Chaplain (35 Hour)

State of Connecticut - DOC Bridgeport Correctional Cntr; Bridgeport (CT); On-site; USD 60,000 - 85,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health and dental benefits

Public Service Loan Forgiveness‑eligib

Job summary

State of Connecticut - DOC Bridgeport Correctional Cntr is seeking a full-time Chaplain to lead religious services and provide spiritual guidance for staff and inmates. The role includes administering sacraments, preaching, counseling, and collaborating with facility staff on religious concerns.

The position emphasizes trauma‑informed presence, interfaith care, and programming aimed at reducing recidivism, with attendance at a 14-week Training Academy in Cheshire, CT as part of the onboarding

Qualifications

• Graduation from an accredited three year postgraduate theological seminary.
• Master of Divinity degree or equivalent.
• One year of pastoral experience or equivalent pastoral ministry experience.

Responsibilities

• Preach and administer religious services in state facilities.
• Offer trauma‑informed pastoral care and counseling to staff and inmates.
• Prepare sermons and coordinate with visiting clergy.
• Provide interfaith spiritual guidance and religious programming to reduce recidivism.
• Attend the Training Academy in Cheshire, CT as required.

Skills

Interpersonal skills

Oral and written communication

Education

Master of Divinity

Graduate theological seminary

Job description

Introduction

The State of Connecticut, Department of Correction (DOC) is expanding their Religious Services Department and Hiring a Protestant�Chaplain.

WHAT WE CAN OFFER YOU

The State of Connecticut is an eligible Public Service Loan Forgiveness employer, meaning you may be eligible to have qualifying student loans forgiven after 10 years of service.

• Professional growth and development opportunities
• A healthy work/life balance for all employees

POSITION HIGHLIGHTS

This position is full-time, following a first shift schedule, 35 hours a week, with a flexible schedule based on program and facility needs, and is entitled to excellent benefits including health and dental.

Under the supervision of the Religious Services Unit, as a Chaplain, you will offer trauma informed presence grounded in dignity to both staff and inmates.

You will also provide interfaith pastoral care and denomination‑specific spiritual guidance while facilitating individual and collective religious activities, and conducting programming that aims to reduce recidivism.

Candidates selected for this position will be required to attend the 14‑week Training Academy in Cheshire, CT.

Additional information will be provided during the hiring process.

As a Chaplain at the DOC, you will work with our various offender populations conducting religious services in our state facilities, including:

• Administering rites and sacraments
• Preparing and preaching sermons
• Conferring with visiting clergy
• Counseling individuals and their families
• Collaborating with facility staff on religious concerns that may arise
• Meeting the needs of the department, including providing worship services during Holidays

This recruitment will be used to fill vacancies throughout correctional facilities across the State. Please refer to the list below:

• Bridgeport CC - Bridgeport, CT
• Brooklyn CI - Brooklyn, CT
• Cheshire CI - Cheshire, CT
• Cybulski CI - Somers, CT
• Garner CI - Newtown, CT
• Hartford CC - Hartford, CT
• MacDougall-Walker� CI - Suffield, CT
• Manson Youth Institute - Cheshire, CT
• New Haven CC - New Haven, CT
• Osborn CI - Somers, CT
• Robinson CI - Enfield, CT

ABOUT US

The Connecticut Department of Correction is a diverse agency with a wide variety of employees from Correction Officers, to Educators, to Managers and Skilled Professionals. We value differences that make us stronger as a team and support our mission statement.

The Connecticut Department of Correction (DOC) is the agency responsible for corrections in the U.S. state of Connecticut. The agency operates 13 correctional facilities. It has its headquarters in Wethersfield. The DOC protects public safety by ensuring offenders serve their sentences of imprisonments in facilities that are safe, human, and provide re-entry programming.

The State of Connecticut, Department of Correction is a unified system; all sentenced and un‑sentenced offenders are supervised by the DOC. The Department also provides supervision for offenders on parole, community release, and other discretionary release programs.

The Religious Services Unit offers to the inmate population trauma informed presence, pastoral care, spiritual guidance, religious facilitation, and programming that reduces recidivism.

Annually, more than 80,000 hours of ministry time, more than 20,000 worship services and religious programs and more than 50,000 individual and group counseling sessions are provided to offenders by the Chaplaincy staff which is supplemented by numerous religious volunteers from the community.

For an inside look at what it's like to work as an employee for the State of Connecticut, please watch the video below!

PURPOSE OF JOB CLASS (NATURE OF WORK)

In the Chaplaincy Department of a state hospital, correctional facility or agency this class is accountable for ministering to the pastoral needs of the population and for conducting religious services.

EXAMPLES OF DUTIES

• Preaches and conducts religious services in a state facility
• Administers rites and sacraments
• Prepares and preaches sermons
• Confers with visiting clergy
• Consults with facility staff on religious problems
• Interprets Chaplain function to other departments in facility
• Under appropriate clinical supervision, counsels individuals and their families
• Participates in team meetings
• Keeps records and writes reports
• Assists in organizing and conducting seminars for community clergy
• Participates in various in‑house educational programs
• May speak to lay and professional groups
• May train and conduct choir
• May serve on a variety of committees
• May participate in Employee Assistance Program
• May counsel staff and their families
• Performs related duties as required

KNOWLEDGE, SKILL AND ABILITY

Knowledge of pastoral ministry and ability to perform requirements of formal religious services.

• interpersonal skills
• oral and written communication skills

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS - GENERAL EXPERIENCE

• Graduation from an accredited three (3) year postgraduate theological seminary
• A Master of Divinity degree or its equivalent
• Completion of all formal religious training required by a recognized religious denomination necessary to perform the pastoral role
• AND
• One (1) year of pastoral experience or equivalent experience within a recognized religious denomination

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Experience in Clinical Pastoral Education
• Experience working with diverse cultures
• Experience working with diverse and at‑risk populations
• Experience working in a team environment with others who may come from different backgrounds and/or beliefs
• Experience working with other faith traditions
• Regional or National Endorsement/Ordination/Faculties

SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS

• Incumbents in this class must have been ordained or commissioned by a religious body and received endorsement by an acceptable recognized denominational authority for this position. Endorsement or credentialing by the same endorsing authority must be ongoing and uninterrupted as a condition of employment
• Incumbents in this class may be required to possess and maintain a valid Motor Vehicle Operator’s license
• Incumbents in this class may be required to travel

WORKING CONDITIONS

Incumbents in this class may be required to lift and restrain individuals or inmates; may have some exposure to communicable/infectious diseases and to risk of injury from assaultive/abusive individuals or inmates; may be exposed to disagreeable conditions.

Conclusion

AN AFFIRMATIVE ACTION/EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

The State of Connecticut is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer and strongly encourages the applications of women, minorities, and persons with disabilities.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

As defined by Sec. 5-196 of the Connecticut General Statutes, a job class is a position or group of positions that share general characteristics and are categorized under a single title for administrative purposes. As such, a job class is not meant to be all-inclusive of every task and/or responsibility.