Jesuit Refugee Service | USA | Detention Chaplaincy Program

Detention Chaplaincy Program

The Jesuit Refugee Service/USA chaplaincy programs provide pastoral and religious assistance to meet the needs of non-citizens detained by the Department of Homeland Security in three U.S. federal detention centers located in Texas, Arizona and New York. These programs enable people of all faiths to have access to pastoral care within their faith tradition.

During 2012, Jesuit Refugee Service/USA chaplaincy programs coordinated 1,180 religious services, 511 religious teachings, and 293 spiritual support sessions in which 48,321 detainees participated. JRS/USA's chaplaincy staff spent nearly 900 hours of direct service offering religious services, religious teachings, and spiritual support. In addition, our chaplains spent nearly another 2,100 hours visiting detainees in special housing units, providing detainees with religious items, processing requests for religious diets. Volunteers played a significant role by giving more than 1,500 hours for religious services, religious teachings, and spiritual support.

Jesuits reiterate call for immigration reform
(Washington, D.C.) January 29, 2013 — The U.S. Jesuit Conference, Jesuit Refugee Service/USA and the Kino Border Initiative welcome the framework for comprehensive immigration reform released yesterday by a bipartisan group of Senators. We are also encouraged by President Obama's remarks today calling for a "commonsense" approach to swiftly address an "out-of-date and badly broken immigration system."
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Online resource for detention center chaplains
(Washington, D.C.) October 5, 2011 — Jesuit Refugee Service/USA believes that ensuring detainee access to a Religious Service Program is crucially important because detainees have a fundamental right to freedom and exercise of religion. To further that aspect of our mission, we have compiled a Religious Service Program Guide to assist chaplains at detention centers throughout the United States.
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Detention center chaplains train in L.A.
(Washington, D.C.) September 20, 2011 — Jesuit Refugee Service/USA offered training to six chaplains from detention centers across the United States during a three-day meeting in Los Angeles last month. JRS/USA based the training on knowledge gained via our long years of service to detainees in our Detention Chaplaincy Program.
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Jesuit Refugee Service ministers to detainees
(Washington, D.C.) — "We make sure men and women who are detained have access to the solace of their God, in whatever religious tradition they come from," says Fr. Gavin, noting that JRS ministers to Catholic, Jewish, Muslim, Protestant and other detainees.
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Inside a Federal Detention Center
(Florence, Arizona) — Three hundred men dressed in yellow, orange and blue prison jumpsuits had gathered under the shade of the open air sports facility in the confines of this detention center not far from the Mexican border.
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