ask the priest or secretary at your parish if they know a lawyer in your parish that might be willing to look into it for you.
 
I would like to speak with an objective source. In this time of moral relativism and an increasingly secular culture there are members of the Department of Corrections that are not receptive to religious liberties.
 
Many of these facilities have not had a Catholic presence beyond Mass being celebrated once a month. We have reached out to other individuals who have had some interaction with prison ministry. They were not able to suggest who we would contact for more information. Speaking with a lawyer would be beneficial but it would need to be a lawyer who would have some understanding of state law regarding the religious liberties on inmates.
 
If they don’t know, they surely can look it up. They would know where to find the answer for you.
 
You may not want to give so many identifying details.

You might get doxxed.
 
This is a matter of civil law. Not canonical law. The priests that celebrate Mass at these facilities are pastors in their own parishes. Their interaction with these facilities and protocols is limited.
 
That is why I said ask a lawyer. I said to ask a priest for a parishioner that is a lawyer because perhaps they would offer you some free advice or counsel. I said nothing about canon law.

Honestly, you have shot down every suggestion anyone has made so far. I don’t understand what you hoped to find here.

So go pay a lawyer and get the answers you are looking for.
 
I think you got your answer in the second post…ZemD has it right. For instance, I have heard that you can not give them laminated Holy Cards. Best to call the prison officials to find out for sure.
 
If you are looking for what is actually allowed right now at the prison, call the prison.

If you are looking for legal advice on what you are permitted to do at the prison, I would suggest you first call your diocese, who may be able to direct you to persons with knowledge of Catholic prison ministry in your state. You might also check with the pro bono lawyers organization in your area to see if one of the lawyers who handles criminal justice pro bono could give you legal advice on this.

With respect to Bible study and services, I would suggest also reaching out to Protestant ministers in your area doing prison ministry. I’m sure there has to be some, and they are likely already conducting Protestant bible study and services. They could likely give you their experiences of what is typically allowed and any special arrangements they had to make.
 
Maybe Dismas Ministry can help or offer advice


They may or may not know the specifics of the prison where you are serving, but they certainly have experience dealing with other prisons and could likely steer you in the right direction.

God bless you for helping the incarcerated, too often forgotten!
 
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