Vermont Conference UCC
Prison Ministry Group
The Vermont Conference
Prison Justice Group
Under the umbrella of the Department of Mission, we had our start in the fall of 2005. The first year was one of discernment, as we realized just how huge and complex the issue is. We heard speakers - Alan Taplow, a Friend who has been involved in prison justice for years and who shared with us about the Alternatives to Violence program, and Paul Wright, who publishes Prison Legal News (see related article); and we visited with the Corrections Commissioner and with the Director of the Barre Justice Center. We had supper at Dismas House in Rutland and a couple of us attended the annual conference of "The Church at Prison".
Gradually, we have begun to focus on two or three aspects of this many-faceted issue, and have, as well, expanded our membership. As of this spring, those regularly involved include Mary Lou DeCosta, Skip Dickinson, Betty Edson, Will Hunter, Alice McDonald, Alan Perkins and Jeanne Zammataro. We are always open to new members, so if you have an interest, please be in touch with us! We meet monthly, usually on a Tuesday morning or afternoon, in Rutland, Randolph, or Springfield.
This webpage is one of our efforts. We hope it will provide easy access to information about corrections.
Advocacy is becoming, increasingly, a focus. Will Hunter and Jeanne Zammataro, both with legal experience, are alerting us to opportunities to advocate, where appropriate, for more justice in the prison system.
Attracting volunteers is the third cornerstone. We have held two prison volunteer awareness events in the past year, and hope to hold others. These are designed to provide information to people who may be interested in volunteering in jails and to allay any fears, through a tour of a correctional facility near where those attending live. We also try to let people know about other volunteer opportunities that may not take place in a correctional facility, but are "on the correctional spectrum" - such as Court Diversion, Circles of Support, Dismas House, and Parole Boards.
The theological basis for our efforts is found in the parable in Matthew 25:
"When, Lord, did we ever see you sick or in prison, and visit you?" "Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me."