Magdalene House Branches Out with Prison Visits

Nashville’s Magdalene House got its start by helping prostitutes turn their lives around.

Now it’s expanding its outreach with visits to women’s prisons across the country.

Founder Becca Stevens says the women of Magdalene House have a lot in common with those in prison. They have problems with drugs and alcohol. Many have turned to prostitution at some point. Most have been victims of physical and sexual abuse.

Now, Rev. Stevens and graduates of Magdalene’s program are sharing lessons they’ve learned with inmates at women’s prisons across the US. At each visit, they speak to a large gathering of prisoners about the importance of finding support in a community of other women. They also invite the women to be a part of their community through personal correspondence.

“What we want to do is establish a relationship with them while they are still incarcerated with the idea that maybe we can be a part of their journey when they are released.”

Each prisoner who contacts Magdalene will be assigned to three people, each of whom will act as a sort of pen pal. A current Magdalene resident will act as a peer counselor, a staff member will offer advice for dealing with the woman’s specific problems, and volunteer will offer support and encouragement.

Stevens says they’re starting to get letters in response to their first two visits. She shares one from an inmate in Florida:

“In her letter to us, one of the things she said was, ‘You reminded me that once I was a very spiritual person and it makes me want to wonder again, is it possible to have a normal life?’”

The group’s prison tour will continue soon with visits in Memphis, New York, Houston, and Los Angeles.