A Better Community For All

Jail Ministry of Onondaga County is a grassroots, social justice, spiritually-based community founded in 1976 in Syracuse, NY.

Our Vision

The vision of Jail Ministry is that all individuals incarcerated in Onondaga County to have access to spiritual, emotional, and personal support, leading to the betterment of our entire community.

Our Values

Strength: We believe every individual is created whole and capable.   

Worth: We believe every individual is deserving of respect and dignity.  

Service: We believe in practicing acts of mercy and generosity in the spirit of the Gospel mandate “When I was in prison you visited me.”

Connection: We believe that presence and relationships enhance our own lives, the lives of those we serve, and the community as a whole.  

Peace: We believe in working to create a world where everyone may live in safety, freedom, and tranquility. 

Our Mission

Jail Ministry works to enhance the dignity and quality of life of all individuals incarcerated in Onondaga County through daily presence, support, and advocacy. To this end, we offer a wide variety of services.

Our Services

Free Phone Calls from Inside the Jail – We offer every resident one free phone call Monday-Thursdays, 9-noon. Requests may include relaying messages to family members, lawyers, employers, landlords, and other contacts. Residents may also call simply to receive support. The number to call from within the jail is 315.424.1877.

Visitor Advocacy - We have over 60 trained volunteers who visit individuals at the Justice Center for 1 hour each week. Visitors are assigned based on requests from residents at the jail who would like to be visited. Covid has put this on hold but we hope to be back visiting soon.

Spiritual Ministry – We have a Spiritual Minister in the Justice Center who does one-on-one visitation for residents that request it. Our Spiritual Minister is present in the facility Monday through Thursday and responds to all requests of all faiths.

Writing program – We have over 100 volunteers who write to residents at the Justice Center and Jamesville Correctional Facility. We produce an inspirational flier every two weeks and our writers send it in with a note of encouragement. Some residents write back. All mail goes through the office of Jail Ministry. Home addresses are never given and pen names or first names only are used. Over 400 incarcerated individuals receive our mailings.

Communication – We assist with communication with lawyers, landlords, employers, families, and act as a bridge to the administration (monthly meeting to voice and discuss needs and concerns).

Distribution of Materials - We provide many materials to residents at the Justice Center. These include materials for many different faiths. Examples include address books, Rosary beads, reading glasses, and spiritual and motivational books for all of the libraries in the 11 different pods in the facility.

Clothing – Since residents leave the jail with only what they wore when they were arrested, and because many times these clothes no longer fit and/or are not weather appropriate, we provide clothing for individuals when they are released back into the community.

Houses of Healing Course – We offer classes on personal growth, development, and understanding on a regular basis in the facility.

Annual Christmas Party – We celebrate Christmas in the facility with the residents each year with gift bags for every resident and Christmas carols and music and laughter.

Jail Ministry Team

Jail Ministry's hard-working team is comprised of an executive director and a large group of donors and volunteers.