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.
Meet our Team
Jail Ministry's hard-working team is comprised of a small staff and a large group of donors and volunteers.
Learn more about them below.
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Keith Cieplicki
Executive Director
Keith Cieplicki is in his tenth year as the Executive Director of Jail Ministry. He previously worked with Catholic Charities of Onondaga County as an Associate Director overseeing all Emergency Services, and was a college women’s basketball coach at Syracuse University, the University of Vermont, and Boston College.
Keith has 3 children, Kathrin, Brian, and Matthew and has been married for 31 years to Kristin Gladu Cieplicki. He was born in Burlington, Vermont and has lived in Syracuse since 2003.
Keith loves being a part of the Jail Ministry community and takes great pride in the long history of the work and the inspiration of the Catholic Worker Movement.
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Beth Schafer
Assistant Director
Prior to becoming the assistant director at Jail Ministry, Beth was a volunteer Visitor Advocate at the Justice Center. She recently retired from her position as Director of Faith in Action at Holy Cross Church. Prior to that she was employed at the Diocese of Syracuse in the Office of Faith Formation.
Beth is married and the mother of 4 adult children. She believes that building relationships and the accompaniment of suffering individuals are essential to forming a more just and merciful world.
Beth feels honored to work with all of the wonderful people who are part of and support Jail Ministry.
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Volunteers & Donors
Jail Ministry could not operate without our generous volunteers and donors, many of whom have supported the organization since its inception in 1976.
Jail Ministry has over 60 trained volunteers including Jesuit Novices, and over 100 individuals who are part of our writing program.
Please consider becoming part of our team by volunteering your time and/or donating critically needed funds.
Jail Ministry Board
John Sindoni, President
James Barry, Treasurer
Sharon Cirincione, Secretary
Bishop Douglas Lucia
Fr. John Kurgan, Vicar General
Danielle Cummings
Bill Cuddy
Geneva Fortune
Ellen Golden
Reginald Grandjean
John Keib
Jessica Ryan
Carl Thomas