From a profile of chaplaincy in Ventury County jail facilities, with chaplains John Gatlin and Bob Stockman:
Ministering to inmates is not for the faint of heart, said Marie Rhodes Smith, a county employee with inmate services.
"In order to work in the jail setting, you have to have passion,” Smith said. “A lot of people don’t like to see the inmates confined. It bothers them. Chaplain John is very passionate about what he does and how he is able to make a difference in all the (inmates’) lives so they don’t come back again."
Gatlin and Stockman also comfort inmates when a relative is terminally ill or dies.
The two chaplains verify the inmates’ personal information so the public defender’s office can approve a temporary leave to visit a dying loved one or attend a funeral.
Gatlin said he receives “nothing but respect and admiration” from the inmates. He said the most important aspect of his ministry is to just listen to the men and women he serves.
Stockman said Gatlin has an innate ability to connect with the inmates, despite the often emotionally charged environment a jail can create.
"You can go to school and become educated and stand before a church and preach and not be real—John is real,” Stockman said. “You have to be personable with the individual, you have to be open and honest and be able to minister with no bias. He has an ability to minister and not be a salesman, but a real Christian."
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Simi Valley Acorn.
