Locals commute 400 miles a week to minister to prisoners

A weekly 400-mile round trip to minister to over 50 prisoners at the Treasure State Correctional Training Center in Deer Lodge has led local retired pastor Ron Pierce and his wife, Carol, to drive roughly 300,000 miles over the last 15 years.

“It is a joy for us to go,” Ron said. “I am 75 years old, and they ask ‘how long are you going to do that,’ and I guess until the Lord tells us no or send us home, I haven’t put a time on it.”

The Pierces started working with prisoners back when the camp was located near Swan Lake. Ron was the founding pastor of Swan Chapel where he ministered for 29 years, so the previous location was a short drive for the couple.

During that time, he was a counselor for juveniles from Miles City’s Pine Hills School for Boys until 1975 when the chaplain resigned and Ron became the camp’s new chaplain. Then, the prison’s boot camp program began in 1993.

But, in 1997 Carol had a heart attack and they decided to retire and the camp was moved from Swan Lake to Deer Lodge that same summer.

“When they moved the camp, I thought that part of our ministry was over and if we were still pastering at Swan (Chapel), we couldn’t get down there,” Ron said. “It’s really neat, people ask ‘why do you go so far’ that our standard answer is God asked us to. After people go with us, almost immediately they will say now we know why you come.”

The state reimburses the Pierces for fuel and meals, but their work is done entirely voluntarily. Aside from the occasional trip to see family, the Pierces said they have never missed their weekly trip to Deer Lodge due to bad weather or illness, nor have they even come close to hitting any wildlife along the way.

Carol said it takes commitment on busy weeks and can be difficult to find substitutes for the one or two weeks they take off to go see family.

Now located at the base of Mt. Deer Lodge on prison property, the center is based on a military format of discipline and treatment in a boot camp format and prisoners volunteer to participate. While at the camp they participate in courses such as victimology, criminal thinking errors, anger management, substance abuse treatment, cognitive principle restructuring, accountability relapse victim impact, and academics toward earning their GED.

The camp also has the prisoners do labor intensive work such as splitting wood. Ron said last year the camp gave away 90-100 cords of wood to those in need in the Deer Lodge community.

Because of the labor intensive work, Ron estimated the average participant is 25 years old. He said they had a 17-year-old once and a 50-year-old too.

“It’s the best thing in corrections as far as I’m concerned,” Ron said. “The main thing is for the guys to really look at themselves and take responsibility for what they have done. When they face themselves they don’t like what they see, and our part is to tell them to work with Jesus to fix that.”

Every Sunday the prisoners can opt to spend time with Ron and Carol from 3-4:30 p.m. For the first 40 minutes Ron plays guitar and Carol plays keyboard while the prisoners sing songs they select from books provided by the Pierces. After that, the prisoners spend time praying and then finish off the final 30 minutes with a Bible study lead by the Pierces.

“But, I would be a fool to think that they aren’t trying to get away from the DIs (drill instructors) for an hour and a half. We aren’t bleeding hearts, we know the program and why they are there,” Ron said. “But then it touches their heart and then they get involved and want to be at church.”

The minimum stay in the camp is 90 days and the maximum is 120 days. But, Ron said if a prisoner is showing progress and making an effort, they are allowed to stay longer, some for as long as 270 days.

“The idea is for them to be successful when they get out and not return to prison, it is having great results,” Ron said. “The percentage of returnees is far less than what the prison population in general is.”

After graduating from the program, Ron said the prisoners go to after-care centers in Great Falls where they can get a job and have a more relaxed atmosphere while under supervision. Then they can petition for parole, and Ron speculated none of his graduates have been turned down.

Over the years the Pierces have ministered to thousands of prisoners and will occasionally see them in public after they’ve served their time in prison. Ron said they often greet them with a hug and words of gratitude for the Pierces’ help in the camp.

“It’s not just a job, it is not just something we do, it is something God called us to do,” Ron said.