Fighting Recidivism with Resurrection (by Mary Nelson)
On Easter Sunday sermons about new life and transformation, resurrection and redemption abound. At our church we celebrated the baptism of a young man living in a half way house and doing work-release in our community. The genuine hugs and welcome from the mostly black congregation for this young white man were warm and genuine. One church member sponsors work release, another church member picks up the four to five who come for events and church, and this young man felt touched by God in the welcoming community. He stood holding the baptismal candle and asked God and us for help for the journey of restoration ahead.
Three to four thousand people are released each year into our low income, African American, two square mile community. National statistics show a 67% recidivism rate, with costly results in human lives and our national pocketbooks. Congressman Danny Davis has been pushing and cajoling Congress for six years to pass the Second Chance Act, helping former inmates reenter our communities with funding for job training, substance abuse treatments, housing, tutoring, etc. The bill finally passed the House and Senate.
In his summation, Congressman Davis noted that major religions speak about resurrection and redemption, and that is how lawmakers should view helping ex-offenders reenter society and rebuild lives. He went on to say, "We are a country that preaches redemption in our churches, synagogues, and mosques. That we can practice what we have preached is what we want to show with this measure."
It will take God's touch in peoples lives, people willing to reach out and help, along with government's assistance to really reclaim the many lives from incarceration and recidivism. This is but a small, hopeful start to new life.
Mary Nelson is president emeritus of Bethel New Life, a faith-based community development corporation on the west side of Chicago. She is also a board member of Sojourners.
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Comments
A Christian friend in Alabama recently stated to me, "It's my goal, before I die, to see one Alabama prison close due the lack of need."
I thought "What a marvelous and simple goal."
The fabric of politics, justice, religion and life on the street-corner would all have to transform. It's so very doable. It is non-politicized and all about good. It is so complex and yet so simple.
I think this a part of our call--to speak simple life-giving vision to our society.
Mary, I know the immeasurable costs your community bears from these cycles of crime, imprisonment, re-imprisonment, etc. I marvel at the capacity, nevertheless, of churches/Christians in such communities to live redemptively; taking on what 'respectable communities',
Posted by: letjusticeroldown | March 25, 2008 10:47 AM
Well said - my take on the situation is why are we not doing more to provide training and recovery while they are still behind bars? Why wait till they are released? Train them while you have them in a controled enviroment and send them out prepared for work. Chuck Colson talk a lot about the recidivism rate in the US and what should be done. He is one of only a few people that are dealing with the issue while they are still in prison and not waiting for them to be released. I wish they could establish more half-way houses in better areas of major metro areas. (yeah - we will never see one built in EDINA with all the LL that live there)
Yes - let's be proactive rather than reactive
Blessings -
.
Posted by: Moderatelad | March 25, 2008 10:56 AM
... my take on the situation is why are we not doing more to provide training and recovery while they are still behind bars? Why wait till they are released? Train them while you have them in a controled enviroment and send them out prepared for work.
That's only part of the problem. Former prisoners will tell you that folks on the outside still have a stigma about people, especially men, who have done time -- the old thinking that "once a criminal, always a criminal." We talk about people needing to "repent," but when they do, especially those who committed sins that were lower on the totem pole, we keep them there. For that reason, many employers will not hire them.
Posted by: Rick Nowlin | March 25, 2008 11:48 AM
"(yeah - we will never see one built in EDEMA with all the LL that live there)"
meaning?
Posted by: lloyd crump | March 25, 2008 12:03 PM
Posted by: lloyd crump | March 25, 2008 12:03 PM
meaning?
It's OK to have programs and places for 'those people' as long as they are not in my community.
Blessings -
.
Posted by: Moderatelad | March 25, 2008 12:08 PM
Posted by: Rick Nowlin | March 25, 2008 11:48 AM
"once a criminal, always a criminal."
You are correct and we need to be more understanding. But they need to understand that the evidence is on the side of recidivism and they need to prove that they are the exception not the rule. We need to establish some type of mentor program that will allow them to get a job but also be under close supervision and held accountable. If they are willing to work under that paradyme - I believe that they can be accepted into soceity.
Blessings -
.
Posted by: Moderatelad | March 25, 2008 12:15 PM
"It's OK to have programs and places for 'those people' as long as they are not in my community."
Yes, yes, NIMBY is obvious. But "LL"? "LL Bean"? "LL Cool J"? "Linda Lee Danvers"?
Posted by: lloyd crump | March 25, 2008 3:00 PM
"But they need to understand that the evidence is on the side of recidivism and they need to prove that they are the exception not the rule. We need to establish some type of mentor program that will allow them to get a job but also be under close supervision and held accountable. If they are willing to work under that paradyme - I believe that they can be accepted into soceity. "
No matter what many ex cons do in terms of turning their lives around all to many people both with in and with out the church will REFUSE to give them a chance. Personally if we expect them to proove themselves we should be willing to do the same and PROOVE that we are willing to see them through the eyes of christ and walk along side them both in and out of prison as opposed to waiting for them to fall on their faces and SMUGLY have the " I knew they'd not change " attitude
Posted by: Jodie | March 25, 2008 3:07 PM
Posted by: lloyd crump | March 25, 2008 3:00 PM
"LL"? "LL Bean"? "LL Cool J"? "Linda Lee Danvers"?
Limousine Liberals
EDINA has the highest consentration of liberals/democrates in the state and has done more to assure that their community dones not have to deal with 'those people'. They are great supports of the Mondales of the world.
They talk a good game but their actions say something totally different.
OK - I do have friends that live in that suburb - but they have the best stories about the LL's - they can keep a party laughing for hours about the 'do as I say - not as I do' Edina matrons.
Blessings -
.
Posted by: Moderatelad | March 25, 2008 4:20 PM
Posted by: Jodie | March 25, 2008 3:07 PM
OK - but their time in prison was to account for their actions that put them in there.
NOW - they have to prove that they have paid their debt and they can be trustworthy and accountable. We need to be accepting and mentoring to help with their re-entry into soceity. But they need to be open and transparent in their actions so that their is no question about their actions. Many times I find the first part happening - it is the openess and transparency that lacks and when they fail - it just reinforces our accessment of them - right or wrong.
If the paradyme was more like that of a marriage that is being repaired after one partner had an affair - we might be doing better at getting the person accepted in our communities. (there is a part of me that still wants to believe that the sex offender can change and become healthy - but again - transparency has to be part of the process)
Blessings -
.
Posted by: Moderatelad | March 25, 2008 4:29 PM
I try never to miss a word from Mary Nelson. She indeed speaks for the risen saviour of all of us, but especially for the marginalized. We in the Lutheran church are blessed to have her as a spokes-person.
Posted by: Mary Anderson | March 25, 2008 8:02 PM
For 15 years, I have been involved in an ecumenical prison ministry called Kairos Prison Ministry International which is in 32 states and six foreign countries. It grew out of the Cursillo movement and has about 30,000 volunteers working in about 600 prisons as well as with the female families of incarcerated prisoners and youth. Kairos has been working in prisons for about 30 years. We can always use more Christian men and women. I have seen miracles. I have seen committed Christians use their own time and money to break the bonds holding men and women from the Living God. Come join us. Check our website. www.MyKairos.org.
Posted by: Preston Johnson | March 25, 2008 8:08 PM
Hello!
As a retired prison guard and committed to the cause of Christ I believe the church has an obligation to participate in the post prison/jail persons life. A Christian is the church and as such is responsible for this charge of our Lord. The involved Church/Christian should pray as to how this work should be accomplished in the call of Christ. The church/Christian is part responsible for the enormous recidivism rates in our land. There is no better time than now to start sharing the load to reduce this rate of recidivism.
Posted by: Larry | March 27, 2008 12:21 AM
Please check www.innocenceproject.org and www.exonerated.org for good resources on innocent people convicted of crime. Having suffered a similar injustice in my life, I am positive there are more innocent people convicted than we know. We have an obligation to fight this as Christians - these are the poor and the widows.
Thinking about it logically, it makes sense that people who are innocently convicted don't tend to speak up. I've watched a loved one give in to a false conviction for over a decade; the person traded incarceration for a lie to try to protect their family and keep them together. I've been in contact with a handful of other people in the same boat (false accusations and convictions) when occasionally speaking up about this experience. It's too much pain and publicity to fight it and statistically, there's too much against you. Once you're in, your voice doesn't get out past the small chance the trial provides you for justice. Trials, in my experience, are a hell of a game between lawyers with vested interests (their careers, reputations, riches, favors owed, and even a misplacement of honest, angry desires to see justice done). I don't see how we can start unvesting the interests, but at least we need to talk about it more, get more interested in it and start looking at it practically.
I also have a close childhood friend who was (rightly) convicted of a crime. He is lucky enough to have caring Christian parents, but he has avoided church like the plague because of the stigma. I love him like a brother and want to see his life go well. He will probably continue to live his life in near seclusion for five or ten more years while he finishes his parole, and although I know his heart is in the right place and he is a bright guy, he is only able to have a job now because he had a skill earlier that he's now developing into his own business. Of course I am not an expert, and I do not talk to him about his deepest issues, and I have a vested interest in that he is my friend and I see the good side of him, and all that means I cannot make a good assessment about whether he is rehabilitated or not; but there aren't enough checks and balances making sure the balance of power falls on the side of true rehabilitation instead of senselessness (which breeds more senselessness). Plus, I have seen so many times how absolute the power of policepeople and parole guards and rehabilitation counselors is. It's easy to misuse it, and it happens a lot.
Listen.
Posted by: anonymous | March 31, 2008 11:32 AM
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