DISMAS

M  I  N  I  S  T  R  Y

Reentry and Reintegration
Text Box: Living on the Outside When inmates complete their sentences and are ready to live on the outside again, it is called reentry or reintegration. The goal is their successful transition back into the community. All too often they are released with little or no money to obtain shelter and food for a day, and with just the clothes on their backs. Many without families have no place to go and are forced to live on the street. Most are eager to find work and begin living normally, but jobs are difficult for those just released from prison and who lack job skills. Those convicted of sex crimes find it even harder to reintegrate because they are labeled as predators and restricted as to where they can live. They have become society’s new lepers. The risk of recidivism Unless ex-inmates have a realistic plan and adequate support from others once they “hit the street” they are at risk of returning to prison. For those without a plan or support the rate of return to incarceration (recidivism) is very high. What ex-offenders need The women and men who return to the community after serving time in behind bars may encounter numerous challenges and even roadblocks. They need help with clothing housing, employment, transportation, child care, health care, managing finances, interpersonal skills, counseling, drug and alcohol rehab and the support of a caring, spiritual community. In fact, belonging to a faith community is an important tie that can bind all of the needs and concerns of ex-inmates into success rather than repeated failure. The role of the faith community Members of the faith community can play a crucial role in helping ex-inmates adjust to their new freedom and the responsibilities. During their incarceration ex-inmates experienced feelings of loneliness, isolation, rejection by society and a lack of self-worth. A welcoming and non-judgmental faith community can help ex-inmates cope with emotional aftermath of these experiences by offering hope through practical assistance, restoring trust through genuine friendship and healing of spiritual and emotional wounds. Two-way learning The membership of an ex-inmate in a local church has a direct effect on future ex-inmates because it prepares the members of the church for the next ex-offender who might wish to join them. Through its experience of extending hospitality, fellowship and assistance to ex-inmates the faith community grows in spiritual maturity as it discovers its own spiritual gifts. It learns the joy and challenge of having an open mind and heart, as it puts the ideals of the gospel to the test. It is called to make forgiveness and education a more visible part of the church’s social justice outreach. And last but not least, it learns first hand the faith and courage that sustained ex-inmates during their time of incarceration. Mentoring Mentors or a mentoring group take this faith-based support one step further by offering one-on-one practical assistance. They assist ex-inmates during their adjustment period by listening to them, encouraging and advising them. Since many ex-inmates come from broken homes and have experienced abuse and injustice themselves they need help with personal skills. Just being a stable force by providing a good example is very important. Mentors also can help open doors that lead to jobs, counseling and other kinds of practical support that spell the difference between success or failure. They can assist ex-inmates with identifying a new job, providing them with transportation to interviews, obtaining a driver’s license, finding a place to live, getting a phone, and staying on good terms with their parole officers. Networking Going it alone is rarely a good idea and does not generate success in the long run. This holds true for faith-communities and mentors as well. It is extremely important that representatives of the various faith-based organizations, departments of state and local government, and community resources ally themselves in the common goal of successfully reintegrating ex-inmates. A wide range of formal and informal relationship and partnerships help to ensure that no one group bears the responsibility of serving these vulnerable, at-risk members of our community. The conversations and gatherings of this network can center on how to support and enhance efforts that may already be under way. As this network of churches and community organizations grows, its members draw from their various experiences. They may even agree to establish a structure of paid or volunteer staff whose purpose is to create links between all the community and faith-based organizations in the area, and to coordinate the efforts of those willing to work on issues of community justice, re-entry and training of ex-inmates.
Email: dismas@dismasministry.org P.O. Box 070363 Milwaukee, WI 53207