To Whom It May Concern:
If you are receiving this letter and informational Packet (hereinafter InfoPak) you are one of the various agencies that are either involved or previously contacted about the matter of unconventional religious practice within the Alaska Department of Corrections. This packet of information is being sent to relevant agencies and Department of corrections Administrators in hope of bringing to light the current difficulties and inequalities that pagan prisoners are experiencing within the Alaska Prison System establishing religious practice and meeting their spiritual needs.
In December of 2004, Alaska prisoners housed in the Florence Correctional Center in Florence, Arizona; approached the facility Chaplain about the lack of services and opportunities for prisoners practicing unconventional faiths within the facility. Since then, a large amount of requests and proposals concerning equal representation and opportunities for pagan prisoners within the Alaska Prison System have been submitted for the Chaplain and Chaplaincy Coordinator’s review. Most of these proposals have been submitted by a group of prisoner volunteers who have dedicated themselves to establishing equal representation for all faiths within the Alaska Prison System.
Despite a large Chaplaincy Program, Faith-based programs, and many chaplaincy staff; there are very few opportunities for prisoners of unconventional faiths to worship or pursue their individual spiritual path. This includes religions such as Islam, Buddhism, Asatru (Scandinavian worship), Wicca, Native American Traditions, and even some of the Judeo-Christian religions such as Mormonism and Jehovah’s Witness. In fact, until pagan prisoners raised the issue in December of 2004, there were no outside volunteers for most of these religious faiths, and many of them still lack adequate liaisons and representation.
With the Alternative Spiritual Paths Project, inmate volunteers attempted to correct the lack of religious opportunities for all religions, regardless of origin, race, or creed. In fact, this is what we are still seeking to accomplish, as we believe that the opportunity to pursue one’s chosen spiritual path has a profound impact on a prisoner’s life and rehabilitation. Prisoners that have the opportunity to pursue and practice their preferred faith experience profound changes in their attitude and perspective of life, changes that can play an enormous role in their rehabilitation and eventual successful release. It is our goal to see that this opportunity is afforded to all prisoners within the Alaska Prison System, and have been working towards this goal within our current place or residence in Florence Correctional Center.
The question then arises; of what rights and opportunities are being afforded to Alaska State prisoners and what opportunities are lacking? The simplest demonstration of this is the weekly facility chapel schedule for the Florence Correctional Center (Appendix pg. 24). After analyzing the most recent schedule it was found that per week the following religions are allowed the time to congregate:
This leads us to the following monthly tally of services held for the various faiths found within Florence Correctional Center:
With eight sessions cancelled for Chaplaincy Administrative purposes and several sessions not even scheduled for religious activities but, for other programs or departments.
How this schedule is interpreted as an equal opportunity for prisoners of all faiths in mind boggling, especially when one considers that there are already exists an entire pod devoted to daily Christian studies and worship found in the Faith-Based program. When it was proposed to offer services for other religions to Chaplaincy Coordinator Encsh, his reply was that Open Chapel times were sufficient to accommodate prisoners of unconventional religions to pursue their faiths (see Appendix pg 5). Further when it was asked of Facility Chaplain Aguirre if the Open Chapel times could be replaced by other services or religions, the request was flatly denied.
It is understood that the consideration of space comes greatly into play when scheduling for services and religious opportunities, and that this problem is not helped by the fact that the Alaska Chapel and Library must share a single room. Because of this lack of space, Open Chapel times are at best disruptive; with prisoners checking in and out books and at least four or five conversations being conducted simultaneously. It is under these conditions that we are expected to share knowledge, worship, celebrate our religious paths, and have the same meaningful and comfortable services that other faiths are awarded. Needless to say this approach has been insufficient and is by no means an equal method of ensuring that the needs of various faiths are met.
The concern also arises of the special privileges awarded to mainstream faiths that have been continuously denied or ignored for the less fortunate. The Faith-Based program is frequently awarded with “parties” and religious banquets where they are allowed special religious meals and activities. On Christmas in 2004 for example, members of the Faith-Based program were allowed to order a Chinese Dinner; and later were also allowed to purchase Banana Splits for to celebrate the leaving of an Institutional Chaplain. These activities were approved by the facility Warden and in some cases, rushed to approval so that the event could take place. This would be fine if the same opportunity was afforded to any of the other faiths present at Florence Correctional Center.
Not only is this opportunity not afforded, but it has been denied for religions and faiths were special feasts and ceremonies are encouraged for observance. For both Ostara and Litha (March 21st and June 22nd respectively) feasts and ceremonies were denied to pagan prisoners because is not “mandated” or required for religious practice to continue. This is obviously a “double-standard”, for it is nowhere mandated in any religion that food or ceremony are a must for observance. It is however universally recommended by all faiths that the ability to congregate, hold ceremony, and feast in honor of various deities should be observed when at all possible. How is this privilege being awarded to Christian prisoners who are able to observe special banquets and Kairos festivals when it is being denied to everyone else?
These are the questions that need answering and the issues we are raising in hopes of finding some sort of religious equality within the Alaska Prison System. We seek not to take away for anyone, but for all prisoners within the Alaska system to find equal opportunity and privileges when pursuing their religious beliefs. This is why we have worked as volunteers for the past six months submitting proposals, posing these questions, and attempting to find compromising positive solutions to the issues of religious equality. It is honestly felt that these attempts and suggestions have fallen on deaf ears as none of our proposals are being adequately considered and no equal effort has been made by the Alaska Chaplaincy program to establish suitable alternatives.
Our requests for weekly services and meetings, for opportunities to congregate have all been denied with no due recourse and replaced by disruptive Open Chapel sessions and a once-a-month meeting with a single outside liaison that is expected to satisfy the needs of all pagan prisoners. Our requests for advertisement within the facility to gain interest in the alternative spirituality project were all denied and deemed as “inappropriate” and “unnecessary.” Indeed all interest developed for this project and its Open Chapel meetings was generated “word-of-mouth” by fellow prisoners with absolutely no help from the Chaplaincy department of prison officials. We have kept extremely detailed records of meeting attendance (see Appendix pg 22) and have had 35 participants over the last 6 months, being 6% of the Alaskan population in Florence Correctional Center. It is without a doubt that if actual weekly services and equal opportunities were awarded to prisoners of unconventional faiths that number would at least double, reaching 12 to 15%.
Other major denials include the refusal of pagan prisoners to observe pagan holy days such as Ostara and Litha as explained above. There are only 8 major holy days each year that pagans seek to observe, each one being extremely significant and a meaningful way to connect with the gods and goddesses they believe in. Pagan prisoners have been encouraged to observe these holy days in their cell as an alternative to group ceremony and congregate observance, citing that there is no obligation for the Chaplaincy department to recognize holidays that are not “mandated” or required. The issue is not about religious mandates or “forced holidays,” the issue is that if Christian prisoners and mainstream religions are allowed to meet and worship on a weekly basis, then pagan prisoners should be afforded at the very least 8 days a year when they can come together and experience the same privilege.
The issue has now arisen under a new light with the introduction of a Pagan Religious Volunteer into the facility. Many of the latest denials and stonewalls have been given with the reasoning that the Chaplaincy program is waiting to consult this volunteer about the issues of religious ceremony and ceremonial In-Cell items. The question arises – why isn’t the Chaplaincy program consulting this volunteer now and why should one practitioner of any given faith have the ability to dictate the rights and privileges of an entire prisoner population. Ther are many different religious paths that could be called “pagan” including Wicca, Asatru, and indeed any non-Judaic faith. Even within Wicca there are numerous “denominations” that have various approaches to its religious tenants. It is feared that the Alaska Chaplaincy Program will take one volunteer’s religious beliefs and apply them to all prisoners of unconventional faiths, beliefs that may even contradict with other faiths and denominations that will fail to be considered.
There is a plethora of literature and organizations willing to advise Chaplains about the beliefs and valued practices of pagan prisoners. Phone numbers, addresses and resources have even been given to the Facility Chaplain by prisoner volunteers in an effort to help him find this information. It is felt by many participating in the effort to achieve religious equality that these “excuses” and merely ways for the Alaska Chaplaincy Program to avoid taking responsibility for making decisions and putting the issues off until either the prisoners lose interest for the holiday/issue is no longer relevant. In fact, it has been shared with us by fellow Christian prisoners that the Chaplaincy Program has even advocated prayer against our cause, and encouraged prisoners to take “spiritual action” against us.
It has been a long and arduous uphill battle for any of the needs of the various unconventional faiths to be addressed and even come close to being met. The proposals themselves and even this cover letter become long drawn out processes that take weeks to finish and wouldn’t ever see fruition without the dedicated support of prisoner volunteers and the families that have supported our cause from outside the facility. What is even more frustrating is that our pursuits have seen little to no support from prison officials and the Alaska Chaplaincy Program. We have not been afforded any of the same religious opportunities other “favored” faiths possess, and have had a difficult time even making prison officials and outside organizations aware of our plight. That is why this packet has been compiled, in an effort to enlighten prison officials and those organizations that may offer us help as to the inequalities and severe mismanagement of the Alaska Chaplaincy Program.
We are often in a debilitating position when it comes to voicing our needs and concerns as prisoners. Much of the time society wishes to turn a blind eye to our needs altogether and prison officials take advantage of this circumstance by ignoring them as well. In the most severe circumstances, prisoners are forced to file lawsuits and engage in lengthy litigation and must bring their concerns before the judicial system for relief to be found. Though we are fully prepared to endure such a task, we are hoping that such an endeavor doesn’t become necessary and that adequate compromises can be found in an effort to meet the religious needs of all prisoners.
We wish to also convey that we are not seeking special privileges, disrupting the peace, or pursuing this matter for any reason other than the spiritual health and positive environment of the prison system in which we live. Even without the support of others in our cause, we have already experienced some of the profound and life-changing experiences that can be developed through the pursuit of religious and spiritual education. It is our request, that if your organization and Prison Officials are willing, you might assist us in this education and our pursuit of religious equality within the Alaska Prison System.
Specific issues we are currently seeking approval for include:
Copies of this information were sent to:
Mike Addington Director of Institutions Alaska Department of Corrections 4500 Diplomacy Drive, Suite 109 Anchorage, AK 99508-5918 Frank Luna Warden, Florence Correctional Center 1100 Bowling Road Florence, AZ 85232 Rene McFarland Alaska Civil Liberties Union Alaska Prison Project PO Box 201844 Anchorage, AK 99520-1844 Phone: (907) 646-8612 www.akclu.com Nicholas Maxwell US Department of Justice Civil Rights Division Special Litigation Section 950 Pennsylvania Ave. N.W. Washington, DC 20530 www.prisoners.org PO Box 244154 Anchorage, AK 99524-4154 Valgard Murray Asatru Alliance PO Box 961 Payson, AZ 85547 PEN (Pagan Educational Network) PO Box 586 Portage, IN 46368 www.PaganEdNet.orgEditors note: Throughout this letter, the prisoners involved in attempting to come to compromise with the Alaska Chaplaincy Program and CCA/FCC prison officials regarding time, chapel space etc. allowing them to worship according to their faiths, have referred the reader to appendices and other supporting documentation. That supporting documentation is in the possession of prisoners.org and is extremely voluminous, so much so we do not have the capacity to post it here. Interested parties may inquire to the prisoners.org address listed above and supporting documentation will be made available.