SYSTEM ANSWERS PRISON RABBI'S SOS

State prisons held about 40 Jewish inmates 18 years ago when Rabbi Ted
Sanders became the Texas prison system's only chaplain for that faith.

Now, he said, there are about 220 Jewish inmates who have legitimate
backgrounds in the religion, and at least 500 others who have declared
Judaism as their religious preference.

That level of interest may be explained, at least in part, he said, by
something that happened a year ago last April. It started when a couple
came to see him about getting married. In talking with them, Rabbi Sanders
learned the young man worked as an adviser to Gov. George W. Bush.

And so, recognizing an opportunity, the rabbi asked the young man to relay
a request to his boss. He explained that with the dozens of new prison
units built in recent years, and with the exploding inmate population due
to the drug war, one chaplain could no longer provide support to the Jewish
inmates held in 64 of the 115 units all over the state.

A week later the rabbi was invited to a meeting in Huntsville. The results
were three more rabbis being hired as chaplains, and the designation of
seven units where Jewish inmates could request to be transferred, and where
rabbis would regularly visit and conduct services.

Faithful conversion

In the Texas Department of Criminal Justice system, inmates can change
their religion to something different every year if they wish, Rabbi
Sanders said. He estimates about 70 percent of all who enter prison are not
affiliated with any church, temple or synagogue.

It is no secret that inmates consider some TDCJ units worse than others.
And in one unit with a particularly unpleasant reputation, a large number
of inmates claimed the Jewish faith, thinking that would get them transferred.

"We don't go around looking for converts," Rabbi Sanders said. "They have
to study. They have to buy books. I asked, `Would you all agree to be
circumcised?' And they all agreed."

So now he has about 350 inmates taking conversion lessons, he said, "and
some of them are doing great. ... The idea was if they reached 15 lessons,
I would endorse their transfer."

The rabbi said a considerable portion of his work is with Jewish parents of
inmates.

"The Jewish community is very difficult with their children who shamed
them," he said. "When a Jewish kid gets in trouble, in many cases the
family says to hell with him and goes into mourning."

He told about one young man -- quiet-spoken, very intelligent, college
background -- who served time for drugs, then got out and seemed for a time
to be doing all right. He moved in with his mother. He became religiously
observant and developed a successful business.

But it didn't last. He eventually started running with his old buddies and
using drugs again and soon was back in prison. He was his mother's only son
and had been her pride and joy, the rabbi said, but now she would not visit
him, would not even answer his letters.

Some bad choices

It took a considerable amount of time and talking, but Rabbi Sanders said
he finally managed to convince the mother that she was not doing herself or
her son any good. Now she writes her son.

The rabbi estimates that at least 70 percent of those Texas prison inmates
who were raised Jewish are there because of drugs. They are not violent
criminals. They went through bar mitzvah training, they know they have a
tradition. But they made some bad choices.

Family and community support is very important for them, he said, because
people do not need prison for using drugs. They need medical help. And when
they get out of prison, it is their families and the community who can make
sure they get that help.

The rabbi said another important facet of his work is helping a former
inmate get started in business after release from prison.

"The Jewish community has a free loan society," he said. "If I call and say
he needs $2,000, which he will pay back, they will give it to him."