An oasis in the midst of the courts, a state prison, and the Milwaukee County Jail, St. Ben’s is a welcoming, safe place for those involved in the criminal justice system. 

Chaplains from St Ben’s offer prayers, a listening ear, help with needed resources, and hope for the future. They make a real difference in the lives of many during incarceration and after release.

For further information on any of these St Ben’s Jail ministry programs contact St Ben's Parish at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

St Ben’s provides a home and support center to volunteer chaplains and those who minister in the jails around us. They gather at St Ben's friary every month for prayer, scripture reading, support and sharing. Some of the projects now in place are: The Holiday Gift Project, Jail Retreats for Women (three times/year), and weekly meetings with inmates. The weekly meetings include discussion groups, Scripture studies, art classes and prayer and parenting discussions. Volunteer chaplains are also involved in writing to prisoners, distributing Bibles, working in jail libraries and providing support & resource materials for families of prisoners.

People at St Ben’s do advocacy work for incarcerated men and women. St Ben’s was an early supporter of Wisconsin Coalition Against the Death Penalty 

Jail Ministry Retreats 

St Ben’s Chaplains have made a difference in our Milwaukee County Jail with visits and retreats. For many years Chaplains have been holding religious retreats three times annually for women in jail. Entitled “Listening to the Spirit through Scripture,” these retreats offer hope for the future and the listening ears of prayer guides.  

Discern Jail Chaplaincy 

Many called by the Holy Spirit have prayed about being a jail volunteer. A program is in place to help Spirit-filled people in this discernment.

Facilitate Seminary Student Societal Ministry 

We do facilitate the jail experience with seminary students from St Francis Seminary. The students interact inside the jail. They meet and share face to face with the incarcerated. We will work with any seminary interested in this ministry

Speakers Available 

We will be happy to share our jail experiences with any church organization, fraternal group, or any focus group.