Welcome to the OR Prison Affairs Bureau.

After a week worth of rain storms and steady drizzle, Ostara released us from the dreadful but necessary embrace. The sun shone bright; a break past the shady clouds to cleanse us of gloom and plant new growth of the spirit, awaken our holy mother Jorth, and light the way towards bright Balder. It left us with a sigh of relief, Ostaras’s bounty.

So you think you want to start going into prisons? Remember the Wizard of Oz, where Dorothy and her friends are entering the Wicked Witch’s forest? Remember the sign? And do you recall how they gathered their heart, courage, and smarts and kept going anyway? In the end, they all come out fine as can be, with medals of Honor and with the clarity of one waking from a significant dream.

A directory of websites for Federal Bureau of Prisons and State Departments of Correction. States and even individual institutions have rules regarding visitation, mail, approved vendors, book, religious paraphernalia etc. So it is important that those dealing with prisoners make themselves aware of the requirements, whether they are family, friends or outreach worker.

The Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act is a United States federal law that prohibits the imposition of burdens on the ability of prisoners to worship as they please, as well as making it easier for Churches and other religious institutions to avoid state restrictions on their property use through zoning laws.

Resources to help released prisoners find work.

I came up with the nine steps several years ago. I noticed that many of our people struggle with addiction but had a problem with the deeply Christian 12-steps, where the message is to give up your power to God. Our theology doesn’t resonate with that idea. You will see in the 9-steps the emphasis is more about looking honestly at yourself and using your personal power wisely, not destructively. The point is to be in line with the Gods and with the tapestry of Wyrd, not to be powerless before their will.

I’m not sure what I should welcome you to…? Should I welcome you to Odinism as a new group? Should I welcome you to the season of the Fall Equinox? Or should I be realistic and welcome you to the hardest and richest path you will ever take?

The Odinic Rite has been asked to study a deposition made by one Michael Murray aka Valgard Murray in his role as a paid witness for the State of Ohio Corrections Dept. against Asatru/Odinist convicts. Michael Murray is the head of an Asatru organization or church called the Asatru Alliance (AA). On studying it we found it contained so many inaccuracies and falsehoods, many directly concerning the Odinic Rite, it was felt in the interests of truth and clarity the actual facts should be presented.

Laurel Owen Interview

Laurel, the OR’s Prison Affairs Bureau Co-ordinator interviewed by Odinist Press Service which provides links to news of interest to Odinists.

Prison outreach has always been a hard row to hoe. With every baby step forward you can bet on long hard battles, back-stabbing, hostile officials and chaplains, obstacle courses that are almost too high to hurdle, and members of the free world Asatru community that regard you with indifference or even outright disrespect. In spite of all this, we continue to press on step by step.

And now we have Valgard Murray, and his deposition for the state of Ohio.