Volunteering: Renewal of Formation in Detention Ministry

 Archdiocese of Miami
Office of Detention Ministry
Domus Misericordiae Formation
School of Prison Pastoral Care
Prison Pastoral Formation Ecosystem—PPFE 

The Archdiocese of Miami’s Office of Detention Ministry is beginning a renewed formation process for all jail, prison, and detention ministry volunteers.

This new process, called the Prison Pastoral Formation Ecosystem (PPFE), is designed to help volunteers serve with a common pastoral foundation, renewed commitment, and greater unity in the mission of the Church.

Our mission is to bring the compassionate presence of Christ to those who are incarcerated, detained, or isolated, accompanying them with dignity, mercy, hope, and pastoral care.

We serve with mercy, prudence, humility, and communion.

This means that our ministry is never only a personal good intention. It is a pastoral service of the Church, carried out with respect for the person, the institution, the pastoral team, and the mission entrusted to us.

We do not serve alone.
We do not act independently.
We do not place personal good intentions above the mission, boundaries, and guidance of the Church.

Our service must always protect the dignity of those we accompany, the integrity of the ministry, and the communion of the Church.

PPFE 000 is a brief orientation for new volunteers and a helpful refresher for current volunteers.

It introduces the mission, expectations, basic pastoral spirit, and golden rule of jail, prison, and detention ministry.

Beginning in September 2026, all current volunteers will be invited to complete PPFE 101 — Foundations of Prison Pastoral Care.

This course will be offered through MoodleCloud, the online formation platform of the Office of Detention Ministry.

PPFE 101 will include:

🎥 short online presentations
📖 brief readings
✅ simple quizzes
👥 a three-hour in-person retreat at the Pastoral Center

Cohort groups TBA — Volunteers will be assigned to groups according to language, availability, and retreat capacity.

After the initial implementation of PPFE 000 and PPFE 101, the Office of Detention Ministry will introduce the next stages of formation:

PPFE 102 — Pastoral Presence, Listening, and Accompaniment
PPFE 103 — Communion, Mission, and Responsible Service

More information about PPFE 102 and PPFE 103 will be shared at a later time.

All volunteers are asked to complete the PPFE Registration Form / Formulario de Inscripción PPFE, including:

🆕 new volunteers
✅ currently endorsed volunteers
🕊️ occasional volunteers serving in retreats, prayer groups, or other pastoral activities

To register, please click on the Formation section of this website and complete the:

PPFE Registration Form / Formulario de Inscripción PPFE

After your registration is reviewed, the Office of Detention Ministry will provide further instructions regarding:

💻 MoodleCloud access
📘 assigned PPFE course
👥  Online Cohort Assignments
📅 Three-hour in-person retreat date
📜 completion and certification process

Volunteer documents are available below on this page.

Complete the PPFE Volunteer Information Form 👇 See below

Your pastor may complete the Pastoral Reference Letter Form (PRL) and send it via email or mail.👇 See below. 

We will share more information about formal PPFE course registration, MoodleCloud access, and retreat dates soon.

Thank you for your faithful service to the Jail, Prison, and Detention Ministry of the Archdiocese of Miami.

We invite all volunteers to walk this renewed path of formation together with hope, humility, and commitment.

May we continue to grow as servants who accompany those deprived of liberty and bring Christ's presence where it is most needed.

Office of Detention Ministry
Archdiocese of Miami