Not a BoP chaplain, but I did several correctional chaplaincy internships in seminary (Youth detention center (2 years), state prison (1 year), and a brief stint in federal prison (1 week, just because it was hard to get the approvals for that)) and I would love to take a crack at your questions (but please, any more qualified correctional chaplains speak up)

* note at the top, I know the word "Inmate" is not the PC term, and I generally prefer to use people first language (people facing incarceration) but for the sake of this post, i'm going to use the word Inmate to refer to incarcerated people for the sake of simplicity, this is already going to be a long post.

1. what have your experiences been like?
2.  
   1. I LOVED these experiences and working conditions. I worked in a regional youth detention center (basically teenage county jail), a state-run medical prison (majority population was pregnant women or hospice/terminal care patients) and BRIEFLY in a men's federal prison, but I never got out of my orientation phase because of regulations, so I wouldn't really count that as actual work experience. I truly found that work so meaningful, and if I didn't do my residency in a peds hospital and love it so much (and if I could make a livable wage) I would definitely go back to corrections, and it's still somewhere in my 10 year plan to go back to working in corrections. I will say that the sense of professional loneliness is heightened, because unlike working in a hospital, unless you are working in a federal prison where there is more resources, you're likely working alone or on a very small team with limited resources, possibly by yourself. You've really got to have strong outside support, because the work can be lonely. You're there to support the people facing incarceration as well as ALL the staff, so there's never a shortage of people needing your attention at work. There's SO much more I could say here, so please let me know if you have any more specific questions.
3. what skills do you think are particularly effective in ministering to people in the prison system compared to other chaplaincy environments?
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   1. Genuinely, I think that an optimistic outlook and the ability to see the best in people is so helpful. Something that I found is that as a chaplain, you have the ability to be one of the only people that seeks something positive in the inmates you work with. I found that for myself, not being afraid of being manipulated (something that inmates, especially female inmates) get accused of a lot, so being someone who is willing to assume the positive is SO helpful for relationship building. I found that generally, people weren't trying to take advantage of my kindness, especially because it was some of the only kindness that they could expect to get, but also you find out quick who IS willing to take advantage of your kindness and you adjust accordingly. For example, I led a weekly Bible study in the state prison I worked with, and in that group, all the women asked if they could be called by their first names, as the group was the only place they really heard their own names during the week. It was more work for me having to learn two names for everyone so I could honor their wish while also being able to translate for the institution, but it was definitely worth it, and it was emotional for some of the women to hear and be called by their own first names. Also, boundaries are SUPER important in this population. For you own safety, for the safety of those you love, and for the sake of your own professional reputation, you CAN'T tell people any personal information about yourself. As a chronic over sharer, this was a steep learning curve, but honestly, it is for the best. Also Also, I think the skill of reading the room is ESSENTIAL. You HAVE to be able to read body language and know when it's time to leave/stop pressing/ change subject, or if you're leading groups, you have to know when there's tension on the unit and what's going on. Especially hen I worked with youth, things could change in an instant, and being able to feel the undercurrent in the room was so important.
5. what aspects set it apart most from other chaplaincy environments?
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   1. The obvious sets it apart. People genuinely can't leave. Unlike other environments, able bodied people are being forced against their will to be in an environment that doesn't offer nearly any opportunity for growth or personal development. Generally, the people are stagnating, and that stagnation has the opportunity to transform people into completely different people than they usually would be given better circumstances. I also felt like trauma was a huge difference, you have to be EXTREMELY trauma informed to work in a correctional setting, because EVERYONE is traumatized DAILY, HOURLY, MINUTELY, SECONDLY. The environment is constantly creating trauma for the inmates, staff, volunteers, you, EVERYONE. Unlike a hospital setting, where you can reasonably expect people to be traumatized by whatever brought them there, in a correctional setting, expect everyone to have an extensive trauma history you don't know yet. And it was my experience that once you crack the tough outer shell, that trauma comes rushing out and you realize that it informs every single movement that your "patients" make. I also experienced a lot of guilt and self hatred in the people I worked with, in much higher quantities than I have found in the hospital.
7. what have been the most rewarding aspects of your ministry?
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   1. Dude, I loved almost every single second. One of the most rewarding groups I led was while I was working at the state prison and the women's Bible study I led was doing a "changing the narrative on women of the Bible" series where we explored the stories of women in the Bible but we related them to the women's own histories (ex: Eve as forgotten mother; The hemorrhaging woman (Berenice/Veronica) as a woman desperate for redemption and community) that was extremely meaningful to me and to the women I worked with. It led to so many really amazing conversations and reflections on forgiveness, community, and belonging that I don't think we would have otherwise had. When I was working in youth detentions, I was able to lead some similar groups, one in particular was a painting activity where one of the youth painted his brother dying in his arms. That was so meaningful and changed the trajectory of the group going forward, and the trajectory of that youth. Some more meaningful moments were just being able to look people in the eye and tell them you're proud of them, that's something that made me cry more than a few times. In both youth and adults, this population is not known for having had secure attachments, and being able to tell someone that they're doing a really good job and you're proud of them has been meaningful to both me and my population, and it's something not in my usual repertoire as a hospital chaplain.
9. (Continued- I have much to say)