Revealing Lies

People often ask how I combine my legal work and studies with ministry. A small number of people find this overlap obvious, but most are quite confused.

Connection and love are at the heart of my call to ministry. Through hospital chaplaincy I was able to connect with people on the worst days of their lives and assure them that they weren’t ever as alone as they felt. I was often left in awe by profound connections with total strangers.

I know that healing connections are transformational. I can think back through my life and pinpoint specific conversations that fundamentally shifted my thinking. As a Residential Minister at Georgetown I live in a dorm with students. Perhaps unsurprisingly, college kids aren’t banging down my door with theological questions so it’s easy to think that my presence isn’t so important. But, a few weeks ago, a student mentioned to me that she loves knowing there’s an adult in the building; even if she never needs me, my presence is comforting. Often knowing the potential for connection exists is just as important as the connection itself.

Within the criminal legal system, human connection is largely absent yet desperately needed. I see my call to ministry largely as uncovering lies–lies we tell ourselves and lies we believe about others and systems. The lie at the heart of the prison system is that separation brings changed behavior. Anyone who’s been sent to their room to think about their actions knows that this approach doesn’t work. When a child acts out, they are often begging for connection but don’t have the insight or skill to ask directly. Separation may deescalate, but it does not change behavior.

The American prison system was modeled after the monastic experience: you retreat from the world to spend time with your thoughts and God. Ascetic monks believe that only through retreating from society can one find clarity.

The word “penitentiary” finds its roots in Christian penance. The ascetic approach works for a tiny minority of people, and yet our prison system continues to insist that this is the only approach to dealing with societal harm. There is significant research establishing that healing happens through connection, not separation. It’s also quite intuitive if you reflect on your own life. I’m determined to expose this lie at the heart of our prison system and dream about a new future for dealing with harm that centers connection and repair over separation and shame.

Christian theology built this problem, and I believe the same tools will dismantle carceral thought.

Connection, love, and hope for a more interconnected world.

Text copyright © 2023 Grace Woodward. All rights reserved.