No one wants to talk about, know or help them and countless state and federal assistance programs exclude them. But someone must. Hope Prison Ministries helps the sex offenders few others will. Our only prerequisite for helping in every way we can is that the offender must now be a Christian whose life bears fruits worthy of repentance–the same prerequisite for any help we provide to anyone, regardless of offense. As long as a man (or woman) professes faith in Jesus Christ and seems to be living in accord with that faith, we will help them, and we make no apologies for that help.
In-prison Ministry
While an offender is in prison, HPM will correspond with them. If they will agree to the terms (which follow), HPM will send books targeted to address the specific sins that led them to prison in the first place (books about lust, pornography, godly manhood, marriage, etc.). The terms with which they must agree in order for HPM to send them books are that they must 1) write a summary of what they learn from each chapter of the book we send, 2) share what they learn with others, and 3) be willing to pass the book on to someone else or to donate it to the Chapel library after they’ve finished it.
Aftercare
The challenges and obstacles that face sex-offenders after they are released should not be underestimated, and they vary greatly based on the risk-level classification of the offender. A low-risk offender may not have it as hard as a high-risk offender but even with these the requirements are often different between states, judges, counties, supervising officers and therapists, etc. Some of the challenges faced by sex-offenders can include:
- Housing restrictions (the sex-offender may be restricted from living within child-safety zones, etc.)
- Sex-Offender Treatment Programs will often require multiple sessions and homework throughout the week, often making it difficult to find employment
- Notification ordinances that require the community and employers, etc., to be notified that a convicted sex-offender is living and/or working within their neighborhood
- Religious Observance Restrictions – many convicted sex-offenders are required to obtain permission in writing from the leadership of any church where they desire to worship, a safety plan must be in place, etc. (Church Leaders, CLICK HERE for a well-developed policy and procedures regarding allowing sex-offenders to attend your church!)
- GPS Monitoring – Sex-offenders are often required to file a weekly schedule one or more weeks in advance detailing every place the offender plans to go; outside of the scheduled places, subject to approval, the offender may be on “lockdown” unable to leave their house under any circumstances
Following are the most common challenges faced by anyone coming home, regardless of the offense:
- Groceries and Hygeine
- Clothing
- Transportation
- Obtaining Valid Identification
- Employment
- Countless, mandated orientations and classes (AA, NA, Sex-Offender Treatment Program, etc.)
- Establishing new relationships
The value of having someone who is familiar with these challenges, understands the system and knows and is known by the right people cannot be underestimated. Enter Hope Prison Ministries.
LuminDeo–the award-winning, non-profit, film production organization, produced the following 7-minute short film, Convicted, to focus on the aftercare work of Hope Prison Ministries and its founder, Chandler Fozard.
CONVICTED. from LuminDeo on Vimeo.
If you are in need of aftercare services for your adult child who is soon to be released from prison or an addiction rehabilitation facility, please visit Christ-cenetered Life Coaches at www.LifeCoachesDFW.com to learn more about our aftercare services.