You Can Change the Life of a Person in Prison
The Joan Chittister Fund for Prisoners was initiated in 2006 in response to numerous requests for spiritual materials from prison chaplains and individual prisoners. Each year over $60,000 worth of FREE publications by Sister Joan Chittister are sent to prison chaplains and volunteers ministering in 90 prisons across the United States. The Fund is in close contact with this network of chaplains who personally distribute the materials received. Individual requests from those in prison are also honored.
The Fund is especially intent on getting the monthly publication, The Monastic Way by Joan Chittister, into the prisons because chaplains find this interfaith resource ideal for personal and group reflection.
More than two million U.S. adults are currently in prison.
That's nearly 1% of the entire U.S. population — almost one in every 100 of us — who will spend our lives behind bars. Thanks to your efforts, the Joan Chittister Fund for Prisoners is the only help toward a meaningful life that many of these prisoners ever receive.
Your gift will impact the lives of those in prison through:
- Free Spiritual Materials
- Forming Spiritual Communities
Testimonials
"A couple of years ago, I was arrested and sent to jail. I was attending an educational group and was blessed to find a “Joan Chittister Journal." I read it from front to back and also used it for my personal journal. It helped me get a peace of mind and a better understanding about myself and life. I want to personally thank you for putting it together and making it available for society. I was released from prison in May, to a rehab center…. I will be here for at least a year. I would very much appreciate it if you could send me some copies of your journal. We have groups 5 days a week and I would like to share your work with other clients in the facility. I don’t know how much the journals cost, but I am willing to pay so I can share with others."
—AP
"On Christmas morning, I was able to place a calendar in the hands of every inmate who attended Christmas services. I asked them to close their eyes and consider how they might bless one another during Christmas week, and as they were reflecting, I placed a calendar in their hands. You cannot imagine the pure joy when they opened their eyes and beheld the blessing that had come to them!"
—SR, Prison Chaplain
"I received The Monastic Way from the chaplain of the prison where I am incarcerated. It was very thought provoking and uplifting. I am trying to use this time to grow spiritually and found your publication very enlightening."
—Hannah