Prison Chaplain Career Opportunities With The Bureau of Prisons

How To Become A Prison Chaplain was the focus of a question I was recently asked. While I have several friends who are Prison Chaplains, I was unaware of the chaplain career opportunities with the Federal Bureau of Prisons.

Serving as a Prison Chaplain is a possible career change for pastors that could be very fulfilling, especially for those wanting an alternative ministry career path. Another term defining this specific area of chaplaincy would be Correctional Chaplain.

Chaplain job opportunities appears right at the top of the list of correctional career opportunities for which the Bureau of Prisons say they are always accepting applications.

Professional Career Possibilities With The Bureau of Prisons

There are multiple Bureau of Prisons, "BOP", career opportunities covering a wide array of professions. The BOP "family" is described as a diverse, well-trained, and career-oriented team with the finest corrections professionals in the country.

Prison Chaplains will join the Bureau's approximately 35,000 highly-motivated individuals working in 114 correctional institutions across the country.

There is a wide range of occupations servicing the prison population, with correctional chaplains being much needed minister in the prison setting. You can explore the Bureau of Prisons web pages and see that a chaplain career in corrections with the Federal Bureau of Prisons is .

Again, note that Correctional Chaplains are at the top of key professionals for which the Bureau of Prisons are always accepting applications:

• Professional Prison Chaplain
• Prison Clinical Psychologist
• Correctional Officer
• Prison Dental Officer
• Prison Medical Officer
• Prison Nurse Practitioner
• Prison Physician Assistant
• Prison Registered Nurse

Qualifications of Correctional Prison Chaplains

Correctional Chaplains Educational Requirements:
1. Educationally the prison chaplain must have successfully completed an
....undergraduate degree from an accredited college or university.
2. In addition, have a Master of Divinity degree or the equivalent from an American....Theological School (ATS) accredited residential seminary or school of theology.

Ecclesiastical Requirements for a Prison Chaplain Career:
1. Ordination or membership in an ecclesiastically recognized religious institute of....vowed men or women;
2. Experience needed is at least 2 years of autonomous experience as a
....religious/spiritual leader in a parish or specialized ministry setting;
3. Necessary is a current ecclesiastical endorsement by the recognized endorsing body of ones faith tradition;
4. Demonstration of a willingness to provide and coordinate programs for inmates of
....all faiths;
5. Possess the necessary credentials and ability to provide worship services in his/her....faith tradition.

Yes, there are Prison Chaplain Employment Opportunities for the experienced, credentialed minister with an ecumenical spirit willing to serve the multiple faiths of the prison population.

For the Correctional Chaplain meeting the basic educational and ecclesiastical requirements, it seems that the Federal Bureau of Prisons can provide you with an opportunity to do challenging, spiritually satisfying work.

Further information concerning Prison Chaplain Opportunities can be found at
http://www.bop.gov/jobs/job_descriptions/chaplain.jsp.