TORRES PRISON NEEDS A CHAPEL

The Reuben M. Torres unit of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice in Hondo needs a chapel. At present, worship  services are held in the gym, which is not available for other religious activities. The present chapel is 2 classrooms connected by folding doors, which seats a maximum of 75 inmates. Up to 125 inmates want to attend Wednesday Evening Prayer and Share groups (something like Emmaus reunion groups), but all who come after the first 75 are turned away. Once they are turned away, they get discouraged and tend not even to try again. The chaplain’s office is about 9’ by 9’ with a religious library half that size.

Even with these handicaps, the religious program reaches about 3,500 inmate attending worship services each month, and over 560 participating in religious education programs,  helped by about over 600 volunteer hours a month. There is a faith-based dorm (the God Pod) in which inmates take the leadership in training new Christians about faith and how to live as a Christian. One of the teachers was due for parole last summer, but he asked that parole be delayed until he could finish his responsibilities as a teacher. At the end of each term, some of the graduates are kept on as counselors in the God Pod, while others are sent into the general population to be examples. One gang leader got into the dorm so he could cause problems. The result was that he threw down his colors, and is now a leader of the Christian community. He can hardly wait to share with everybody how much fun it is to be a follower of Christ.

Why is it so important that inmates receive religious services?  95% of prisoners will be released back into the community. About 65%  will be back in prison within two years. However, if they are active in religious programs while they are in prison, the recidivism rate drops to under 15%. For those active in the Kairos Prison Ministry, the rate drops to under 5%. Since each prisoner costs the state of Texas about $30,000 a year, chapel programs save Texas quite a large chunk of money. Besides, graduates of the religious programs come out prepared to be productive, tax-paying citizens.

A group of volunteers at the prison have incorporated as Chapel of God’s Country Ministries. Inc. (a 501C3 corporation) with the sole purpose of building a chapel for the Torres unit that will seat at least 350 persons. We have permission to build the chapel from the prison officials, and a location already staked out. We need your help in getting it built. All contributions may be sent to: Chapel of God’s Country Ministries, inc. P.O. Box 325, Hondo, TX 78861.

Several of us would like to get the message out about this programs and this need. We would be glad to come speak to any church group (Sunday School class, Men’s group, Women’s group, MYF, etc. You may contact us as follows:

Rev. Kent Kepler (Utopia) 830-966-3344, 830-279-7028(cell) klk.vsk@swtexas.net.

Rev. Tom Damrow (San Antonio) 210-490-8375 tadamrow@yahoo.com.

John Estes (San Antonio) 210-841-1927  estes-john@abcglobal.net

John Kennell (San Antonio) 210-273-4051 jpkennell@prodiiiiiigy.net.

Louis Esquivel (San Antonio) 210-296-1242

Wilbur Lehmberg (Hondo) 830-426-3453

Scruggs Love  (Hondo) 830-426-4866, 830-426 1167 (cell)  scruggslove@ aol.com.