Ministry and Spiritual Care
Social Justice Clinical Pastoral Education
Transforming Lives Through Spiritual Care
A Unique Model Helping to Shape Futures
Volunteers of America of Minnesota offers a groundbreaking Social Justice Clinical Pastoral Education (SJ CPE) program inside the Minnesota Correctional Facility-Stillwater (MCF-Stillwater), a maximum-security prison. This accredited program, through the Department of Education and the Association of Clinical Pastoral Education (ACPE), brings together incarcerated men and outside students for a transformative educational experience in spiritual care.
Innovative and Transformative Education
Our program is the only one in the United States that offers CPE inside a prison, serving people and communities often denied access to theological education and interfaith spiritual care. Incarcerated individuals, often serving life sentences, join outside students to form peer groups. These groups meet weekly inside the prison, engaging in interpersonal process work and training as spiritual care providers. Students spend the remainder of their CPE hours providing interfaith spiritual care in their respective settings (inside the prison and out in community).
Building Bridges and Changing Lives
By bringing together students from inside and outside prison as peers, SJ CPE fosters mutual transformation. Incarcerated students gain educational resources and develop crucial skills, while outside faith leaders witness and learn from the powerful work being done inside the prison. This exchange enriches all students, enhancing their ability to support and care for others both during the CPE unit and in how they serve and engage with their communities going forward.
Your Support Matters
- Prayer: Please keep our staff, CPE students, and those they serve in your prayers.
- Financial Support: The cost to support an incarcerated individual through our SJ CPE program is $6,200. Your generous gifts of all sizes help sustain this vital work.
- Learn More: Invite Rev. Dr. Laura Thelander, our Director of Spiritual Care and Social Justice CPE, to speak at your faith community by emailing laura.thelander@voamn.org.