Lorain Correctional Institution graduates 16 inmates as Stephen ministers

GRAFTON — Sixteen men graduated from a new faith-based peer support program at Lorain Correctional Institution on Tuesday. Chaplain Glenn Mertz led the 10-week program to certify the men through Stephen Ministry, a nonprofit Christian organization providing training for crisis support. The newly minted Stephen ministers will be able to reach out to fellow inmates in crisis — those who have recently lost loved ones or had a life change like a divorce, Mertz said. Of those, six will be "ranch walkers," serving fellow inmates placed in the prison's transitional program unit — a more restrictive unit with higher security concerns. The men will work 40 hours a week, and be on call if someone has a crisis after hours or over the weekend when other support staff like Mertz are not available, he said. Information told to Stephen ministers is also confidential, as long as the inmate does not pose a threat to themselves or someone else. During a graduation ceremony Tuesday evening, Warden Jennifer Gillece Black said the work done by the men is part of a series of changes made at LORCI and the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Corrections — which has spearheaded Stephen Ministry programs in several Ohio prisons. "One thing that pushes me in what I do every day is the men sitting here today … the work that I know has been done and the work that I know will continue on is going to be so transformational for the people that are here," Gillece Black said. "So what we have tonight is not just a celebration of the work that you have all done, what we have here tonight is a celebration of the unity that we have." Gillece Black also recognized the families who came to celebrate the men's accomplishments Tuesday, noting they are dealing with struggles while their loved one is incarcerated. "You're not doing time separate," she said. "It's something that you're going through (together). Just know that the time that you're apart, know that they're doing something, they're fulfilling a mission and they're on this journey of transformation for themselves and for others." She also cautioned the men to not lose themselves in the process of taking care of those around them, and for the Stephen ministers to take care of one another. Several of the men who completed the program spoke. John Curry said he finally had a name for what he's already been doing. "I ministered to young men, I ministered to older men, I ministered to people that I see going through things because I have a heard of compassion," he said. Admitting he is no angel himself, he said he is still a caregiver, with the ability to listen and not violate someone's confidence. "Having Christ at the head of my life enables me to care about and have concern about the people around me … I have dedicated my life to the Lord and doing his will is my greatest joy," Curry said. He said many of the problems around him exist because those around him do not have an outlet for their frustrations, and hoped the program would help build trust and another release for the inmates at LORCI. Obeying the word of God and ministering to his fellow inmates allows Curry to be "that light that shines in the darkness," he said. "The 16 men who have pledged their lives to be the answer, we're Stephen ministers, we're here," he said. "That's what we can do – we can listen, we care, we can relate. You're not going through this journey alone because we know this journey step-by-step." Contact Carissa Woytach at (440) 329-7245 or cwoytach@chroniclet.com.