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Issues to Consider Before Launching an After-care Facility for Ex-Offenders

EXOFFENDER REENTRY RESOURCE  

Issues to Consider Before Launching an After-care Facility for Ex-Offenders

Excerpted from Equipping Your Church to Minister to Ex-Offenders, by Louis N. Jones, ConquestHouse, 2000, p. 60.  Used with permission.).

 

Careful and thorough planning is a necessary prerequisite to a successful after-care facility for ex-offenders.  Before starting up, the following questions should be considered:

 

1)    How many people will we serve?  How large should this center be?

 

2)    Can our budget handle the increased expense?  If not, how will we pay for it?

 

3)    What types of offenders shall we serve?

 

4)    Where should this center be located?

 

5)    Are there any zoning restrictions?  Are licenses required?

 

6)    Does the community support this center?

 

7)    Do we have outside resources available to handle areas we are not equipped to handle, such as medical needs?

 

8)    Can we locate a good Director for the center?

 

9)    What types of security should be in place?  How much supervision shall we employ?

 

10)Do we have good relationships with parole officers in the community?

 

11) What rules and regulations shall we adopt?

 

12)What are the penalties for violating rules and regulations?

 

13)What is the procedure for hearing grievances?

 

14)What should the typical resident’s schedule be?

 



Related Books
Meet Me at the Gate

Guide for Developing Housing for Ex-Offenders

Equipping Your Church to Minister to Ex-Offenders

The Real World of Restorative Justice Ministry: Today’s Inmates ARE Tomorrow’s Neighbors

Related Links
Koinonia House National Ministries

Conquest Offender Reintegration Ministries

Transition of Prisoners, Inc.

Prison Fellowship


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Basic Steps in Starting an Ex-Offender Ministry

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Basic Steps in Starting an Ex-Offender Ministry

 

Adapted from Equipping Your Church to Minister to Ex-Offenders by Louis N. Jones, Conquest House, 2000, pp. 9-22. Used with permission.

 

(NOTE:  For a detailed explanation of these steps, see Equipping Your Church to Minister to Ex-Offenders.)

 

 

1)              Pray for discernment about whether it is God’s will to enter this challenging type of ministry.

 

2)              Consult with your church’s leadership and ask for their support.

 

3)              Obtain the support of your congregation by providing Scripture addressing God’s attitude toward prisoners and addressing their fears and concerns.

 

4)              Determine the attitudes of the surrounding community and take steps to gain its support if necessary.

 

5)              Form a ministry team designed to meet the needs of the population of offenders you will serve.

 

6)              Visit and learn from established ministries to ex-offenders.

 

7)              Prepare to meet the immediate (e.g. food, housing, etc.) and secondary (e.g. job training, life skills instruction, etc.) needs of the ex-offender.

 

 



Related Books
Meet Me at the Gate

Equipping Your Church to Minister to Ex-Offenders

The Real World of Restorative Justice Ministry: Today’s Inmates ARE Tomorrow’s Neighbors

When Prisoners Return

Related Links
Koinonia House National Ministries

Conquest Offender Reintegration Ministries

Transition of Prisoners, Inc.

Prison Fellowship


News
Conference Calendar
Forum
Find Others
Ask a Specialist

 

Read more