Working with prison inmates a unique experience fo

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    By CHRIS ONSTOTT

    Three unique branches of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Draper strive to live the gospel in a place where it would seem the odds are stacked against them.

    To help these members beat the odds, a bishop instead of a branch president leads each branch, and six counselors serve in the bishopric. The leaders assume the responsibility of holding several worship services every Sunday and have the second most productive family history center in the United States.

    What makes the branches so different is that the members are currently inmates at the Utah State Penitentiary.

    On any Sunday, about 10 percent of the total prison population attends LDS meetings, said David Albrecht, bishop of the Oker Northpoint Branch.

    “About 40 percent of members in the prison are active in church services,” Albrecht said.

    Because there is no sacrament service, inmates refer to the meetings as worship services. They give talks, lead the singing, say prayers and participate in the services just like any LDS member, except they do not have the priesthood or leadership callings, Albrecht said.

    “The first Sunday that we went out, we were absolutely amazed at the spirit we felt,” Albrecht said. “Everyone that is there has their unique history, but we find that they are still people.”

    In addition to Sunday worship service, the LDS Church provides many other programs to help the inmates.

    “We’re one of the most highly programmed prisons in the country, largely due to LDS programs,” said Dennis Marsh, a chaplain at the prison who also serves as the prison’s LDS institute director. “The LDS church has invested millions of dollars in religious programs at prisons.”

    More than 700 inmates attend LDS institute classes and about 600 receive certificates of credit for their studies. Although many non-LDS attend the program, surprisingly, some come from strong LDS backgrounds, Marsh said.

    “I probably have 10 to 15 out of 40 people in each class that have served missions for the LDS Church,” Marsh said.

    The programs place a particular emphasis on helping inmates re-establish ties with their families, both living and dead, said Noel Enniss, family home evening coordinator for the prison.

    About 70 volunteer couples each sponsor an inmate and meet one night a month for family home evening to help inmates know how a family should function, Enniss said.

    Programs also help inmates search out their family histories. Inmates provide over 200,000 temple-ready names yearly, second only to the center in The Joseph Smith Memorial building, Albrecht said.

    Enniss said the inmates’ unpleasant situation drives them to do their genealogy.

    “The inmates know what prison is like so they can imagine what prison is like on the other side of the veil,” Enniss said. “The spirit of Elijah really works on them in that way.”

    The history center also helps inmates rebuild contact and trust with immediate families that often do not want to hear from them until learning of the inmates genuine interest in their ancestry, Enniss said.

    Volunteers contribute heavily to helping the programs function properly. Many of these volunteer programs center on helping the inmates maintain a sense of hope and preparing them to leave society.

    In addition to the 70 volunteer family home evening couples, several LDS missionary couples also go to the prison and hold the LDS Church’s version of Alcoholics Anonymous, Albrecht said.

    Even with all the programs, Albrecht said inmates still face many challenges when leaving prison. Helping inmates remain active in the LDS Church is a challenge for the leadership of the branches. Many members do not accept former convicts and many inmates stop attending church, Albrecht said.

    Locating employment and a place to live for the inmates when they leave prison also concerns the bishops. LDS employment services help inmates to find jobs but some still need employment when they leave prison, Albrecht said.

    Although no studies have been done to determine how religious programs have had an impact on the inmates, Marsh said the programs do make a difference.

    “We’re here to offer inmates a chance to change their lives and take advantage of the atonement, “Marsh said. “I often attend re-baptisms and temple marriages of former inmates.”

    All the leaders said their experiences have given them a chance to learn.

    “I’ve learned that everybody is a child of God,” Howarth said. “God loves prisoners just as much as he loves you and me.”

    Although leaders said most inmates should be in prison for their mistakes, providing hope of change for the inmates is the key.

    “They are basically good people who have made mistakes,” Howarth said. “There is still hope for them.”

    “I’ve been an institute and seminary teacher for 34 years and this is the most wonder full opportunity I have ever had,” Marsh said. “I’ve learned more about the atonement and I have learned what hope is.”

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