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Faith-based organizations can help ex-prisoners by doing many things. Below is a list of some the activities that your church members can do to help ex-prisoners reenter the community successfully.
Education and Training
- Educate and train key leaders in your church on how to ‘reach out’ to formerly incarcerated men and women and their families within the community around the church.
- Select and train members of your congregation to become mentors for men and women who are enrolled in reentry programs.
- Offer ‘family reconciliation’ workshops for the children and family of released offenders.
- Develop a clothing campaign and collect high quality business attire to provide for job interviews.
- Form a team of volunteers who can support community service providers.
- Organize public forums that feature experts and practitioners in the area of prisoner reentry and public safety
- Conduct training sessions that encourage church members to get involved in reentry or in-prison ministry.
- Purchase and distribute information tracts on related topics that include addiction, reentry, prison ministry, and mentoring.
- Set up an emergency relief or reentry benevolence fund to help previously incarcerated men and women who are legitimately enrolled in successful reentry programs.
- Set up an agreement with Probation and Parole officers to pay the monthly parole fee of specific individuals.
Employment
- Develop pre-employment training programs that assist with job search and job readiness.
- Encourage members to post job opportunities and distribute to Probation and Parole officers.
- Sponsor a job fair for the community and released offenders.
- Work with local employers and offer support when employing released offenders.
Sustenance Needs
- Build or open a food pantry on specific days of the week for released offenders.
- Make financial or other contributions to existing food pantries in the community and encourage services to released offenders.
- Provide gift certificate for food, clothing or public transportation to specific number of released offenders upon exit from prison.
- Provide ‘prison release’ gift kits that include toiletries, list of service providers, emergency numbers, bible and church contact person for prayer.
- Sponsor legal clinics for newly released offenders.
- Provide gasoline cards or public transportation passes.
- Provide free transportation to church services.
Resources for your Organization
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Directory of Foundation Workforce Grant Opportunities
A downloadable resource designed to help faith-based organizations navigate different funding resources that may assist them providing workforce development and job-training services. This guide highlights funding resources that are available for organizations involved in workforce development, economic development, and employability training.
Click here to download.
This manual provides guidelines and recommendations intended to address the challenges and to increase the benefits of mentoring adult ex-prisoners as part of their involvement in reentry programs.
This publication provides basic information on prisoner reentry and community organizations.
CNCS is an independent federal agency that provides training and support for volunteer organizations around the country, including community-based programs. Additionally, the website features access to live and recorded "webinars" discussing topics of crime prevention and prisoner reentry.
CNCS provides opportunities for Americans of all ages and backgrounds to serve their communities and our country through three programs: Senior Corps, AmeriCorps, and Learn and Serve America. Members and volunteers serve with national and community nonprofit organizations, faith-based groups, schools, and local agencies to help meet community needs in education, the environment, public safety, homeland security, and other critical areas.
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