Jail Ministry anyone??

There is an excellent ministry called "Freedom Flyers" which is jail and prison ministry which serves law enforcement, prisoners, their familes, etc. Mark Rizzo is the head of it. I do not have contact information at hand, but someone on the board probably has it.

Also there are many churches that have regular jail ministries here in Wisconsin. I know of at least four. I have had regular ministry to a prisoner over a two year period and have been involved on a number of occasions with jail ministries. In fact, the first time someone was saved from my preaching was at the McLean County Jail, Bloomington, IL, in 1967.

Hope this helps.

"...I was in prison, and ye came unto me."

 

Katie, I have been working in prison ministry for about eight years. I have worked with Prison Fellowship, Kairos and a small group of volunteers from our church that teach Sunday School at the local prison.

My volunteer work led to my present secular job. I started out teaching computers in prison for a technical college and moved into a new position at the college doing career counseling for inmates that are nearing parole. We also organize in-prison job fairs for the inmates that graduate from our program. So I have been at this for a while.

In talking with prison chaplains and others in this business, I think the single greatest need is post-release mentoring and care. It's not real difficult to get volunteers from churches to go into a prison. Most people that go into a prison to minister for the first time get over the initial fear and get hooked. The problem is that almost nobody wants to have contact with these people when they get out. Noone wants an ex-con moving into their neighborhood or going to their church.

Here's what happens to a person in Georgia when they get out of prison: They get $25, a change of clothes and a bus ticket! That's it! I see that as a crime in itself.

So, yes there is a HUGE need for after-prison care. The chaplains in Georgia are trying to start a new program called: 'One Inmate, One Church' where each church 'adopts' a parolee to help them through the transition from prison to the free world. One thing about it, there will always be an endless supply of customers for that type of ministry.

 

Hmmm....good question. I guess I would start with Prison Fellowship. They have lots of material available. Their newest program is about Restorative Justice, which is a biblical principle of restoring a criminal to fellowship within the community. There is probably a PF rep in your state. Check out their web site:

http://www.pfm.org/prisonfellowship/channelroot/home/

As for the negative attitudes of your church members, I'd say that's about par for the course. Many Christians talk a good game of love and fellowship but when someone who is really different or who has fallen comes into the church, they get really uncomfortable. Jesus brings those people into our lives for a reason. Our response to them is a measure of our real love for Him.

 

Katie, was it you I saw on a post last year talking about The Walk to Emmaus?

 

This is omething I am very interested in. I'm limited to visiting, leaving reading materials, but I don't get a chance to speak one on one with the prisoners. Maybe when I finish my bible course I will be able to better serve the Lord in this area.