Beyond the Walls - Sandra Anderson

Sandra Anderson always dreamed of being an RN. After high school, she enlisted in the United States Army Reserve as a medic. Soon after, at the age of 19, she lost her left hand in an industrial accident, and as a result of this injury, she sank into a deep depression and began to steal.

“I truly felt that the amputation killed my dream of being an RN and hindered my earning potential. In my mind, this justified my stealing because I felt this world owed me that.”

Sandra served time on two separate instances. Once at the age of 36 and another at 39, serving a total of three years. While she was incarcerated, she enrolled in a variety of programs such as substance abuse 101, and also served unofficially as an assistant to prison chaplain Dorothy Jones at Pulaski State Prison.

Sandra was released on February 7, 2000, and it was then that she decided to take on the challenge of obtaining a theological degree.

“After my release, I had a great and overwhelming desire to be a prison chaplain because my life was impacted by a passionate chaplain that cared about my future.”

While working to obtain her undergraduate degree, she received special permission to work with one of her instructors who served as a chaplain at Rutledge State Prison, and was invited to speak at the Chaplain’s luncheon. Sandra began to speak at all GDC prisons as a keynote speaker for Heartbound Ministries.

Sandra spent 10 years working on obtaining a theological education and earning 4 degrees with honors. That hard work came full circle on July 1, 2017 when she was hired by Heartbound Ministries to serve as the Chaplain at Metro Transitional Center.

Today, when working with the women, she often tells them to enroll in every program that is offered, and that the time they spend incarcerated is not wasted time when you take advantage of every opportunity that is provided. According to Sandra, “While today I am referred to as Dr. Sandra L. Anderson, my training began in the Georgia Department of Corrections.”

“After my release, I had a great and overwhelming desire to be a prison chaplain because my life was impacted by a passionate chaplain that cared about my future.”