The Pocatello Women’s Correctional Center is a three-hundred bed State of Idaho prison for female offenders located high on the west bench in Pocatello. The Christmas season is a difficult time for the women at the prison as they are separated from family, children, and all the trappings that make up this time of the year. Consequently, it also becomes a difficult time for prison officials as depression takes over some of the inmates, others act out in strange ways, and the number of attempted suicides increases. To help combat those problems the prison encourages volunteer groups during December to provide programs and activities for the inmates and also encourages the inmates to participate in those programs.

During most of the year the inmates “earn” the privilege of attending programs or participating in activities. However, in December all but the most recalcitrant inmates are allowed to attend and participate. Since the prison is located in an area where the predominant religion is The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (the Mormons), the LDS Church has programs and activities for the women at the prison almost every evening of the week. My wife Nina is the Relief Society President at the LDS Branch serving the prison and she spends every Sunday morning and every Thursday evening there providing religious activities for the women inmates.

One of the LDS Church activities offered to the women who are interested is to sing in a choir. They practice on Sunday evenings and between thirty and forty women actively participate in the choir. On the Sunday before Christmas the PWCC Women’s Choir puts on a Christmas program for the other inmates. Tonight was the program and we’ve just gotten back home from a wonderful evening.

Some of the women in the choir sing very well. But, like many church choirs, most are there just because they want to sing, not necessarily because of any particular ability. They put on two programs a year, one in the spring and one at Christmas.

The program is open to the other inmates and to the LDS volunteers and spouses. I truly enjoy going there and have to say, this is my favorite Christmas program each year. They are so happy to be able to perform. They sing from their hearts and just beam when the audience claps and cheers for them. Most of the time they are prisoners … locked in their units and cells. They have little freedom which can be quickly taken away for almost any infraction. Most have almost nothing. Some have been written off or abandoned by their families. Many have families so dysfunctional that it’s no wonder that they ended up in prison.

But this evening they were the stars. They earned the applause which was loud and long. They brightened our day and added to the Christmas Spirit. It was a very good evening. Thank you to the women at the prison in Pocatello. Merry Christmas!