Chaplain prays for lasting impact

For two decades, the Rev. Bob Boggess labored in youth ministry and church work to prevent bad behavior in the lives of his parishioners - decisions that could pose life-altering consequences.

Now, the 63-year-old man works on the other side of the coin - helping youth after they've made poor choices and have been convicted of crimes.

The venue has changed from a stained-glass church building to a state corrections facility, but Boggess' mission remains the same: to affect youth with spiritual values.

Boggess, a 1988 graduate of MidAmerica Nazarene University Seminary, is the chaplain at the West Texas State School - a position he started in mid-January.

Diverse ministry experiences made his transition to the state facility a little easier. Boggess previously pastored or ministered to youth in Methodist, Lutheran, Episcopal, Nazarene and Baptist congregations and underwent Clinical Pastoral training from Shannon Medical Center in San Angelo.

"It's quite different from hospital chaplaincy, but it's not a whole lot different from youth ministry. They're still kids, they're still youth, and they still think and act like youth," he said. "It's been a good thing for me, and I hope for them as well."

One of the chaplain's first tasks with newly incarcerated youth is finding what spiritual background each one has. Boggess said minors must have approval from their guardian in that classification and only about 4 percent of the state's youth declare no religious affiliation at all.

"For every youth in TYC, we have to have a religious preference established by them," he said. "Most of them, for the most part, have not had much connection with a church, so many of the youth have to think about what church they would go to if they went to church."

Volunteers from area churches hold chapel services on Sundays and hold Bible studies in the dormitory's meeting area while Boggess acts as go-between and moderator for the ecumenical/interdenominational meetings.

By building relationships, Boggess said he tries to get each child to think about his spiritual life. Most of them are pretty open to admit what they did and got caught for, he said, opening a window on their past environment and a distorted reference point of right and wrong.

Although he doesn't see many "prison conversions" at West Texas State School, Boggess said he does see some spiritual curiosity - with between 25 percent and 30 percent of the school's 90-some youth participating in religious activities

"I see a lot of interest - this is spiritual stuff that a lot of these kids have never been exposed to," he said. "They've made some poor decisions, but some of them, most of them, are good.

"You try to encourage the youth to do the good things, and people here talk to the kids giving them a whole different way of thinking about things," he said.

Willie Brown, the school's director of security, said school personnel are in the beginning stages of implementing TYC's CoNEXTions Treatment Program, which helps minimize risk factors that brought the youths there in the first place.

"It's a customized program that's designed to individually fit the needs of the kids that are at TYC," he said. "If a kid has an issue with anger management or drug program, they're going to really focus on those problems, replacing some of those bad thoughts and negative behaviors with good solid, social ones - getting the mind right."

Voluntary religious programs, like the youth choir that Boggess just started, contribute to that goal.

Another aspect of the TYC chaplaincy is crisis intervention - helping youth deal with deaths or strained relationships with relatives outside of those walls.

Boggess also serves as chaplain to the school's staff members and serves on the morale enhancement committee. After last year's investigation and arrest of two administrators who were accused of sexual misconduct with imprisoned male youth, spirits among school staff definitely needed lifting.

"The staff here, they're great people, and they're still recovering from that stuff from last year - they were victims of it just like everyone else," Boggess said.

In the controlled environment of the state school, Boggess said youth who have violated the law have the opportunity for continued education and a change in life's direction - a chance they might not have gotten on the outside.

"This is the best thing that could have happened for a lot of these youth, because it gives them an exposure to a whole different lifestyle - some of them wouldn't even be alive today," he said. "I have a good job."

We Want to Know

Do religious services at state corrections
facilities have a genuine impact on the inmates?

>> Absolutely, lots of change can take place behind bars.
>> Yes, but they return to the old way once they're released.
>> No, it's all a facade to get early release for good behavior.
>> I think they're a violation of separation of church and state.