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Myths and Barriers to Collaborations Between Faith-Based and Community Organizations and Corrections printer-friendly

By Joseph Williams, Christian Association for Prison Aftercare

On September 12, I had the pleasure of participating in a satellite/internet conference that was sponsored by the National Institute of Corrections (NIC). NIC is the training and technical assistance arm of the Federal Bureau of Prisons. They host these broadcasts several times per year on various topics. The topic of this particular broadcast was Myths and Barriers to Collaborations Between Faith-Based and Community-Based Organizations and Corrections.

The format of the conference was a panel discussion consisting of individuals from around the country who have extensive experience in the area of prisoner reentry at the pre-release and post-release stages. Those on the panel represented correctional and federal officials and those from faith-based and community organizations. Present on the panel were Jodina Hicks, Vice President, Public Policy and Community Partnerships Division, the Safer Foundation, Kathy Lambert, Co-Director, Connections to Success, Steven T. McFarland, Director, Task Force On Faith-Based and Community Initiatives, U.S. Department of Justice, Jack Cowley, National Director, Alpha for Prison and Reentry, Michael Woodruff, General Counsel, Western Territorial Headquarters, Salvation Army, Roger Werholtz, Kansas Secretary of Corrections and myself. Byron Johnson, Ph.D., Professor of Sociology, Institute for Studies of Religion, Baylor University participated as a special call-in guest. Kathryn McCormick served as the moderator for the panel.

A number of myths identified in advance by the panel were discussed at length during the three-hour conference. Myths discussed included the following: 1) "Single Faith" pre-release, residential programs (God Pods) are never legal, even if they are voluntary for inmates; 2) In-prison faith-based programs alone have been proven effective in reducing recidivism of inmates; 3) The law forbids faith-based organizations from receiving government grants to pay for non-religious re-entry services for ex-offenders (e.g., job training, job placement, drug therapy) if the organizations are faith-saturated or "pervasively sectarian"; 4) Mentors should not be assigned to an inmate until release. Moreover, both the law and prudent correctional policy forbid faith-based volunteers from continuing mentoring relationships with inmates after the latter are released, and forbid ex-inmates from being mentors with current inmates; 5) Religious programming in prison must be ecumenical and inclusive in its message, free of "sectarian" or exclusive claims to truth; and 6) The state can not allow private speech or PROGRAMS from faith-based organizations that results in inmates being proselytized to convert from one faith to another.

The conference also featured video clips of various successful prisoner reentry programs from around the country. Additionally, it featured video-taped comments from criminal justice professionals from around the country.

There was a record attendance for the conference. Over 11,000 participated in the conference from 49 states and the United Kingdom. The conference format also allowed for conference participants to call in from their respective locations. Numerous enthusiastic conference participants took advantage of the opportunity to call in with their astute questions. Panelists calls came from corrections professionals as well as members of the faith-based and community organizations. 

The overwhelming response to this conference is proof that there is significant interest in this topic from both sides. I believe it also shows that there are a lot of questions and concerns in the minds of those from both sides who are contemplating becoming involved in such collaborative relationships. These questions and concerns must be addressed before significant progress can be made for all of us working together to positively impact men and women returning from prison. 

CAPA is positioning itself to help faith-based organizations become viable partners in these types of collaborations. We have recently drafted a set of standards for faith-based reentry organizations. Organizations will be able to apply for accreditation through CAPA based on these standards. Proof of compliance with CAPA standards will give state and federal officials confidence that CAPA accredited organizations have the capacity to effectively participate in collaborations with government initiatives.

Click on the following link to view the NIC broadcast: http://nicic.org/Training/SIB091207.

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