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By New Creations Community Outreach, Inc.
The 2006 national prisoner reentry conference was held in Dallas, Texas, October 13-15. This conference was a huge success in every way with over 400 people representing 37 states converged upon the luxurious Westin Park Central Hotel. Conference attendees traveled from as far away as Hawaii to attend this powerful event which according to many was the best ever. Many of those in attendance were clearly moved by their experience at the conference. This fifth conference was a very moving and memorable experience.
This year’s conference hosts were Operation Oasis, a ministry located in north Dallas and Transition of Prisoners, Inc., based in Detroit, Michigan. Operation Oasis proved to be a very gracious local host as they were able to amass an army of local volunteers who served the attendees with great enthusiasm. The evenings were fun-filled, with Texas-style activities when there was no formal conference program. One such event was a visit to an authentic Texas rodeo in Fort Worth.
Those who attended the conference were able to attend four general sessions including a Saturday luncheon. These inspiring sessions featured such speakers as Pastor Leslie W. Smith, Senior Pastor at North Dallas Community Bible Fellowship, Pastor Richard Mansfield, Senior Pastor of the New Beginnings Church of God in Albuquerque, New Mexico, Chaplain Kathryn McCollum of the Oklahoma Department of Corrections and Emmett Solomon, founder and Executive Director of Restorative Justice Ministries Network, based in Huntsville, Texas. General session programs also included inspirational music, ministry videos and testimonies from those involved in prisoner reentry work.
Twenty-five two-hour workshops were presented by experienced prisoner reentry professionals over the course of the conference. Workshop titles included A Biblical Cognitive Approach to Addition, Breaking the Cycle of Generational Incarceration (through programs for prisoners’ children), Corrections Fatigue: The Staff, The Stress & Some Solutions; Delayed is Not Denied: Handling Setbacks & Failures (for those recently released from prison), Discipleship: The Heart of the Problem, Family Reunification, Focusing of Female Issues: Sexual Abuse, Self Esteem and Co-Dependency; Funding for Grass Root Organizations, Initiatives in Corrections, Jails Versus Prisons: Different Issues, Different Answers, Job Readiness, Resources & Retention, Marketing Your Ministry, A pastors Response to Prisoner Reentry, Partners Against Crime, Peer to Peer Mentoring, the Power of the Engrafted Word, Principals of Spiritual Warfare, Redirecting the Roots: Catching Youth Before They Go, The Realities of Reentry, Recovery From Hurts, Habits & Hang Ups, Serving Special Populations: Sex Offenders, Survival Strategies for Family Members, Transitional Housing: myths & Methods, Using Media to Frame the Reentry Dialogue and Victim and Offender Reconciliation.
A networking session was held on Saturday afternoon to provide attendees the opportunity to meet with others from there own region and from other parts of the country. Additionally a ministry display area located right outside of the general session meeting room showcased over forty ministries from around the country. The 2007 national conference will be held in Minneapolis, Minnesota, October 26-28. The Christian Association for Prison Aftercare (CAPA) and Prison Fellowship of Minnesota will be sponsors for the 2007 conference. Featured speakers will include Mark Earley, President and CEO of Prison Fellowship. Conference information will be available on the CAPA website and in brochure form in the early spring of 2007.
Copyright © 2007 Christian Association for Prison Aftercare. All Rights Reserved.
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