Effective Reentry Ministry for Ordinary Congregations

Advance Copy

Effective Reentry Ministry FOR ORDINARY CONGREGATIONS

A How-to Guide

Fred Nelson INSIDE OUT NETWORK

Effective Reentry Ministry FOR ORDINARY CONGREGATIONS

ISBN: 979-8-218-64174-0

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I owe a huge debt of gratitude to the board members, staff, in- terns, and volunteers of the Inside Out Network for their encour- agement and support over the years. To a generous anonymous supporter who imaginatively helped me revive the idea for this guide and generously funded the work. To Jon Marino, who brought his technical savvy and deep compassion to our Reentry Congregations Initiative survey. To the congregational leaders from 66 congregations across the country for their willingness to take the time to share their successes, failures, insights, and dreams with us. To the dozen faithful readers of an earlier draft of this guide for their careful corrections and helpful suggestions. To Thor Uremovich, our graphic designer, who unfailingly makes our work so inviting and attractive. And finally, to my wife, Carol Breimeier, who has been my faithful and insightful conversation partner, survey coordinator, wise editor, encourager-in-chief, and best friend. None of this would have been possible without you.

[ 2 ]

CONTENTS

Introduction ......................................................................................................... 4 I. The Challenge . ............................................................................................ 5 The Great Disconnect...................................................................................5 II. The Path Forward and a New Paradigm . .......................................... 8 The Minefield Of Desistance: Welcoming The Prodigal Back Home.....8 Thinking Differently: Paradigms Old And New.....................................11 III. Making It Personal ................................................................................. 18 Dan’s Story: “What Happened When I Got Out”....................................18 IV. Eight Models for Reentry Ministry ................................................... 22 Introduction to the Models........................................................................22 1. The Service Station Model..................................................................23 2. The Recovery Fellowship Model........................................................26 3. The Coach/Mentor Connection Model............................................29 4. The Peer-led Ministry Model.............................................................33 5. The Jail to Congregation Model.........................................................36 6. The Life-Changing Model..................................................................39 7. The Whole Family Support Model....................................................42 8. The Mission Station Model................................................................45 V. Next Steps ................................................................................................... 48 Discerning a path forward and working with your congregation........48 VI. Appendices ................................................................................................. 50 A. An Overview of the Inside Out Network............................................50 B. Summary Report of the Reentry Congregations Initiative Survey . 52 C. Guidelines: Sex Offenders in the Congregation.................................65 D. Six Thinking Hats...................................................................................66 E. Links to Helpful Resources for Congregations and Families of Returning Citizens .............................................................................67

[ 3 ]

INTRODUCTION

Why this how-to guide? The Inside Out Network has been working in reen- try for over 16 years. Over those years, our research and experience have re- vealed a great disconnect. First, our data from over 13,000 returning citizens (those leaving incarceration) shows that nearly 40% of them are seeking a church upon release. There’s massive ministry potential all around us. Second, although some large congregations are doing wonderful reentry ministry, the reality is that most congregations are not currently engaged in reentry min- istry in any intentional or meaningful way. Most congregations (even when motivated) feel stymied by the question of how to do effective reentry min- istry. Congregations tend to rule themselves out, saying, “We’re not capable.” In light of this great disconnect, we at the Inside Out Network undertook a broad survey of what’s happening (and what isn’t) in congregation-based reentry ministry across the United States. In the process, we discovered repro- ducible models of reentry ministry and eight distinct pathways that ordinary congregations can explore. We’ve also developed a new paradigm for thinking about justice, those returning from incarceration, and ways to engage with them. Our hope is that this how-to guide will inform, inspire, and empower ordinary congregations like yours to engage in reentry ministry in a way that fits you. Who is this written for? This guide is aimed at congregations that fall into the family, pastoral, or small program-sized categories. Studies show that the average congregation in North America has roughly 70 regular participants on a weekly basis. These smaller-size congregations make up the vast majority of congregations in North America, and they can be found in virtually every neighborhood where people are being released. This guide is directed to pastors, church leaders, and ministry leaders of ordi- nary congregations (of any or no denomination) who are open to exploring a solid biblical foundation and a new working paradigm for reentry, a range of practical pathways to consider, potential next steps to take with your leadership and congregational members, and additional resources worth exploring. If you feel that God may be leading you and your congregation to get engaged in re- entry ministry but you’re not sure how to get started, we invite you to read on!

[ 4 ]

I. THE CHALLENGE

The Great Disconnect For many years, in my work running a reentry nonprofit organization that connects returning citizens with service providers and ministries, I’d been noticing the “great disconnect” that I outlined above: namely, that many men and women who were looking for a church upon their release from incarcera- tion failed to make a connection, and that many congregations that I reached out to were declining to take advantage of the opportunity to connect. And then, at the end of 2021, one of our donors reached out to me with a statis- tic that intrigued him. He noted that the number of Christian congregations in the country roughly approximated the number of people leaving incar- ceration. In actuality, it’s a closer to one congregation for every two people being released (roughly 350,000 congregations and 650,000 people leaving prison yearly). But his basic point still held: Just imagine the potential impact of matching up congregations with men and women who are coming home. The idea seemed elegant and simple and like something that should already have happened long ago. So why the Great Disconnect? On the face of it, a local one inmate-one con- gregation “matching” system seems to make a lot of sense. However, this ap- proach faces a host of challenges. Here are some of them. Not every returning citizen wants to connect with a church. Many men and women experience a profound spiritual awakening in prison. Many don’t. Some prefer to connect only with secular agencies. Not many returning citizens want to be “matched.” As with so many other things where personal chemistry is involved, people want options and the ability to choose for themselves. Many returning citizens struggle with unhealthy shame. Nearly forty per- cent of returning citizens report dreaming of finding a church on the out- side where they can grow, thrive, and serve. Many have experienced spiritual growth during incarceration, but they also carry a persistent shame-filled feel- ing that they are fundamentally flawed and unacceptable, and that, conse- quently, they don’t belong, aren’t wanted, won’t be accepted, and won’t fit in with “church people.”

[ 5 ]

Not every church is motivated. There are a host of social and spiritual needs that need addressing in any congregation. Congregational passion and moti- vation can legitimately flow elsewhere, and often do. Not every church is equipped. The fact that the median church in the U.S. has only 70 regular weekly participants means that many congregations sim- ply don’t have much bandwidth to undertake ministries outside their core strengths. Not every church is in the right place. The geographical distribution of churches at large and the neighborhoods where the majority of returning cit- izens are being released don’t neatly match up. Many congregations focus on equipping their members to serve outside the congregation more than through the congregation. Congregations are in the business of equipping and empowering people to carry out God’s call- ing in their lives in whatever arenas they’ve been called to. Many exercise their faith through service in their workplaces, neighborhood institutions, nonprofit organizations, and civic life rather than through their home con- gregations. The vast majority of congregations can’t adopt a professional social service approach. For good or ill, the current dominant paradigm for reentry work is a professional one. This means that most congregations rule themselves out, saying, “We’re not capable.” We’ll be challenging this paradigm a bit later. Often when congregations do adopt a social service model, they inadver- tently end up creating “clients,” instead of brothers and sisters in the faith. Ironically, the way most congregations engage in social service reentry min- istry makes returning citizens feel like projects or perpetual second-class cit- izens among congregational members. All too often, fellowship and healthy reintegration into a welcoming faith community get short-circuited, and re- turning citizens feel alienated from the very places they dreamed about being part of while incarcerated. Many pastors and other leaders display a generalized reluctance born of the perception that reentry ministry is not only a niche ministry that’s pe- ripheral to their primary work but also that it’s complicated, time-consuming, potentially divisive, and something they have neither trained for nor person- ally experienced. Many congregations cherish their identity as a spiritual home and tend to safeguard their boundaries to ensure the safety and comfort of their fam- ily members. Welcoming a single returning citizen might feel manageable, but the prospect of having ten returning citizens at the front door raises a reflexive fear that this place will no longer feel like home. Allowing program

[ 6 ]

participants to meet in the church basement on a Monday night is one thing. The prospect of intentionally inviting them to worship in the pews, use the restrooms, and mingle in the fellowship hall on a Sunday can feel more intru- sive than attractive. Many congregations operate in the dark. The lack of exposure to and mys- tery surrounding the correctional environment leaves churches with many mistaken preconceptions. Opportunities remain. Make no mistake: Taken together, these challenges are significant, widespread, and persistent. But they can and are being ad- dressed and overcome in communities across the country. There’s a path for- ward as well as reproducible and workable models that can be adopted by ordinary congregations of every stripe. Not every congregation is ready and willing to engage in effective reentry ministry, but a significant number are willing, if not yet ready. Based on years of conversations with congregational leaders, the following matrix is my own rough personal estimation of how or- dinary congregations divide out when it comes to their willingness and ability to engage in reentry ministry.

Feeling Unable

Feeling Able

50% Willing but Feeling Unable (open to change, but modestly resourced and feeling stuck)

5% Willing and Able (both motivated and well-resourced; many already involved at some level) 10% Able but Unwilling (well-resourced but focused on other things)

Willing

35% Unable and Unwilling (struggling and focused on other things)

Unwilling

The greatest opportunity seems to lie with the 50% of congregations who are motivated to do something but aren’t sure how to make that happen. If that describes your congregation, keep reading.

[ 7 ]

II. THE PATH FORWARD AND A NEW PARADIGM

The path forward for congregations that are willing but feeling unable isn’t simply a technical one. Leaders can’t make simple operational tweaks to their congregations to overcome the welter of challenges that block most congre- gations from engaging in valuable, feasible, and sustainable reentry ministry. For most congregations, the path forward will probably require both laying a solid biblical foundation, perhaps for the first time, and framing a new para- digm for thinking about, discussing, planning for, and carrying out an effec- tive reentry ministry. The Minefield Of Desistance: Welcoming The Prodigal Back Home There are a number of places in Scripture where we can begin to lay a foun- dation for reentry ministry. For example, Underground Ministries of Mount Vernon, Washington, has a very thoughtful reflection on Jesus’ raising of Lazarus as a window into the “tombs of incarceration” and the work of rolling away the stone barriers that separate the incarcerated from mainstream life. But it’s almost impossible to improve on Jesus’ parable of the man and his two sons as a starting point. I invite you to listen to how this familiar story, often called the Parable of the Prodigal Son, reads against the backdrop of recent research into desistance from crime. Let’s start with a little thought experiment. Imagine that you woke up this morning in the middle of a minefield. You look around and it’s smoky and foggy. You can’t see ten feet in front of you. And you can’t stay for long where you are because there’s danger and destruction on every side. Landmines! You hear voices yelling, “Do this! Don’t do that!” What do you do? The answer is... Follow the footsteps of the guy who got out successfully. I first heard this word picture from a conference speaker in Atlanta in early 2022. He used this image to describe what it’s like when men and women are leaving incarceration. He was describing people who are trying to make their way through the smoke and fog of reentry, through the landmines of isola-

[ 8 ]

tion, alienation, stigma, chaos, shame, lack of confidence, addiction, trauma, and poverty. The list goes on and on with hundreds of barriers and restric- tions. There are landmines everywhere. What the speaker was saying about “following the footsteps” was that, when it comes to the minefield of a criminal lifestyle, the wise approach is to study the behavior and personal stories of those who’ve actually made it out and managed to build new, healthy, thriving lives. This research into how people find their way out and thrive after prison is called Desistance Theory. As in “cease and desist.” As in “stop and stay stopped.” Desistance theory looks at the process of how men and women wind down and stop their criminal careers and stay stopped. With remark- able consistency, the thousands and thousands of stories desistance theorists have researched point to five key elements of the pathway out of the minefield. Those five key elements are: First, an openness to change. Often, there’s some sort of breakdown that opens the way to a breakthrough—a coming-to-yourself moment, a kind of surrender, an external conviction leading to an inner conviction. Second, finding good hooks or turning points. We all know that it isn’t enough simply to be open to change. That open door of motivation can slam shut again if there’s nowhere to go next. There need to be some tangible peo- ple, places, and things to hook into and explore, something bigger than our- selves. Some common good hooks or turning points are a healthy marriage, meaningful work, the military, and church. Third, seeing a positive future new self. Researchers call this “identity work.” There’s a lot of scholarly literature on the centrality of this process, and it talks about things like “redemption scripts,” rituals of acceptance, “making good,” overcoming shame, and forging a new self. The parallels to the church’s work on discipleship are obvious, aren’t they? They’re literally speaking our lan- guage. Fourth, seeing the old, false self, and putting it away. Again, this kind of language is second-nature to our Christian understanding of identity and our new identity in Christ. To be able to look at our past self and say, “That wasn’t the true me, the real me. That was the old me, the false me, the me that’s being overcome by my new self that God is creating in me.” This is not one-and- done but a process. Fifth, the broader community’s willingness to welcome someone coming home. Desistance isn’t only a matter of what’s happening internally to the one heading home. It’s also deeply affected by the way society applies negative or

[ 9 ]

positive labels to someone, restricts or restores their options, continues or ceases punitive practices, and makes real reconciliation possible. Hold on to these thoughts about the minefield of desistance as we work through Jesus’ parable about the father and his two sons recorded in Luke 15. The parallels are remarkable. Jesus said, “You want to know what the kingdom of God is like? How things really are and where they’re headed?” He said, “Picture this. Imagine a man with two sons: a younger one and his older brother. The younger son dis- honors and ruptures his family, half-bankrupts them, leaves home for the far country, wastes everything, makes a disaster of his life, and ends up in a pigsty, needy and isolated. He’s smack dab in the middle of a minefield.” And it’s there, in that breakdown moment, that he begins to wake up. Here’s the initial openness to change, the inner conviction. Jesus says that the son “comes to himself.” He comes to his senses, comes to remember his father’s house, comes to remember his father. And, as he does, he gets up out of the pigsty in the country far from home, does a U-turn, and starts to make his way back to his father. This is the turning point. But as he returns, he’s got to navigate the minefield. And, for him, the land- mines are both internal (shame and dishonor and identity) and external (trust and relationships that he’s trashed). These landmines are exploding left and right in his head. He’s heading back and he’s thinking, “I’m not worthy any more. I’ve lost my identity as a son. I’ve lost my father forever. I’m only fit to be a permanent outsider, a second-class citizen.” This is all part of the necessary “identity work.” The father both interrupts and completes that identity work. While his son is still a long way off, his father sees him and is filled with compassion for him; he runs to his son, throws his arms around him and kisses him. He kisses him. And, in that moment, he defuses all those landmines. Absorbs them into himself. The father’s compassion crushes his son’s guilt and shame. The father’s love reestablishes his identity. And it’s, “My son’s home! Bring out the best robe, and let’s celebrate.” The father’s loving acceptance disposes of his son’s old, false self. Let’s celebrate. Except …there’s a fly in the ointment. That’s the judgment, resentment, and anger of the older brother, who carries his big landmines around with him. The older brother who won’t let go and won’t come in and won’t go along. Who won’t let his heart join in his father’s compassion. No way. The older brother stands as an impediment to full restoration and reconciliation. The father goes to his older son to work on defusing his landmines, pleading

[ 10 ]

gently with him and reminding him of three things: First, that he and the fa- ther are still and always will be inseparable. Second, that he and the younger son are still and will always be brothers. And third, that now is the time for celebration, because this is fundamentally a story about someone going from lostness to found-ness, from death to life, from rupture to restoration. That’s where Jesus ends the story, leaving us hanging and faced with a massive heart check. The question for the older brother was, “How will you respond to the return of your prodigal younger brother?” After all, his response, at some level, requires a large measure of forgiveness. And forgiveness, as theologian Lewis Smedes reminds us, is “love’s toughest work and love’s biggest risk.” Jesus’ story leaves us with the same question. How will we respond when we hear the Father talking and pleading with us to welcome home our prodigal brothers and sisters who are coming back from the far country and show- ing up at the doors of “our” congregations—which are, after all, our Father’s house? Are we ready to follow our Father’s lead, celebrate our brother’s home- coming, and then roll up our sleeves to do love’s toughest work and help re- store what’s been broken? Want to go deeper? Here are some helpful resources on reentry and desis- tance. Benson, Michael L. Crime and the Life Course: An Introduction. Second Edi- tion. New York: Routledge, 2013. Leverentz, Andrea, Elsa Y. Chen, and Johnna Christian. Beyond Recidivism: New Approaches to Research on Prisoner Reentry and Reintegration. New York: New York University Press, 2020. Maruna, Shadd. Making Good: How Ex-Convicts Reform and Rebuild their Lives. Washington: American Psychological Association, 2001. Maruna, Shadd and Russ Immarigeon. After Crime and Punishment: Path- ways to Offender Reintegration. Portland: Willan Publishing, 2004. Travis, Jeremy. But They All Come Back: Facing the Challenges of Prisoner Re- entry. Washington: Urban Institute Press, 2005. Veysey, Bonita M., Johnna Christian and Damian J. Martinez. How Offenders Transform Their Lives. New York: Routledge, 2011. Prison Fellowship has a helpful 4-page Biblical Basis for Reentry Ministry. Thinking Differently: Paradigms Old And New The Current Paradigm With this biblical foundation fresh in our minds, let’s stop to re-examine our

[ 11 ]

current assumptions. When we start to dig down a bit and engage in self-re- flection, many of us (even in the church) realize that our tendency is to op- erate with a broadly shared set of interlocking beliefs, attitudes, and working assumptions about (a) what justice is, (b) who returning citizens are, and, consequently, (c) how we should respond to and engage with them. Let’s un- pack five core elements of this dominant paradigm, or mental framework, that we often find ourselves unconsciously working from. Justice and just desserts. Much of the time, we think of justice as being fun- damentally about crime and punishment, about determining guilt and met- ing out “just desserts.” In this framework, the ideal of justice is proportional punishment, and the principle is the lex talionis (an eye for an eye). This isn’t intended to be mean-spirited or vengeful. It’s about being clear-eyed and fair, about each person getting what they deserve—no more but also no less. And so, being a “criminal” means that removal from society is often, sadly, the just and right thing. Justice and karmic payback. The goal of just desserts is that, through the process of retribution and punishment, the scales of justice will (at least sym- bolically) be righted again: You do the crime, you do the (proportional) time. There’s a kind of karma involved. The idea of karma is everywhere these days, both inside and outside the church. Karma literally means “action.” It’s about actions, deeds, works, and the results of those actions, the consequences of what we do, the law of cause and effect. Karma says that actions always have reactions, that things don’t happen for no reason, and that you get what you give. Karma says that good actions get rewarded, and evil ones get punished— measure for measure—until the scales of justice are brought back into balance. Returning citizens and need and risk. Once again, picture ten returning cit- izens showing up at the front door of your church this coming Sunday. Think of your initial instinctive reaction. Chances are that prospect immediately conjures up an image of great need and potential risk. After all, we’ve been trained to think of returning citizens as a walking basket of physical, social, mental, and emotional needs. If labeling them “defective” sounds too harsh, we settle for thinking of them as “broken” and in need of fixing. A dominant note of neediness seems self-evident. But neediness is only half of it. What makes this particular group of ten needy people different from other groups is that we tend to instinctively add a “risk” factor. The thought is triggered that these people aren’t just different, they’re potentially dangerously different. We think, “These people bring risk. They’ve done something so bad, so wrong, that they had to be removed from society. Not only that, who knows what damage prison has done to them to make them even more risky to be around? They may be manipulative and predatory and either

[ 12 ]

unwilling or unable to change.” And, to be honest, in a small number of cases, this is justified. Those cases require appropriate intervention to gradually give the person an opportunity to integrate into the congregation. Response and professional intervention. Given these attitudes and working assumptions about justice, and the needy and risky nature of people leaving prison, here’s where our minds often instinctively go next. We often think along the following lines: Since justice saw fit to remove them from society, and since they are deeply needy and perhaps dangerously broken, interacting with them now will require both filling their myriad acute needs and fixing their underlying brokenness, all while minimizing risk. The internal logic of this line of thinking pushes us to the conclusion that the only appropriate and adequate response is that of a therapeutic social service agency. Our men- tal model shapes us to think that where returning citizens deserve to be and probably belong is with a holistic, professional, monitored, social service or- ganization—say, a halfway house. Response and all or nothing. Most ordinary congregations have a heart and can clearly see needs. But when it comes to returning citizens, it just feels overwhelming to think about simultaneously meeting multiple deep-seated needs, fixing pathologies, and maintaining safety and security. It feels as if the path forward to effective reentry ministry is blocked. We feel reluctant and embarrassed to offer what we have—like we’re offering a bandage to someone in need of major surgery. And so we fall for an “all or nothing” fallacy: We’re ordinary, we’re unprofessional, and we clearly can’t do it all, so it’s better to do nothing. We feel guilty, but we secretly wish that they’d just keep walking, going somewhere else down the road and hopefully finding what they need there. Clearly this quick sketch of our dominant paradigm about returning citizens and reentry ministry is overdrawn and overly pointed. And, clearly, most churches do see mercy and a fresh start are central to the Christian faith. The problem is that we don’t know how to integrate these convictions with the dominant paradigm about how justice functions, what returning citizens are like, and how to respond to them. We’re stuck in our mental models. What we want to do here is to invite you to shake up those mental models and think differently so that you can begin to minister differently and better. A New “GRAND” Paradigm We may feel stuck, but we don’t need to stay there. We’re going to revisit each of the attitudes and working assumptions of the dominant paradigm and look at them through the lenses of both the broader biblical witness and recent criminological research on desistance from crime. In the process, we’ll be ad-

[ 13 ]

vocating for a new paradigm for reentry ministry, a mental reordering, a re- framing of how we see (a) justice, (b) those returning home, and (c) the shape of ministry. We’ll use the acronym “GRAND” to describe this new paradigm, which we see as more biblical, more faithful, more hopeful, more balanced, and more effective than what we’ve been working with. Here, in a nutshell, are the five building blocks of this GRAND new paradigm. G race-motivated R estoration-framed A sset-based

N etwork-implemented D esistance-informed

Grace-motivated. At the heart of the Christian message, experience, and identity stands Jesus Christ. And at the heart of Jesus Christ stands the victo- ry of God’s grace. Grace is the foundation and bedrock on which everything else is built. Everything Jesus ever revealed in his teaching and by his cross is grace—us getting wonderful things we don’t deserve, and God absorbing the awful consequences we do deserve. Grace flips karma and just desserts on their head. Grace is about God having a soft spot for failures and losers and screw-ups and sinners and addicts and convicts, for all of us who find our- selves on the bottom, and for all of us who put ourselves on the bottom. Grace is God’s “just because” love. Grace is also God’s merciful “Nevertheless” that follows God’s holy “No.” Grace is love that won’t stop, that won’t let go, that’s always on the lookout for the prodigal on the way home. Grace isn’t cheap, though, because God’s holiness calls us to shalom, to right relationship, to repent and “go and sin no more.” We’re all recipients of God’s grace because we’re all offenders and law-breakers and disturbers of God’s peace. We can see stories of this grace in action in Jesus’ response to the woman caught in adultery, in his invitation to the pred- atory tax collector Zacchaeus, in his parable about the unforgiving servant, in the story of the Prodigal Son, and in many, many other places in the gospels. In every one of these situations, Jesus is not only demonstrating grace, he’s commanding it. He’s leading his followers into a way of life that’s grace-moti- vated and grace-suffused. Restoration-framed. If karma is justice based on deserved payback, grace is God’s love that restores. Restoration is what happens when we shift how we conceive and do justice by changing a single word. We’re talking about a one-word revolution. And here it is: God’s grace calls for us to stop focusing on what the guilty deserve and start focusing on what everyone needs to be whole again and to put things right. And what do alienated and shame-bound people need? Not punishment, not condemnation, not exclusion, not just des-

[ 14 ]

serts. They need pardon and forgiveness, mercy and compassion, and a fresh start with God. What do returning citizens need? They need exactly what the prodigal son needed. They need a restoration of their relational identity. The Father had to remind the older brother that the prodigal is still “my son... your brother.” Returning citizens are God’s daughters and sons, and our sisters and brothers. And they need our acceptance. They need to be welcomed home. They need the rituals of acceptance we can offer. They need to be celebrated, not for the wrong they’ve done in the past, but because they were lost and dead, but now they are found and alive. We’re talking about a full-orbed res- toration—a healing of family relationships, of community cohesion, of harm that was done to the victim, of putting things right. Asset-based. Brian Stevenson, founder of the Equal Justice Initiative and author of Just Mercy, reminds us, “Each of us is more than the worst thing we’ve ever done.” It’s true and solid Christian theology to remind ourselves that none of us is ever reducible to a basket of needs. That’s because, whatev- er particular or profound needs we may have at any one time, each of us is also made in God’s image and likeness and endowed by God with gifts and strengths. Interestingly and provocatively, this core Christian theological con- viction about what it means to be human has parallels in the fields of positive psychology, appreciative inquiry, motivational interviewing, coaching, the Good Lives Model, and a strengths-based approach to human transforma- tion. In all of these approaches, a common thread is that, instead of assuming and probing for deficiencies and dysfunctions, we shift our attention to some- one’s skills, gifts, strengths, and knowledge. The truth is—and the evidence is overwhelming on this—most of us change more quickly and more effectively when we can leverage our strengths to make progress instead of dwelling ex- clusively on our deficiencies. A key point here is that returning citizens not only have assets, but they will be an asset to the local congregation. Prisons often function as spiritual boot camps, producing men and women who are biblically literate, passionate, full of authentic faith, and experienced in mentoring and leading behind prison walls. The Holy Spirit is at work, and prison ministry is bearing spiritual fruit that can wither on the vine on the outside if ordinary congregations aren’t working hard to make a connection with these folks when they’re released. More often than not, the returning citizens who show up at your door have a more battle-tested faith than the ordinary person in the pew. More often than not, they have steeped themselves in scripture more frequently and deeply than many of your congregation members. We need the influence, intensity, and concrete faith of “the least of these,” a faith that often outshines our own. Network-implemented. We all know that congregational life can be challeng-

[ 15 ]

ing and all-absorbing. And many of us have experienced how collaborating with others outside of our congregation is almost inevitably time-consuming, often frustrating, and sometimes feckless, making it all too easy to fall into a ministry silo. We think, “Let’s just see what we can do here on our own.” This isn’t necessarily problematic. In many respects, it’s natural and healthy to know what you do well and to exercise your God-given strengths as a congre- gation. But this approach becomes problematic when it’s combined with the “all or nothing” fallacy. We talk ourselves into thinking that unless the con- gregation addresses the whole person, we’re only doing superficial ministry. So we remain in our silo and end up doing nothing. In truth, though, no congregation can or should do it all. Reentry is a massive social problem that not only encourages but demands a collaborative, net- worked response. Many other organizations are already in the game. This is something worth celebrating. But they need our help. Those organizations are waiting for the church to take its unique and central place at the table—not to dominate the process, not to be an afterthought, but to do our part and offer the treasure we bear in earthen vessels. Relax. You don’t have to be the whole chain. You just have to move forward with humble confidence and be the strongest link you can be with what God has given your congregation. And then network like crazy, in ways that we’ll describe below. Desistance-informed. We described above (beginning on page 8 ) a fairly recent turn in the study of criminology and recidivism called Desistance Theory. Just as a reminder, five key elements of desistance are: (1) openness to change; (2) finding good hooks or turning points; (3) envisioning a positive future new self; (4) recognizing the old, false self and leaving it behind; and (5) the broader community’s willingness to welcome someone coming home. If we look at the following takeaways from desistance theory, it’s not hard to see how the church can play an important part: • People are, in fact, making it out of the criminal minefield, often without professional intervention. • This is an intensely personal process. • In this process, people are constructing new selves with new hope. • In this process, people need practical how-to hooks or turning points. • In this process, people need to have a sense of personal agency and choice. • In this process, people need acceptance and encouragement from others. Can you see how an ordinary congregation is, in fact, uniquely positioned to help the returning citizen who wants to desist from criminal activity, and how it can be the supportive community where change can happen? Whatever

[ 16 ]

your church’s size or giftedness, you can provide deep purpose, real belong- ing, and a new identity. Bottom line: It’s time to start thinking differently. Think G race instead of karma. Think R estoration instead of retribution. Think of what people actually need instead of what you think they deserve. Think A ssets and strengths instead of needs and risks. Think of what return- ing citizens can bring to the table instead of what they might take from it. Think N etworking. Think of being a strong link in a chain instead of doing all or nothing. Think D esistance. Think of the transformative power of acceptance and be- longing and new identity in Christ instead of abdicating to professional in- terventions. Here are some thought-provoking resources that can help reframe your thinking. Braithwaite, John. Crime, Shame, and Reintegration. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1989. Johnson, Byron R. More God, Less Crime: Why Faith Matters and How It Could Matter More. West Conshohocken, PA, 2011. Lampman, Lisa Barnes and Michelle D. Shattuck, eds. God and the Victim: Theological Reflections on Evil, Victimization, and Forgiveness. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1999. Toews, Barb. The Little Book of Restorative Justice for People in Prison: Rebuild- ing the Web of Relationships . New York: Good Books, 2006. Zehr, Howard. Changing Lenses: A New Focus for Crime and Justice. Third Edition . Scottdale, PA: Herald Press, 2005.

[ 17 ]

III. MAKING IT PERSONAL

So far, we’ve been talking in intentionally broad terms about welcoming home the prodigal and thinking differently. Now let’s make it personal. I want to introduce you to Dan and have him tell you what happened when he got out. I first met Dan years ago, in the hot tub at our local community center in the Chicago area. The two of us struck up a conversation, and I just liked him from the get-go. He was funny and friendly and thoughtful. But most of all I was struck by how honest and open he was about how his life had become a mess, how he’d screwed things up, how he was battling substance abuse and his inner demons, and how he was treading water living one day at a time. As it happens, we didn’t just strike up a conversation that evening. We struck up a real friendship. And over the years, things started to happen for Dan. Some good, some bad. He had a bad relapse which led to bad decisions, which led to a number of years in prison. We stayed in touch during his time in incar- ceration and, then, as he experienced reentry back to his life on the outside. The best thing is to just let him tell you his story himself. Here’s how he put it a couple of years ago... Dan’s Story: “What Happened When I Got Out” About six months before I went home it occurred to me that I re- ally was going home. I became very anxious. Everything started bothering me. Inmates were driving me nuts. I found new hatred for the guards. Standing in chow lines made my heart pound. And if I couldn’t get on the phone when I wanted to, I about lost my mind. The funny thing was that I knew all of these atti- tudes were my problem. I knew nothing had changed with my surroundings; something must have changed in me. I knew I had short timer’s disease. I took some action. I prayed about it—going so far as to pray for the inmates and guards I was getting angry at. I talked about it in my recovery meetings and with fellow believers. These things helped but didn’t seem to take it away. About five minutes after I woke up each day my brain would start with the anxiety and resentment.

[ 18 ]

It was so surprising to me to feel so stressed about going home. I felt more stressed about leaving than I did about coming to pris- on! For a long time it had been easier for me to focus on daily prison life. I really didn’t want to think about the family, women, and friends that I’d left behind. That was just too painful for me. To me, leaving prison was going to be the end of all my problems. I pictured a warm welcome from family, old friends, past girl- friends. I figured that someone would give me a job. In prison I did lots of working out, so my physical health was good. Most importantly, in prison I’d prayed, read the Bible, and was involved in a 12 Step program. I really believed that going home would be like going to Disneyland. No more crazy inmates, guards, staff. No more “celly problems.” No more waiting for money in the mail or commissary. I was going to actually be free! In my deep- est heart, I believed that my transition would be filled with stress- free laughter and goodwill from the world. Nothing could have been further from the truth. Prayer definitely helped during this time. So did talking with fel- low believers—people I could trust. They advised that I continue to pray, read the Bible, and find others to help, even if helping meant nothing more than a short, kind word or deed. On the way home I got car sick. I hadn’t been in a car for years, and the motion made me ill. As soon as I arrived at my parents’ house I was filled with a sense of guilt and shame. I didn’t know exactly what to do next. All of the bright colors of everyday life in the real world sort of scared me. Right away I felt like I didn’t fit. Some good friends came by—friends who are sober and walking a spiritual path. I knew they’d understand just what I was going through. They didn’t. How could they—they’d never been to pris- on for years like I just had. They were a bit confused as to why I seemed so uptight. I tried to explain but was not sure myself. I mean, “Wow, I’m actually home. So why do I feel so weird and afraid?” I was honest with everyone. I told my friends and family that being home was like being in some alien landscape. That I didn’t know what to do with my hands. After a few days I began to notice people sort of losing interest in the novelty of Dan being home. I wanted to call everyone and say, “Hey, don’t lose interest.

[ 19 ]

I’m home now and want to be part of life!” People just got on with their lives, and I felt alone and afraid. I literally didn’t know what I should be doing every day. I had a basic understanding that I needed to continue my sobri- ety through spiritual channels. To me that meant daily prayer, Bible reading, AA, and basic “golden rule” living. I did some of that, but to be honest I did a lot more worrying about what peo- ple thought about me and where I was going to find a job. My relationship with God quickly went on the back burner. I kept saying to myself, “Look what you’ve done with your life! How will you ever repair it? How will you ever get a job? And what’s up with my girl? She seems to be acting weird.” It was like, at every turn, I felt more and more out of place. Even those old friends seemed unsure about what to say to me. It felt like the world had a secret it wouldn’t let me in on. I began to unravel. We all want to feel connected with God and people. There’s noth- ing worse than feeling alone. After a few weeks home I felt more alone than when I was in prison. My friends in recovery were busy with family, work, and school. At church I felt little in com- mon with these good people. I know the pastor says they don’t judge, but who doesn’t judge? Are there people who really don’t judge? So down I went. In hindsight I missed the turn when I began to care more about what people thought about me than what I was actually doing in my life. My focus became about what I thought others were thinking about me rather than just doing my very best to do the next right thing. My mind ran round and round, and I forgot the lessons that had been beaten into me by life, prison, and my search for God. I was back to relying on my own broken thinking. After a serious relapse I knew I had to find a way to really stay on track. Lots of us have gotten on the path many times. The real deal is to stay on it when the going gets tough and uncertain. I moved into a halfway house. I began to see that my troubles are about me and not about how the world treated me. I saw that I need to put real effort into getting positive results if I wanted any. For most of my life I’d found ways of manipulating people to build the life that I wanted. I was always more interested in looking good than doing good. I saw that attitude had to stop. Dan’s life did, in fact, change. He participated in small group discussions, got

[ 20 ]

coaching on a regular basis from me, and, importantly, found ways to serve others through the church. What happened was that, bit by bit, he found his place in God’s big story and realized that he was deeply loved and valued, that he belonged, that he was acceptable, and that he could make a difference for the better. In community with other church members, Dan found his mean- ing and his purpose in life. He learned to drop his resentments and to be free to love and forgive himself and others. He found a cure for his inner shame and peace for his wounded spirit. What happened to Dan is a great example of the complicated challenges of reentry and how tough it can be for many men and women to survive spiritu- ally on the outside. It isn’t just Dan’s story; nearly every returning citizen has a similar story dealing with their own case of “short-timer’s disease,” unrealistic expectations, a lack of careful planning and communication, the awkward ex- perience of adapting to life on the outside, and the sobering realization that life is wonderful...but hard.

[ 21 ]

IV. Eight Models for Reentry Ministry

Introduction to the Models How can we come alongside someone like Dan in an effective and helpful way? Well, having a strong biblical foundation and a new paradigm for re- entry is crucial and a great start. But most congregations need more than a theological and theoretical starting point. They need a range of possible path- ways to consider. It helps to be able to consider a practical typology of reentry ministry models that shows their respective pros and cons. In this section we’re going to offer eight distinct but overlapping ministry models that you can explore to see how well they might fit your congregation’s strengths and your neighborhood context. Each of these ministry models tries to offer a clear message—both to returning citizens like Dan and to your congregation itself—that you understand the need and that your congrega- tion has something of value to offer. These eight ministry models are intended to be suggestive, not exhaustive. Many other options and variations on these are possible. They’re also intend- ed to be complementary, not mutually exclusive. If you’re not already engaged in reentry ministry, you may very well want to take a measured approach and zero in on a single model as a possible place to start. On the other hand, don’t feel constrained to pursue only one model. Some of them, in fact, pair extremely well together and can be synergistic. Bottom line, bundle the possibilities in whatever way seems to fit the strengths of your congregation and the resources you have available. Again, remember that these are all approaches that are appropriate for ordinary congregations to pursue. For the most part, they allow you to begin and sustain effective reentry ministry without an unsustainably large investment of either finances or human resources. Here are the eight models in brief. In-depth presentations of the models fol- low. 1. The Service Station Model says: You’ve been through a lot and we know you have a lot of needs right now. Come and get some of what you need. 2. The Recovery Fellowship Model says: We’re on a journey from addiction

[ 22 ]

to real freedom. Come and work your sobriety with us. 3. The Coach/Mentor Connection Model says: Reentry is tough to figure out on your own. Come and get connected to someone who can help you find your way and take your next steps. 4. The Peer-led Ministry Model says: We get you because we’ve been there and we’re just like you. Come for “church on the inside,” the outside version. 5. The Jail to Congregation Pipeline Model says: We’ve already connected on the inside. Come and join us on the outside. 6. The Life-Changing Small Group Model says: God’s already been at work in your life. Come and keep growing spiritually and as a leader in a wel- coming and supportive group setting. 7. The Whole Family Support Model says: Come with your family. We’re here for all of you. 8. The Mission Station Model says: You have a lot to offer. Come with your passion, gifts, and skills, and let’s make a difference together.

If you’re a fairly typical congregation with limited resources and you want to get started in reentry, this is probably the first place to start. That’s be- cause, as a group, returning citizens tend to have a lot of tangible physical needs. During incarceration, most men and women lose many of their posses- sions. They then experience an extended period of time between their release and when they have steady income. Some are returning to an environment where their immediate basic needs are being taken care of, but many aren’t. They’re scrambling to make ends meet, and they’re looking for welcoming people and accessible places where they can find the services they need, and “grab and go.” The top four common needs met by the Service Station model are food, clothing, hygiene kits, and transportation assistance. Food assistance can

[ 23 ]

take a variety of forms, depending on your circumstances. Some congrega- tions are able to stock a food pantry. Others choose to offer prepared meals. Still others pack meals and deliver them off-premises. Clothing closets can offer appropriate street clothes and/or clothing for job interviews. Hygiene kits with toiletries and/or basic medical supplies can fill an important gap. And transportation assistance can take a variety of forms, from distributing bus or rail passes to having volunteers provide rides to and from church or to medical or court appointments. The Service Station model is a great fit for a congregation that... …is already actively engaged in a similar ministry. Often, it simply means applying what you already know and do to a slightly different group of peo- ple—or, oftentimes, to the same people you’re already serving. The fact is, re- turning citizens are often already in the ranks of the homeless, needy, and struggling. …doesn’t have a large number of volunteers with specialized social service competencies. Serving a meal or packing small care packages doesn’t require deep expertise or even scores of volunteers. All sizes of churches do these things regularly. …is accessible to people in need. Because transportation is such a problem for so many returning citizens, especially right after their release, proximity matters. Being near a bus route is helpful but not necessary. Parole officers and local police may be able to give you some idea of how many returning cit- izens are within a makeable distance from your congregation’s location. And remember, there are also options where you can take your services to them, instead of making them coming to you. …wants to dip a toe in the reentry waters. This approach isn’t particularly difficult or mysterious. It doesn’t require much to get going, it doesn’t need to interfere with your Sunday schedule, and it can provide an opportunity for your folks to serve Monday-Saturday. Tips for getting started The Service Station model is about team effort, stability, and consistency. Re- turning citizens want to know if you’re for real. For example, will you be open when you say you will? This isn’t a Lone Ranger enterprise, so begin by gath- ering an initial working team composed of some of your key hands-on doers. In case you’re wondering... One of the reviewers of the first draft of this guide asked, “I may have missed it or perhaps it is assumed elsewhere, but how would a congregation connect with returning citizens in the first place?” If

[ 24 ]

Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22 Page 23 Page 24 Page 25 Page 26 Page 27 Page 28 Page 29 Page 30 Page 31 Page 32 Page 33 Page 34 Page 35 Page 36 Page 37 Page 38 Page 39 Page 40 Page 41 Page 42 Page 43 Page 44 Page 45 Page 46 Page 47 Page 48 Page 49 Page 50 Page 51 Page 52 Page 53 Page 54 Page 55 Page 56 Page 57 Page 58 Page 59 Page 60 Page 61 Page 62 Page 63 Page 64 Page 65 Page 66 Page 67 Page 68 Page 69 Page 70 Page 71

Made with FlippingBook Digital Publishing Software