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Churches aid in re-entry

BY LINDA WORTHINGTON
UMCONNECTION STAFF

'I was in prison and you visited me,' Jesus told the seekers of righteousness in Matthew 25:36. Members of Asbury UMC in Jessup take those words seriously, as they minister to women at nearby prisons.

It was a Thursday afternoon, and the Rev. Sonia King had just spent the last several hours assisting a young mother, recently released from prison, to find housing, get clothing and sign up for a class to earn her GED. She was perhaps the 20th such woman helped by Asbury members in their growing prison ministry.

Asbury UMC is a small church located in an industrial area, surrounded by seven prisons within five miles. The church membership includes 12 lay speakers who are willing to teach and work with prisoners. The congregation welcomes former prisoners without judgment or fear.

King told of a young woman who attended Bible study with her at a nearby seniors center. Ten senior women, including four who were members at Asbury, studied together.

The young woman shared that, since she had been released from prison, she wasn?t getting along with her mother.

'We?ll be your mothers,' members of the group told her. They exchanged phone numbers and for that young woman, a support group was formed.

The church?s ministry isn?t limited to women, but 'we start with women because we have more women in the church willing to volunteer,' King said. Their ministry is for released prisoners facing the vitally important challenges of reentry and aftercare - helping them get settled and find positive relationships and experiences in their lives, communities and families after they are released.

'Many times they need to get identification papers again,' King said. 'They have no records of Social Security numbers or birth certificates.' These are necessary documents to get jobs, obtain a driver?s license, open a bank account or sign a lease for an apartment.

In the United States, nearly 650,000 people are released from prisons each year, according to Bill Mefford, a staff member of the General Board of Church and Society. Almost two-thirds of them are re-arrested and reincarcerated after they leave for committing felonies or serious misdemeanors.

Helping to prevent this tragic recidivism, in which former prisoners are sent back to prison, is the main goal of the Asbury ministry.

Asbury UMC partners with the National Women?s Prison Project, based in Baltimore, which is run by a previously incarcerated woman, Alfreda Robinson-Dawson.

It was there that King accompanied the young mother to begin her reentry process, by picking up some clothing and completing the paperwork to get her Social Security card.

King sees herself and her church as disciples who share the same hope of deliverance and grace that Jesus Christ gives to them. 'We?d like to be a haven and hope for life, to provide spiritual encouragement,' she said.

King participated in a NWPP conference for recent releasees and service providers before Thanksgiving.

Four hundred people attended, many of whom were former prisoners and are now service providers. They call themselves PILS (Previously Incarcerated Ladies).

The workshop King led helped PILS understand 'you?re whole even without a man,' she said. The conference closed with a full Thanksgiving meal for all.

Also attending the conference was Ruella Barnes from Community UMC in Crofton. Barnes and Diana Huber go once a week to the Jennifer Road Detention Center in Annapolis, a ministry they started last April, to meet with 40 female prisoners, a very small portion of those held at the facility. There are very few support programs available for the women.

Barnes and Huber are both trained Stephen ministers, a national network of trained Christian caregivers. They spend time listening to the women share their fears and frustrations, Barnes said.

They also lead Bible study if the women ask for it, and they offer prayers and answer questions. 'This whole ministry is different and wonderful,' she said.

King has also served inside the walls of a prison as an occasional preacher and Bible study leader. As she envisions her ministry, she said she?d like to start a Disciple Bible Study class in the women?s prison. 'You have an audience that isn?t going anywhere for the 34 weeks of the study,' she said.

It isn?t just the prisoner who is affected when she or he is sent to prison. According to Bill Mefford of the United Methodist Board of Church and Society, there are 10 million children nationally who suffer when a parent goes to prison.

Asbury-Broadneck UMC in Annapolis is aware of this suffering, and at Christmas, the church held a party for children of incarcerated parents.

This year, 25 children, whose parents are scattered in many prisons, and their guardians attended the Angel Tree Ministry party. They met Santa Claus, received presents, sang Christmas carols and enjoyed a sumptuous meal provided by 10 volunteers.

The ministry team is planning to follow up in the year ahead by getting in touch with the children?s incarcerated parents and providing their phone numbers to be called when the parents are released and need help.

'We want to let them know that someone cares about them,' said Jean Adams, a leader of the ministry.

MAKE THE CONNECTION:
Bill Mefford, Director of Civil and Human Rights for the General Board of Church and Society, reported that the bipartisan Second Chance Act, a bill to help released prisoners resume productive lives in their families and communities, came close to passing in 2006. It had 114 co-sponsors in the House and 34 in the Senate.

Restorative justice is the Christian ideal of healing and restoring wholeness to crime victims and perpetrators alike. One aspect of restorative justice, which United Methodists are called to pursue and promote, is to create opportunities for ex-offenders once they leave prison. The Second Chance Act reauthorizes the Re-entry Demonstration project, which issues grants focused on employment, housing, treatment for substance abuse and mental illness, and support for children and families. Mefford encourages United Methodists to urge their representatives and senators to co-sponsor the legislation, and pass the Second Chance Act as early as possible in 2007.