Churches and organisations with prison ministries, or simply those desiring to know more about prison ministry, have the chance to attend five sessions on maximising their ministry to those who are incarcerated.The Prison Ministry Training Seminar weekend is being hosted by the office of the chaplaincy of the Department of Corrections East End Prisons and the Seventh-day Adventist Churches of Bermuda.Through the seminars, attendees will be learning about the different methods of ministry to inmates, and will feature three overseas specialists in prison ministry training, including Lloyd Scharffenberg, Ronald Vincent and Pierre Omeler of the Atlantic Union Prison Ministry USA. The three have had extensive experience in training those in prison ministries throughout the east coast of the US.According to Chaplain Kevin Santucci, who serves as presiding chaplain of the Department of Corrections East End Prisons, as well as spiritual advisor to the Corporation and City of Hamilton: “We have realised that education is the key in prison ministry, particularly in breaking down recidivism ... When you have a team who understand why they exist, it makes it easier for them to minister.”This weekend’s seminars are not the first. A previous set of sessions, which saw 110 attendees, was held earlier in the year, focusing on mentoring and how mentoring helps inmates in their rehabilitation and after their release, hosted also by the Department of Corrections East-End Prisons, along with the newly formed East End Spiritual Mentoring Council, which is lead by Pastor Deborah Evans and the Bethel AME Church in Shelly Bay.The council, which is a pilot programme, hopes to serve as a central agency through which spiritual mentors are trained and paired with mentees, or prisoners, particularly through services at the Eastern End of the island, including the Prison Farm, the Co-Ed facility and The Right Living Centre.“We consider that [mentoring] as being the hub of what all the agencies are utilizing to help in the prisons.”The goal of the chaplains’ office is to “help inmates being released from prison understand who they are and why they were called into this world, and how they can serve the community”.“We want them to learn what is God’s ideal. The end result? We want to help inmates change.”These educational seminars are “primarily geared toward strengthening all religious service providers who come from various areas through out the community.”Chaplain Santucci also says that his office has had the full support of the prisons system.“Our commissioner he is gung ho he is behind every programme fully.”Santucci also believes that most working in the corrections system are also equally committed to bettering the system and helping inmates make the needed and desired changes to their lives.“I can appreciate their warmth and their love for their job I have never seen such openness and willingness towards new ideas for strengthening our prison system.”The first session for this weekend’s training was held yesterday evening, but additional sessions are being held today at Warwick Seventh-day Adventist Church. The sessions are free, and all are welcome to drop in. The schedule includes a session at 10am, divine worship at 11am, a lunch break at 12:30pm, afternoon sessions at 2pm and 3pm, and a question-and-answer panel at 4pm, as well as a challenge and dedication at 4:30pm.The chaplains’ office is also looking for more men and women to work as mentors within the system, as well as those who might be able to impart special skills to assist in providing additional training for existing mentors.Contact Chaplain Santucci directly at tucci@northrock.bm, or by contacting the Prison Farm or Co-Ed Facility.