GTU Women and Religion Conference, 28 April 2023Dr. Valerie Miles-Tribble, GTU Women and Religion Conference, 28 April 2023Katy Dickinson, GTU Women and Religion Conference, 28 April 2023Dr. Mahjabeen Dhala, GTU Women and Religion Conference, 28 April 2023
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Katy Dickinson Women of Faith in Jail This presents a jail chaplain’s view on how women prisoners’s experience, especially their faith experience, is different from that of men in the American justice system. In many ways, the lives of American women and men prisoners are similarly marginalized; however, the systemic social and economic disadvantages of women in our society are reflected in the lives of female inmates. For example, women are usually the primary caretakers for children from whom incarceration separates them, women often enter the carceral system having had more traumatic experiences, and all-too-often women undergo more trauma in jail and prison. As a result, working with women inmates as a chaplain or officer can be more complex and emotionally intense compared to working with male prisoners. While some avoid working with women, others find special satisfaction in supporting female prisoners. A groundbreaking report has just been published about women prisoners and their unique challenges and patterns.
Here is a link to the whole submission, if you want more text (and references). The event will be recorded but not available online in real time.
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After a lot of thought, I have decided to write about having breast cancer. Mine has been a relatively minor case (“Level Zero” or “Stage Zero” in a measurement system where the higher the number, the more advanced the cancer). I have not wanted to talk about it because I did not want any more fuss than needed. However, now that I have finished surgery and radiation, it feels like not talking about it makes it scarier and more important. I know so many who have died from cancer, and others who are bravely seeking healing with much more advanced cases. My father, Wade Dickinson, had cancer five times. I am deeply grateful for my “Level Zero” circumstances and for the support of my beloved husband John and family and friends during this challenging experience. I feel blessed to to be surrounded by a caring and loving community who have generously advised, commiserated, and celebrated with me during this long process. I am also blessed to have good health insurance for this expensive treatment. The estimated cost for the surgery alone was $112,124.
The kind of cancer I had is called DCIS – or Ductal carcinoma in situ, sometimes described as pre-cancerous or a non-invasive cancerous lesion. The DCIS was in only one breast. The first sign of trouble turned up in a routine mammogram a year ago. There were discussions and rounds of diagnostic tests by the Stanford Women’s Cancer Center. All of that ended up with my having a Lumpectomy in early January 2023, followed by ten radiation treatments.
Something that surprised me about this process was that unlike every other medical experience I have had, cancer seems more of a lifestyle than a disease. During my treatment, there seemed an unstated assumption that cancer was all there was to my life. For example, nurses would repeatedly schedule appointments without consulting me, assuming that I would be available whenever they had an opening. When I said I had a graduate school class to attend, or was teaching a class, or going to work, they were surprised. This seems to be an indication either that most people have worse cases than mine, or maybe they have less to do. Similarly, there was pressure for me to get tattoos (three small blue dots in several places on my torso) to make radiation alignment easier. I pushed back because I have sensitive skin and have no idea how it would respond to tattoo ink, and it seemed inappropriate to make permanent marks on my body for a two week treatment. Again, the nurses were surprised. On 15 March 2023, when I graduated at the end of my radiation treatments, I got to ring a brass bell and the nurses and technicians gave me a diploma and ovation – and a “mybluedots” pin even though I had them mark my torso with ink and tape rather than getting tattoos.
I am still tired and in a little pain from the radiation treatments, and am waiting for radiation burn to appear at the treatment area. I will start taking Tamoxifen (selective estrogen receptor modulator) in a few weeks. I will also continue to check in with the Stanford Women’s Cancer Center nurses and doctors, probably for the rest of my life.
Katy and John Before Surgery, 4 Jan 2023Katy in radiation, 7 March 2023Katy – Radiation graduation, 15 March 2023
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This semester at the Graduate Theological Union‘s Berkeley School of Theology, I am taking three classes as part of my Doctor of Ministry studies. They are: “The Qur’an: Origin, Application, Interpretations” (Dr. Majabeen Dhala, Center for Islamic Studies), “Introduction to Prison Ministry” (Father George Williams, Jesuit School of Theology), and “Examining the Case for Reparations for African Americans” (Dr. Ronald Burris & Dr. Aidsand Wright-Riggins, BST).
I just gave my first presentation in Dr. Dhala’s class, called “Joseph – Yusuf.” In this presentation, I considered the story of the patriarch / prophet Joseph – Yusuf as presented in the Torah / Hebrew Bible and in the Qur’an, in the context of my ministry as a jail chaplain. The class and I had a good discussion!
You can see the whole presentation here. See the last pages of my presentation for where I found the images and other sources.
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I am happy to report successful maintenance of my new weight for the last seven months. I still use the free Fooducate nutrition and weight tracker to record what I eat and weigh each each day as a reminder. In my 22 September 2022 update, I mentioned having to buy new clothes after losing sixty pounds. This meant making lots of style decisions (since nothing fit except my socks and scarves). I have enjoyed using ThredUp and other thrifty online sources to find new clothing designers and materials. I have also been watching YouTube for fashion ideas and to get an idea of what is worth extra expense. (The trick is to find a YouTuber whose style and form feels like yours.) My recent splurges have been for a pair of Thursday Captain boots, and Sézane fancy sweaters.
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“The Problem: As part of changing a life path that repeatedly ends in Santa Clara County jail, many inmates want to learn about and develop their faith and theology but lack resource access and the reading capability or education to move forward. Inmates who are Spanish language speakers, have reading difficulties, and those with mental health challenges are at a particular disadvantage and are often isolated and disempowered. America’s punishment-based, racist and classist carceral system, and the constant population churn inside jails, militate against empowering inmates’s spiritual well-being, success, and change of life. Tailoring educational and faith programs to particularly disadvantaged inmates may help to reduce long-term recidivism.
The Purpose: To support the most invisible of the largely-unseen and severely marginalized population of jail prisoners in Santa Clara County, this project revises existing Bible study and theological reflection program materials to support inmates in three particularly-underserved and vulnerable groups: those whose primary language is Spanish, and/or have mental health challenges, and/or have reading comprehension difficulties. Making materials more accessible may help to encourage their faith walk, sustain their difficult journey, and discourage recidivism after release.”
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Katy Dickinson, Lee Satterfield, TechWomen 10 Year Honor, 20 October 2022
As 2022 is ending, I have been reflecting on how busy these last few months have been. In October, I mentored the remarkable and inspiring TechWomen Team Tunisia, and was one of the 21 mentors honored by the U.S. State Department – Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs for ten years’ service to the TechWomen program. (I was the TechWomen Process Architect 2010-2011, and have been a mentor each year since.) Also that month, my husband John Plocher said a fond goodbye to Apple, and started a new job at Ford Greenfield Labs.
Katy Dickinson, TechWomen 10 Year Honor, 20 October 2022Katy Dickinson, TechWomen Honor, 20 October 2022Katy Dickinson, Tunisia TechWomen, 16 October 2022John Plocher with Ford Mach-E
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