An Inspiring Spirit.

For the past 10 years, Chaplain Janet Casey-Mien has been an inspiration to thousands of young women in the Indianapolis Juvenile Correctional Facility. Her creativity, generosity and enthusiasm have granted many girls the opportunity to regain self-esteem, discover talents and begin new lives.

Known as the "cookie" chaplain, Casey-Allen welcomes everyone to the chapel with a plate of cookies. Through the years, however, she has given young women a lot more than sugary treats. Casey-Allen has created an icon workshop and grief resolution program, developed a liturgical dance troupe and choir, and produced videos about violence prevention and abstinence. In addition, she gives girls a taste of different cultures and religions by celebrating ethnic traditions from around the world.

Casey-Allen feels it is important for her students to have creative experiences. "Many of these girls have lost their childhoods early in life to sex, drugs, rape or molestation," she says. "It is important for them to be involved in something creative because they will have a sense of accomplishment and learn something about themselves." She also believes having the girls develop a spiritual discipline is essential. "I want these girls to leave here knowing God loves them and that God really cares."

Combining those two important aspects, Casey-Allen developed an icon workshop. Each year, several girls are selected to participate in a weeklong program that gives them the opportunity to experience an alternative lifestyle -- being sisters of the Eastern Orthodox Church. Based on an Eastern Orthodox tradition from centuries ago, the girls paint icons of Mary, helping the girls connect to God. Casey-Allen has the girls paint Mary because she wants them to relate to a woman who is close with God and knows what suffering is.

The girls call one another "sister," wear long skirts and are taught prayers and hymns. If one girl curses or misbehaves, she, along with the nuns and other girls, must go to the chapel and ask for forgiveness. "It has a very powerful impact," says Casey-Allen. "They get awfully embarrassed when they see the rest of us doing prostrations with them."

Casey-Allen also helps the girls regain their self-esteem, express their feelings and get closer to God through her dance troupe. "Many of these girls do not feel good about their bodies," she says. "I want them to experience something beautiful in their lives. I want them to experience things that are good and holy and teach them that it is important to worship God with their whole body."

In addition to these programs, Casey-Allen developed SMILE (Sending Messages Involving Love Everywhere), a program that completes projects similar to those of youth service groups. Funded by Youth Resources, the girls pick a project, such as volunteering at a nursing home for AIDS patients. The girls visit the patients, write letters and host parties. "The girls have been absolutely loving to these folks," says Casey-Allen. "They feel they are giving back and say it feels good to do something for someone else."

Casey-Allen exposes the girls to a variety of religions and cultures, such as the Chinese New Year, the Jewish Seder and Middle Eastern festivals. She also tries to expose them to workshop activities about self-respect and respect for others.

Thanks to Casey-Allen, the girls have produced videos about street violence and the dangers of sex and drugs. They wrote the scripts, which include personal stories, and helped produce them, hoping to help others make the right decisions in life. Casey-Allen says she started working with the girls because she wanted them to know they had power over their lives. When the girls see themselves on the videos, talking about their experiences and how they have handled them, they realize they have come a long way and that they have control of their lives.

Casey-Allen finds many rewards performing her numerous responsibilities, especially when students learn something new, look at something in a different way or enhance their spiritual lives. She hopes to have taught them that they are responsible for a better future and that it depends on finding inner strength, no matter what they have done in the past. "I feel if they are able to have a chance in life, even for a moment, to experience what it really means to be a child of God and do things that are beautiful, they will have a chance for a better future," she says.

Elizabeth A. Klug is assistant editor of Corrections Today.