Chaplain Extraordinaire: Vickie Scrivner
Whether she’s strumming her guitar in front of a crowd or leading a Bible study, Vickie Scrivner, Chaplain at Leavenworth Detention Center, is spreading hope to those who need it most, both within the facility and beyond its borders. But she never envisioned having the ministry she has at Leavenworth.
“I didn’t think I was called to be a chaplain,” Scrivner says. “I volunteered for CCA for about 10 years before I took the chaplain position.”
Chaplaincy, Scrivner says, is multi-faceted and often unpredictable. “I’m coming to believe that exception is the norm.”
But when crisis strikes, she’s there to bring encouragement, not only to inmates but also to staff.
“There are many staff members who come and talk to me and they know that what they say to me is confidential,” Scrivner says. “We’re like a family here.”
In fact, Scrivner’s office was once nicknamed “chaplain-mart” because she’s known for keeping ample supply of snacks and coffee for anyone who stops in. But Scrivner sees her role as more than ministering within facility walls.
When two facility employees were injured and hospitalized, Scrivner paid them a visit as soon as she heard and spent most of the day at the hospital. She returned later that night and throughout the weekend. One of the officers was suffering from a punctured lung.
“He looked at me with his big brown eyes and said, ‘Pray for me,’” Scrivner says. “That was one of the times I had to try hard not to bawl. “
She has visited and called numerous other employees during their hospital stays, sicknesses and times of bereavement.
“During the loss of my spouse, she constantly checked on me, making sure I was all right and always asking if there was anything that I needed,” says Shelton Richardson, Warden at Leavenworth. “As of this date, she still checks on me regularly. It’s comforting to know she’s there when you really need someone to talk to. We’re fortunate to have her in this facility.”
Scrivner is also responsible for helping inmates cope with loved ones’ deaths.
“Sometimes it’s easy because they’re not close to the person who died,” she says. “But oftentimes, they’ll be in their dayroom and see their loved ones on the news and find out they died, and then I have to go do damage control.”
In her ministry, Scrivner has also witnessed her share of positive, life-changing events.
“A female inmate once asked me to be there for the birth of her baby,” Scrivner says. “I was shocked. Being a single woman, I’d never experienced that.” At the mother’s request, she even cut the umbilical cord.
“I think the best part is seeing inmates make a profession of faith and then do a complete turnabout with their lives,” she says.
Scrivner’s ministry through music has also touched inmates and staff alike. “About two years ago, we held a concert on the recreation yard,” she says. Scrivner is known for singing and playing guitar, and has recorded a church music album.
“I enjoy what I do,” she says. “Being a minister is more than just a job. You have to be called to by God. He is the one who decides where I go and what I do. It affects every part of your life.”
By DeAndra Mack
Sound Out
Damon Hininger at FSC:
What a great story! Thanks for all that you do Vickie.
Louise Grant at FSC:
Chaplain, you are an inspiration, and I'm so grateful the inmates in our care have you to turn to as they heal their lives.
C/O Andrew Brower at Central Arizona Detention Center:
Thank you Chaplain Scrivner for what you do. You demonstrate the love of Christ to inmates just as Christ loves you, which he proved to us all by dying on the cross and offering everyone eternal salvation if we so choose to accept. You are a true inspiration. May God continue to bless you and your ministry.
SCO J. Klubek at LDC:
Thanks Vickie, you make a big difference in our inmate's quality of life
Linda Sevison at Idaho Correctional Center:
It's take a truly dedicated invididual to follow the Lord's call, and it appears that Ms. Scrivner has accepted the call with flying colors. It's not easy dealing with the types of issues that a chaplain may be called to face on any given day. Sometimes it can be emotionally draining. Thank you for setting the standard for others to follow. Leavenworth is truly blessed to have you!