July 17 update

Wed Jul 16 21:39:58 EDT 2008

Dear Gulf Coast Leaders,

When I was in prison you visited me…

This week I was hosted by Pastor George Bement, who is now a case manager
and therapist for Heathcare for the Homeless of Houston (HHH), through
Mental Health Mental Retardation Association. (MHMRA). His offices are
housed at the Episcopal Cathedral Offices on Texas in downtown Houston. They
really have a remarkable set-up down there. The diocesan offices relocated
there a few years ago, building a garage, and office building and a homeless
center right across from the Cathedral. The homeless center feeds 600 people
a day, while providing counseling, assisting finding employment, help with
housing and more.

George is doing therapy with some of the most vulnerable people in society.
His work is moving him into a new area: working with those who are released
from the Harris County Jail (HCJ)which has three locations downtown,
connected by secure tunnels. In order to prepare for this work, he took his
staff (and me) on a tour of the jail. 

We were met by Robert, a mental health case worker with MHMRA: Mental
Health, Mental Retardation Association. He explained that there were 11,000
inmates and they estimate 25% (2,750)of them have a mental diagnosis. George
explained the city is using the jail to house the homeless mentally ill, who
may be picked up for loitering, DD (drunk and disorderly conduct),
prostitution and so on. Of the 2,750, there are 400 cases, and six case
workers. Obviously the load is unmanageable. 

Sergeant McKinney met us in “Receiving.” He had a kind face, and an amiable
personality. He walked us through the jail as if we were being “booked and
processed.” As we passed a group of inmates in orange jump suits the guards
would order them to face the wall as we passed. One of the HHH employees and
I met eyes. Another one signed and shook her head. Sgt. McKinney explained
that weapons are not allowed in this facility. “Really?” I said. “That’s
interesting. I wonder why.” The Harris County Jail “processes” (his word)
135,000 people per year. Some are in and out, quickly and frequently. Others
come once, but have a longer stay. 

The atmosphere was depressing. More depressing than Montgomery County Jail
and bigger. Even more depressing than Huntsville. I’m not sure why. The
absent look in people’s eyes. Their unwillingness to make eye contact in
most (but not all) cases. I found myself trying to catch people’s eyes,
smile, say “hello,” humanize them again. Those who didn’t speak English
couldn’t understand the commands being barked at them. I saw one guard
telling a man to “stay here.” The man was confused and unsure what to do, so
he started follow. The guard got angry. There was much Spanish being spoken
in booking. Many were there whose only crime was trying to escape poverty.
Yes, they broke the law I suppose, like I did when I exceeded the speed
limit driving to the jail. They crossed the border, horror of horrors. But
they have not killed or stolen. The vast majority do not own a weapon (or
much else for that matter), and wouldn’t hurt a fly but now they’re exposed
to those who would.

Sgt. McKinney showed us how those with medical diagnoses were sifted out and
sent to doctors. How those with Class C Misdemeanors (likely to get “time
served” as a sentence) were not put in the with general population. Men
separate from women. No strip searches thanks to the modern marvel of the
X-ray. “Do you have enemies? We can’t put people in with their known
enemies. Gangs?” Those mentally ill, likely to be up pacing and talking to
themselves at 3 a.m. cannot be mainstreamed, or they will be victimized by
predators or by those who simply don’t understand that they can’t
understand. 

Sgt. McKinney explained that they release 400 inmates every night at 12:01.
Just after midnight, and on into the morning, as long as it takes to process
everyone. (Actually, he told us, in 2007 400/day were admitted and 395
released, an average increase of 5/day in the jail population.) Those who
are homeless wander. George is trying to identify the homeless and work with
the system to keep them until 8 a.m. Then he would work to find them housing
and use the Cathedral services to work towards a sustainable living. Not
easy work. He’ll be lucky to scratch the surface, but this is our calling is
it not?

At times I have visited inmates, when I had an “in” with someone. Many years
I never came near a prison. Matthew 25 always pricked at my conscience.
Others have normalized is ministry. Pastor Kerry Nelson (Covenant, Houston)
preaches several times a year in Huntsville. I’ve asked to tag along. George
is immersed in this now. I know not everyone has to be involved in every
ministry, but shouldn’t every congregation have someone who is called to
this? Perhaps not. Still, I get the feeling most folks would rather just
forget the 1.6 million people that are in jail. That’s 1% of all adults in
the land of the free. 1/36 Hispanics is in jail. Among the nations of the
world, we have the highest percentage of our citizens in jail, many for
non-violent crimes. 25% mentally ill. More (by percentage of population)
than China. Or Russia. They are forgotten. Many of those I’ve visited over
the years rarely got visits from family. “It’s just too depressing” one
mother said to me. And these people are completely vulnerable. We now spend
more on incarceration than on education: $50B/year, mostly borne by states.

Thanks, George and your Episcopal friends at the Cathedral Church for
carrying the ball in this ministry, for loving the homeless and embracing
the city. Show us how we as congregations can care for those on the fringes,
as Jesus did.

שלמ

Mike Rinehart

Michael Rinehart, bishop

The Texas-Louisiana Gulf Coast Synod

Evangelical Lutheran Church in America

12707 North Freeway, Suite 580

Houston, TX 77060-1239

281-873-5665

www.GulfCoastSynod.org <http://www.gulfcoastsynod.org/> 

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