Ted Winters contacted me which allowed the two of us to get “updates” on each other. Ted was to bring into my life Doug Burris, the new Director of St. Louis County Justice Services when we did this interview.
It was incredibly impacting for me. Ted takes no salary in his retirement from St. Louis’ Cass Banking Systems to be a volunteer Chaplain available to the temporary inmates of the St. Louis County jail … usually about 900 of them.
“My stock goes up,” he reports, “when inmates ask me about my salary as a Chaplain, as I tell them, ‘I do not get a salary. I am here because of my interest in you!’”
In addition to his one-to-one availability with the inmates, Ted leads small group bible studies, anger management groups, and other needed helps.
He has a good relationship and friendship with Director Doug Burris, who is in charge of these inmates and 325 employees.
I was impacted by the quality of man Ted continues to be, and the quality of man, Doug Burris is, whom he brought into the St. Louis Bott Radio Network studios. (See www.bottradionetwork.com.)
Mr. Burris is far from the image of a “warden” to the 900 plus inmates, the usual number of inmates in the jail. He calls them temporary “residents.” He walks among them daily, to greet them and give them hope, encouragement, and respect.
His relationship with the Lord makes this more of a calling to minister than a job.
“While they are with us in the jail, we make efforts to instill within them hope and respect. When we do that, we feel that they are less likely to return.” (Burris)
A bio on St. Louis County Director of Justice Services Doug Burris from another source …
“In his 18 years as the chief federal probation officer for the Eastern District of Missouri, Doug Burris focused on individuals who were back in their communities after being behind bars.
“In his new role as acting director of the St. Louis County Department of Justice Services, Burris’ attention is now on inmates at the county jail in Clayton. It’s a facility facing intense scrutiny after a series of inmate deaths, a former director accused of harassment and favoritism, and general concerns about workplace culture.
“’I noticed that the problems were extensive, but so were the abilities to fix things,’ he told St. Louis Public Radio’s Rachel Lippmann in a recent interview. ‘And I was confident that with a team and working with the advisory group [the Justice Services Advisory Board] that we could make this a benchmark agency and really make a difference in the community.’”
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Radio “links” to related themes, remembering that the Bible says, “Remember the prisoners, as though in prison with them …” (Hebrews 13:3)
To hear … “MANY MURDERERS, RAPISTS, AND THE LIKE IN PRISON HAVE RECEIVED CHRIST; SOME ARE CALLED TO SERVE THERE AS PASTORS. DR. ANTHONY ALLEN, PRESIDENT, HANNIBAL-LAGRANGE U TELLS OF UNIVERSITY’S MINISTRY DEGREE TO PREPARE THEM” … click on … Many murderers, rapists, and the like in prison have received Christ; some are called to serve there as pastors. Dr. Anthony Allen, President, Hannibal-LaGrange U tells of university’s ministry degree to prepare them. – Harold Hendrick
To hear … “MARK WHITACRE: ADM PRICE FIXER, FBI WHISTLEBLOWER, SUICIDAL; PRISON WAS “BEST YEARS OF MY LIFE!” … click on … Mark Whitacre: ADM price fixer, FBI whistleblower, suicidal; prison was “Best years of my life!” – Harold Hendrick
To hear … “Dr. Henry Blackaby (‘Experiencing God’); regarding his visits to joyful Angola Prisoners’ on death row!” … click on … https://harold-hendrick.com/2013/09/26/dr-henry-blackaby-experiencing-god-re-his-visits-to-joyful-angola-prisoners-on-death-row/
To hear … “Pastor Phil Brownlee in St. Louis County jail listened hours a day to Bible teaching on Bott Radio Network” (See www.bottradionetwork.com) … click on … https://harold-hendrick.com/2016/08/24/pastor-phil-brownlee-in-stl-county-jail-listened-hours-a-day-to-bible-teaching-on-bott-radio-network/
To hear … “Dale Pugh: defiant, by 17 arrested 5 times, “called on God from jail.” Now living in joy, purpose” … click on … https://harold-hendrick.com/2016/08/13/dale-pugh-defiant-by-17-arrested-5-times-called-on-god-from-jail-now-living-in-joy-purpose/
To hear … “Jim Morrison of Oklahoma: 37-years pointing students to Jesus; now taking hope to the depressed in jail” … click on … https://harold-hendrick.com/2013/12/10/jim-morrison-of-oklahoma-37-years-pointing-students-to-jesus-now-taking-hope-to-depressed-in-jail/
To hear … “Tino Wallenda (of the ‘Flying Wallendas’ – www.wallenda.com) using high wire skills in prison ministry” …click on … https://harold-hendrick.com/2016/07/30/tino-wallenda-flying-wallendas-www-wallenda-com-using-high-wire-skills-in-prison-ministry/
To hear … “Joyful speaker Jayne Patton encourages women. assemblies, prisoners; helps for our ‘Quiet Times’”… click on … https://harold-hendrick.com/2016/12/23/joyful-speaker-jayne-patton-encourages-women-assemblies-prisoners-helps-for-our-quiet-times/ … and …
To hear … “Mary Kay Beard, transformed in prison, began Angel Tree; gifts for 6 million children of prisoners” … click on … https://harold-hendrick.com/2009/12/01/mary-kay-beard-transformed-in-prison-began-angel-tree-gifts-for-6-million-children-of-prisoners/ … and …
To hear … “Filipino prison pastor Benjamin Amar makes beautiful art with tuna can lids, lit candle, and melted crayons” … click on … https://harold-hendrick.com/2014/05/30/filipino-prison-pastor-benjamin-amar-makes-beautiful-art-w-tuna-can-lid-lit-candle-melted-crayons/