Prison chapel project takes shape

Ellen Halbert Drive has a story behind the name. It winds its way around the Airport and Burnet Rodeo grounds, cuts through cedar patches and eventually comes to an abrupt end at a place which most people in our community never see. This dead-end compound with imposing razor wire fences represents a new beginning for thousands of women across the state. 
The 612-bed facility is home to women who are sentenced to a drug and alcohol treatment program designed to give them tools to overcome their addictions. Most of the ladies enter the facility as first-time offenders, the judge having offered them a chance to complete the 6–8-month program in lieu of a longer sentence in prison. The Halbert women have an average of four children each. 
Some are well-educated and others hope to earn their GED while completing the program. They are all eager to learn a better way of life before they return to their community. 
Life is not easy at the Halbert Unit. 
The program requires that the women do all the work at the facility. Hence their morning wake-up call is at 3:30 a.m. They must do their assigned work at the unit, attend and complete a variety of treatment classes and group therapy meetings, do their homework, plus all the cooking, cleaning and daily chores at the unit. Some go out to clean local parks, state and community grounds. 
By 7 p.m. they are exhausted, but that is when they are allowed to participate in faith-based classes. 
Even though the Ellen Halbert Unit has been a temporary home for thousands of women since 1995, the unit has never had a dedicated chapel for church and faith-based classes. The cramped classrooms in the education building limit the number of participants in the evenings, and there are always waiting lists to get into Bible studies and classes. 
In 2018 a handful of volunteers formed Joseph’s Hammer, a non-profit with a singular mission: to build a worship center at the Ellen Halbert Unit. 
Over the last seven years the directors of Joseph’s Hammer have persisted in spite of naysayers and setbacks, and now hope to have the new facility open in late March, 2025. 
Thousands of generous people in the Highland Lakes area have prayed, donated, and volunteered their time and expertise to complete the God-sized project. 
For years to come, women will find a relationship with a loving Father God during the worst time in their life. Wives, mothers, sisters, and daughters who have been transformed by His peace-filled spirit will be able to return to their families and share their newfound joy with loved ones. 
Joseph’s Hammer will donate the chapel to the state as part of the prison complex when complete, and Chaplain Cartwright will begin to schedule volunteers to lead larger classes and church services. The worship area is large enough for sports and team-building activities too. 
Well done, Highland Lakes community! Our local prison will soon have a much-needed chapel due to your generous hearts. Our vibrant faith community has joined arms to fight the addiction battle on our home front. 
As the construction crews work daily to complete the 8250 sq. ft. building, any funds received by Joseph’s Hammer will be used for finishing and furnishing the interior. If you’d like to know more about the Ellen Halbert story or the chapel construction progress, visit www.josephshammer.org or call 830-613-7185. 
Pam Stevenson is the chairman of Joseph’s Hammer.