Corrections Ministries / Deacon John Cord

Re-entry pilot program aims to help those released from prison

When people are released from prison, they seem to be in a state of confusion and fear.

After spending several years away from society, they are anxious about how they will fit in. They are concerned that they may fall back into the old ways that landed them in prison.

Many have large debts. Most don’t have a driver’s license. Some never received a Social Security number or any other valid form of identification. Many have some level of mental illness. Most have a history of addiction.

Almost none have a safe, affordable permanent living space to go to once they’re released. Some companies will hire a person with a felony, but finding those workplaces is extremely difficult.

When a person has all of these issues, it is overwhelming for them to figure out how to get help for all their problems.

While there are many social service agencies scattered throughout the cities and towns of Indiana, there is no good way for them to find the agencies that can help them with each specific issue. So, most struggle or they give up and just go back to their old life. The result is they eventually land back in prison.

The archdiocese’s Corrections Ministry team started asking how we could help. We realized that there needs to be a standardized path for people to follow so they can get the help they need. This help needs to start before they are released. Then when they are released they need someone to guide them through the maze of organizations that can help them.

We are working on launching a pilot program that will become that standardized pathway. We are creating partnerships with several organizations that work both inside the prisons and outside of them. The ones that work inside will provide education and training so each individual will be prepared for the shock of his or her release day. These agencies will evaluate each person and prepare a very detailed roadmap based on each person’s exact needs.

Upon release, a trained professional social worker will come to the prison and transport the person to a safe place to live, with supervision and loving care. The social worker will guide the person through the first several days after their release. The social worker will take the person to all the health care, legal and government agencies they need to become stabilized.

Once the person is stable, a team of trained volunteer mentors will take over. The mentor team will hopefully create a family atmosphere around each person. When they are ready, they will help the person find a good job and safe, affordable, permanent housing. They will accompany them to church if they wish. The mentors will work with the person for at least two years, or longer if needed.

We hope to launch this program by the end of 2024.We have a lot of groundwork yet to complete, but all of the organizations we are working with are very excited. If you are interested in becoming a mentor volunteer, please contact me for more information.
 

(Deacon John Cord is the coordinator of Corrections Ministry for the Archdiocese of Indianapolis. For more information on supporting the office’s re-entry ministry, contact Deacon Cord at 317-432-6604 or e-mail jcord@archindy.org.) †