Inmates Find God, Hope Behind Bars

Isiah Carey, My Fox Houston—November 30th, 2011

All it takes is a converted recreation room and inspiration to attend Wednesday afternoon church services at the Harris County Jail.

Whether through divine intervention or a need for spiritual food, attendance at the jail chapel has grown.

In 2009, 9,000 inmates attended. Now, 15,000 inmates sit in those make-shift pews each month.

Inmates Find God, Hope Behind Bars: MyFoxHOUSTON.com

It’s become a part of their life for some detainees like Karen Todaro and LaJuan Bailey.

Both say they find peace of mind and solace in the sanctuary Sheriff Adrian Garcia has expanded.

Todaro is in jail on DWI charges.

“It helps people get a connection with God and remember who he is and where he is he’s right here inside me,” she says.

Bailey was booked into the county jail for ID theft. She attends the county church.

“It’s definitely a peace of mind for me and it’s given me a chance to reflect on my own issues,” Bailey says. “I was born and raised Catholic and I kind of got away from my values.”

Chaplain Tracy Dudley says if you think the sanctuary is just about religion, think again.

God is the focus but also part of the draw.

“People who come out of these church services, who respond to our office with questions of, ‘Where can I go, when I get released, or I’m three-months pregnant and I don’t have anybody to take care of my child’,” Dudley says.

She hopes the chaplain will also lead to successful lives in the free world for detainees. Social services like drug counseling and employment classes that come after church will likely serve as tools to break the recidivism rate.

“They’re getting a chance to build a relationship with God, with their family, and where are you gonna go … we bring that to them now while they’re incarcerated,” Dudley says.

Todaro, Bailey and thousands of others are now taking advantage of those resources that come neatly wrapped as Wednesday afternoon services at the Harris County Jail.