DannyBoyinExile

During my TDCJ residency, I’ve never spent much time in the chapel. I’m around enough bad influences on the wing! (just kidding) When I HAVE gone, and seen so many guys making themselves conspicuous – who act totally different on their wings – I’m reminded of the wisdom Jesus shared in the Bible: When you’re ready to pray, do it in PRIVATE, without making a spectacle of yourself.
Some inmates consider themselves to be practically indispensable to the Church hierarchy (and many of them have never seen a camera or microphone they didn’t like!), so I prefer to stay out of their way, and let them have full control – otherwise they’d probably just yank it away from me anyway, which wouldn’t end well for either of us. (Amen!)
Sadly, there will always be people who only become a part of any religious community because of the benefits they hope to receive. Others are sincere enough in their beliefs – but aren’t averse to accepting any blessings that may come their way. Between the two of them, they recently cajoled our poor chaplain into bringing them so much stuff that it’s estimated that it wouldn’t even have fit inside his office, if you added it all up! I don’t know what to say to that, except maybe, “Hallelujah!” (just kidding)
These good Christians were certainly living the good life, here in prison. The Lord provided them with a way to receive free-world soap, toothpaste, and shampoo. Bottles of cologne. Watches, necklaces, and pairs of shoes. Even property papers, deeming said items to be legitimate.
They even had free-world food brought in, whereby they could have private (practically catered!) meals together in the chapel – all totally unapproved by the administration, of course. (I mean, they may have prayed about it, but they didn’t get any approval HERE.)
As so often happens in prison, the wrong person was eventually excluded, so he went and told on everything. A huge investigation ensued, searches were made, and huge amounts of contraband were discovered. The most charitable thing I can say is that at least no drugs or tobacco were involved. They preferred more worldly goods, such as food, jewelry, shoes, and hygiene items.
Needless to say, we no longer have the same chaplains here on the Wynne Unit. The head chaplain (as well as the Catholic one) are hopefully praying for forgiveness and promising repentance – but they won’t be doing it while working for TDCJ.
Several inmate workers with fancy titles such as Field Ministers or Life Coaches were also fired (and one was even transferred off the unit), and the rest were given a thorough ass-chewing. Those who weren’t personally involved KNEW what was going on (and shared in the benefits!), yet none of them said anything about it (except for the guy who told on everything!) – so they had no choice but to accept it. They were free to hand in their special IDs and lose their jobs, of course. But also of course, nobody with any sense of status or authority over anyone else is likely to give it up. (Especially an inmate!)
So now we have a new chaplain, with the unenviable task of making things as good as he can for the good Christians of Wynne Unit – but not TOO good. As long as he stays within the bounds of TDCJ policy, and at least gets approval for the ways he’d like to help us out, he’ll do just fine.
As for me, I’ll stay away from the chapel, as I’ve been doing – and pray in the privacy of my own cell, when the need arises. I may miss out on some fancy scented soaps or shampoos, but I’ll also miss out on all the drama and trouble that ensues – and that’s not a bad thing. So says DannyBoy.