Studies show that inmates who participate in faith and values-based programs are 50% less likely to be rearrested and 60% less likely to be reincarcerated when compared to other inmates. HeartBound Ministries funds and equips Georgia prison chaplains and provides resources to help chaplains meet the spiritual and physical needs of the prison community --correctional staff, inmates and their famili
es. Despite the documented difference chaplains make, their impact has been seriously reduced in the last decade by a decrease in funding and a resulting loss of hours for many of Georgia's prison chaplains. The following is a brief summary of prison chaplaincy in Georgia:
• Currently, the State of Georgia employs 16 full-time and 2 part-time Christian prison chaplains for 31 prisons. Through grants, HeartBound is funding six part-time and one full-time chaplain.
• With 25 chaplains charged with serving approximately 55,000 inmates (that is a 1 to 2,200 ratio), Georgia's prison chaplains are severely limited in their capacity to make a difference.
• The recidivism rate for the Georgia Department of Corrections’ Faith and Character Based Program (FCBP), which is run by full-time chaplains, is 40% -- 30% less than the national rate of 70%. The success of this program has led the Department of Corrections to expand it to six Georgia prisons. Recognizing the importance of prison chaplains, HeartBound’s objective is to provide funding for chaplaincy positions and advocate for the reinstatement of full-time chaplains in every Georgia prison. Prison chaplains address a critical need in our state – the need for rehabilitative and reentry services for adult and juvenile offenders - and offer an effective antidote to the high recidivism rate, not only in Georgia, but across the nation.
