THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, January 14, 1995 TAG: 9501140007
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A10 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Letter
LENGTH: Medium: 53 lines
Your poorly researched front-page story about the Norfolk jail turning down the Salvation Army Christmas gifts for inmates erroneously credited the ``Norfolk jail chaplain'' with saying: ``Inmates were in jail for doing wrong, and they didn't need any Christmas gifts.''
Your ``clarification'' a few days later still credited the remarks to ``a chaplain,'' again erroneously.
These errors have done harm to the Norfolk jail chaplain's program both in the jail and in the community. Many inmates have verbally accosted me about my supposed remarks. More important, untold damage has been done to the reputation of the Norfolk jail chaplaincy as far as credible relationship with the churches and community of Norfolk, from which my support must come. No jail chaplain would make the statements credited in your article.
Norfolk has one jail chaplain right now, and that's me. I never talked to the Salvation Army, as you stated.
The jail chaplain's financial support must come from donations from the churches, people and businesses of the community. Otherwise, the chaplain ceases to exist, as in the 10 years before Sheriff Robert McCabe.
Government funds cannot be used in Virginia to pay a jail (or prison) chaplain. In Norfolk, we are just beginning to develop support.
I haven't received a single dollar of salary since starting last January. Donations that have come in have been used for ministry needs. We need financial support not only to support me a little, but to bring one or even two additional chaplains into the Norfolk jail with its 1,400 inmates. For comparison, Virginia Beach has two full-time chaplains for about 850 inmates.
The religious programs in jails and prisons are the most effective recidivism reduction efforts we have. We can teach criminals to read and write. We can teach them skills. These help. But they don't change the heart of the person. So we now have educated, skilled criminals.
Only God can change a person from being a criminal to being a law-abiding, rehabilitated citizen. Those of us involved in jail and prison ministry know this and are doing our best to introduce inmates to the living God. We need support in prayers, volunteers, after-care and, especially, financially. Your article, the clarification and subsequent letters to the editor have given us a setback in obtaining that vital support.
VAUGHN E. WILSON
Chaplain
Norfolk City Jail
Norfolk, Jan. 3, 1995 by CNB