The group kicked off this first meeting by considering what it means to be a chaplain in general and in correctional settings. When faced with a myriad of responsibilities to maintain the wellbeing of those incarcerated, administrators, and themselves, what are chaplain’s priorities be inside carceral facilities and how can they manage them?

1. Several people noted that chaplaincy is “a wild west profession,” that does not mandate particular training but requires facility with skills related to pastoral care, trauma-informed mental health support, theological inquiry, and congregational leadership.

   • One chaplain noted that the “lack of church culture” in his jail prompted him to encourage the men he worked with to engage in more personal reflections in lieu of large services, a shift which required him to block off more time for one-on-one conversations.

2. Each of the following activities (the first two secular and the latter denominational) were repeatedly mentioned as reliable, effective, and comforting in correctional settings.

   • Co-created spaces, in which those incarcerated have agency over deciding and organizing chaplaincy services that respond to their evolving needs. This can be accomplished through feedback forms or conversations about aspects of programming from preferred reading materials to the set up of the room.

   • Peace Circles, a Restorative Justice practice that can begin with the leader bringing in a quote, art, photography, or music meant to stimulate conversation and reflection. One group member who regularly serves as a Peace Circle leader stressed that prisons and jails are purposefully monotone and somber, which makes it important to bring in exciting sensory objects that vary in their color, sound, texture, etc.

   • Rituals that evoke seasonality or mark the passage of time, used to connect with the environment and communities beyond the facility. Incarceration, as the entire group agreed, is an intentionally isolating experience;

3. In addition to caring for the incarcerated population, each chaplain stressed that correctional officers (COs) and administrators also required care and attention.

   • One group member often reminded COs that he was there to help them, too, which not only provided care to the officers but also eased the chaplain’s management of administrative requests and navigation of security-based policies for bringing in outside materials and conducting activities. The group all agreed that chaplains would benefit from specific trainings about how to best interact with COs and administrators who may be wary of religious services.