Prison Ministry at 1310 West Main Street, Lexington, KY 40508 US - Home

This site is designed as a resource and support for those who are ministering or who are interested in ministering to inmates in prisons, jails and other correctional facilities.  There are five federal, nine state, and 34 county correctional facilities located in the Diocese of Lexington.  This translates into thousands of men and women who live in isolation cut off from their family and community.  The women living in Lee Adjustment Center in Beattyville are from Hawaii, many miles from family and friends. 

While the Catholic Church does not deny a government's right to ensure public safety, our faith teaches that punishment must lead to rehabilitation and restitution.  “We know that faith has a transforming effect on all our lives. Therefore, rehabilitation and restoration must include the spiritual dimension of healing and hope. The Church must stand-ready to help offenders discover the good news of the Gospel and how it can transform their lives. There should be no prisons, jails, or detention centers that do not have a regular and ongoing Catholic ministry and presence.” (Responsibility, Rehabilitation, and Restoration:  A Catholic Perspective on Crime and Criminal Justice, USCCB, 11-2000)

Prison ministry does not seek to devalue the great pain and suffering criminal acts cause innocent people.  It does not glorify the inmate.  Instead it challenges us to see the face of Christ in people who need encouragement and support to leave behind a life of addiction and violence and become the person God intends them to be.