Become a Volunteer

At Death2Life Prison Ministries, our volunteers are the heart of everything we do. Whether you're mentoring, teaching, leading worship, supporting families, or helping behind the scenes, you can be part of bringing hope, healing, and transformation to incarcerated men and women and their families.

Serving inside Texas prisons requires approval from the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ). It's a straightforward process — here's exactly how it works.

To become an approved TDCJ volunteer, you must:

• Be 18 years or older
• Have a clear criminal history for the past 12-18 months
• Complete TDCJ's volunteer application and training
• If you're on any form of adult supervision, provide a letter from your supervising officer acknowledging your participation

Have a past record? Please don't count yourself out. Many of those who serve most powerfully are people who have walked the road themselves. There are real pathways for formerly incarcerated individuals who have successfully reentered — including a Sponsored Volunteer Program that allows service as soon as six months after release when sponsored and accompanied by an approved volunteer. We would love to talk with you about how you can serve.

1. Let us know you're interested. Fill out our volunteer interest form below. This helps us get to know you and guide you to the right place to serve.

2. Complete the TDCJ volunteer application. Apply online through TDCJ's official volunteer application portal. When you reach the "Program of Interest" section, select Chaplaincy, then choose Other and enter Death2Life Prison Ministries. Official application: tdcj.texas.gov/php/prod/volunteer_app

3. Complete TDCJ volunteer training. Your application will not be processed until training is complete. Online training takes about three hours.

4. Check your status. After your training is complete, you can check your approval status on the TDCJ website. Please allow time for processing — approval is not immediate, and completing training does not guarantee approval.

5. Serve with us. Once you're approved, we'll connect you with a place to serve that fits your gifts and availability.

Renewal: Approved volunteers renew their application and re-train every two years.

• Volunteers cannot serve at a facility where a relative, friend, victim, or enemy is incarcerated. Our interest form asks about this so we can guide you appropriately.
• All applications include a criminal background check and review for eligibility.
• Questions about TDCJ eligibility can go directly to TDCJ Volunteer Services at (936) 437-7243.

Fill out our volunteer interest form and we'll be in touch about next steps.

Thank you for your heart to serve. We can't wait to welcome you to the Death2Life family.