Chaplaincy Services Quick Facts

Chaplaincy Services is responsible for addressing the religious and spiritual needs of inmates and staff at each of the Florida Department of Corrections (DC) institutions. Every institution has assigned Chaplaincy Staff. There are 70 Chaplaincy Services staff positions. This breaks down as follows:

Inmate Participation in Chaplaincy Programs

• Each week, the department averages more than 2,100 religious services or activities scheduled for inmates.
• Each week, attendance at religious services and activities totals more than 31,000 inmates.
• Each month, approximately 42% of the inmate population takes part in a Chaplaincy Program. Participation varies from institution to institution. This average represents statewide leveling.

Volunteers

Chaplaincy Services recruits, trains, schedules and supervises volunteers from many religious traditions to meet a wide variety of inmate religious needs. In June of 2011 there were 16,000 volunteers active within the previous 12 months, serving throughout the department.  According to Chaplaincy Services' records, in FY 2010-11 our volunteers donated 313,975 hours of service or the equivalent time of 151 full time employees.

Types of Programs Available

• Worship Services & Ceremonial Activities;
• Religious Education;
• Volunteer/Intern Services;
• Faith-Based Transition Classes;
• Faith-Based Addiction Release Programs; and
• Faith- and Character-Based Institutions.

Special Chaplaincy Events

Chaplaincy Services at every institution schedules special events throughout the year. These are religious activities and services that are not scheduled on a weekly or monthly basis but occur occasionally as ministry groups are available or as religious Holy Days dictate. There are six categories of special events, including the following:

1. Cultural celebrations;
2. Holy days;
3. Special worship services;
4. Marriage enrichment programs;
5. Religious seminars; and
6. Other events, such as those provided by volunteer organizations.

Special Responsibilities

Miscellaneous

• Chaplaincy Services processed 576 inmate marriage requests and reported 164 inmate marriages in FY 2010-11.
  
  
• All religious books, literature, audio and video materials, religious items and special foods for religious observance are donated by citizen volunteers, para-church ministries or organized religious groups.
  
  
• Inmates have recorded 110 different religious preferences with the Department. Inmates first identify a religious preference at intake. As of September 12, 2011, inmates that provided information on their religious preferences indicated as follows:
  
  • 61.2% of inmates identify a religious orientation of Christian, non-Roman Catholic;
  • 12.5% of inmates identify a religious orientation of Christian, Roman Catholic;
  • 3.7% of inmates identify a religious orientation of Muslim;
  • 1.7% of inmates identify a religious orientation of Jewish;
  • 15.1% of inmates identify a religious orientation of none or unknown; and
  • 5.3% of inmates belong to one of 40 other religious orientations (including Agnostics, Wiccan, Rastafarians, etc.)