FOR THE LEAST OF US

WHY WE HAVE AN ANGEL TREE PROGRAM

2011-03-05T18:18:00.000-08:00

VALENTINES DAY FEBRUARY 14, 2011

WHO SAYS WE NEED A PRISON MINISTRY?
JESUS) I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me. (Matthew 25:36)

ISAIAH) The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the LORD has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound (Isa 61:1)

You may have noted David and his 6 kids on Sundays celebrating with us at CPC’s 9AM service – after which the tomahawk kid, “Jesse James”, moved on to Lynda Harkin’s teeny-tot group, while David Jr. and “Star” settled in with Melanie Byerly and the grade-schoolers. Or perhaps you engaged this striking Christian family at our Angel Tree Christmas Party 7 weeks ago. Certainly our Friday morning young men’s group has, they were their sponsor

Having not seen David the past two weeks coupled with his not responding to my last call, Pam and I dared to make a surprise visit to their rear apartment on Amador in Seaside last night. Today, unable to get the family out of my mind, and having David’s approval, I’m going to share a bit of his story with you. Please forgive me if I don’t get all the details down precisely

I’ve been thoroughly impressed with David from the start. At the beginning, on phoning each of this year’s Angel Tree families in anticipation of our Christmas gala, I learned that when his sister was incarcerated, David absorbed her 3 children into his own clan of 3 thereby making six to feed, shelter, clothe, and love. And when the sister came home, she preferred the 3 remain with David as she began her new life. It was at a price; his wife moved out. Six proved a bit much

David is a Christian and the Spirit is well imputed in him. I have never found David downbeat. His fixed joyous smile reflects his transformed heart. His faith sustains him with hope and promise. His one prayer is for the children to find abundant life in Christ

David was taken aback with my initial phone call; he described it as God’s answer to prayer. It signaled the intent to bring his clan to Carmel Presbyterian Church knowing that a church like ours with such outreach was right for them. His children would learn right from wrong and acquire the trust and peace in our Lord, Jesus Christ

Peaks and valleys. Joy interwoven with sorrow. Trials amidst victories. Last night Pam and I were briefed. David is under house arrest, serving 50 days for driving to work with a suspended license – due to a minor infraction 5 years ago. Having lived in Seaside much of his life, his is a well known face. No need for profiling. Whenever the authorities spot David, there’s every likelihood he’ll be detained. To rub it in, he’s to ante up $45 a day during the process. The price of wearing leg irons must have skyrocketed during this inflationary era

David was an unwanted child. Mainly he grew up in the streets, preferring that to doing “slave labor” when hosted by a family member. Vulnerable, he was easy prey for adoption by a noted Seaside gang. He fit right in, being credited with powerful friendships

About 14 years ago David sensed the futility of it all. He was busy with all the wrong things and dooming his children to a life without peace and redemption. Déjà-vu, he feared, they too were endangered of mirroring his own life.

Patience rewarded. God delivered. Jose, a Christian co-worker came aside David and his transformation was underway

David is a jack of all trades in construction. There’s virtually nothing beyond his capability. He is the longest term employee in a major local company working mainly in Carmel. Clearly he’s earned high trust and respect from his employer and fellow workers. An example is his being transported to and from the job site by the same young man who has discipled David for all these years.

On hitting the door each evening, David is greeted with a chorus of six rumbling stomachs, wholly ready for a big time dinner

I visited the work site this morning. Never have I seen anything like it. Without much exaggeration it would rival Solomon’s residence. Ask me, and I’ll describe its bones

David is so used to hard knocks he’s bearing up astonishingly well to home confinement. (37 days to go).The kids, George, Michelle, David, “Star”(Estrella), “Jesse James”, and Arturo, are looking forward to church services this Sunday. I’ll be picking them up at 8:30. Prayerfully, we’ll be getting some volunteers to sub for me in our parking ministry and chauffeuring our fair ladies from Hacienda. I do have a call in to David’s probation officer to let him know we’re “on board”. Anything he’d like for us to monitor, we’re available. I’ll be looking for an opening to request David be allowed to attend Sunday church services, and if successful, maybe to our Saturday’s men fellowship too

May I boast on the children too? Each is gifted. Arturo, a student at Monterey High, is preoccupied with a career in medicine. Star is a constant medalist in the art of Taekwondo and the constant reminder to the boys of the feminine spirit. David Jr. is doing his best to emulate the character of his hero – dad. George is 16 going on 25; he has matured greatly over the years mindful of his dad who has been incarcerated for all of George’s life. And Jesse James is the consummate artist, drawing to scale dad’s handicraft from the workplace

How please we are to welcome this delightful family to our church body!

If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!" And we believe that "anyone" includes prisoners (Prison Fellowship)

Bill and Pam Ziering Ziering@pacbell.net 831-250-7921 In His service

CHRISTMAS 2010

2011-03-05T17:58:00.000-08:00

December 21, 2010

The annual Angel Tree Christmas party at Carmel Presbyterian Church last week celebrated the kickoff of our yearlong personal relationship with our beleaguered neighbors in Seaside, Marina, PG, Monterey, and Carmel whose families has been caught up in the justice system

At the initiative of the “confined” parent, Chuck Colson’s Prison Fellowship forwarded us a list of local families so affected. We were able to match each of these Angel Tree families with individuals and small groups from our and local churches to commemorate the birth of our Savior and redeemer, Jesus Christ. In a program of fellowship, prayer, song, stories, dining, culminating with a visit from Santa laden down with needed clothing, bare necessities, toys, games, and electronics for the teen technocrats

Taking a cue from last year, the present crop of Angel Tree families may look forward to monthly house calls from families bearing cheesy pizzas,, excursions to the Monterey Aquarium, walks along the seaside, picnics at the beach, shopping at the Yellow Brick Road, pocketing of bus tokens, assistance with repair of appliances and autos, birthday gifts, greeting cards, phone calls of encouragement, visits to Burger King, home cooking as our honored guests, fuel for work, chauffeuring, respite care, and objects of our discipleship with, invitations to accompany us to Saturday Mens fellowship, Women in the Word, Sunday services, and participation in our children and youth groups

TESTIMONIALS (Well worth the tears)

David caught our introductory phone call while running errands. True to his word, he called right back on parking his truck. Yes, yes, he had been waiting for a call such as this. On the “internment” of his sister, without a second thought, he assumed care of her 3 children to blend with his own three. Having been through the system himself in his youth, David knew how critical to get the children to church, a youth group, and Christian fellowship.

In follow- up calls, David was joyfully beside himself, impatiently awaiting our Angel Tree Christmas party and the start of something special for his enlarging brood

On arrival of our king-sized Monarch Bus, David was impressive to spot, he was replete with Sunday suit, shirt, tie, and all, so very ready to greet the Lord’s day

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Yahanoe and Ahnaya came to the party last year with grandma. She had been raising the two in mom’s absence. Ralph and Gail, their sponsors, had been keeping in touch throughout the year, generously feting them on their birthdays. All were looking forward to their reunion this Christmas

Unfortunately life has it twists. Precious grandma suddenly died. Nowhere were we able to locate the children’s current whereabouts. That is, until Ralph had the bright idea of checking out last year’s school. Bingo, a connection, just 3 weeks before our Christmas gala

Happily mom had recently “come out” and the family, now together, moved to Salinas. But, the demons weren’t about to let good news prevail; things were about to again scramble

Follow-up reminder calls were greeted with disconnected phone messages. Rumor had it that the family had moved back to Seaside. Total despair; so close but yet so far

It was then that God’s will prevailed, for out of nowhere Ahnaya’s cell phone number appeared and on calling, she intuitively remembered me, and was thrilled to learn we hadn’t given up on them

She pledged the whole family would be there at the Boys and Girls Club awaiting the bit bus at 2 PM, December 11th some 5 days hence. Amazingly, in that narrow window of time could you believe the family had moved again – now to Sacramento? So we were to miss them at the party

The following day, in resignation, while dropping the gifts at Auntie’s house I was to receive another surprise, only this time, something nice. Mom was due back in town that very afternoon to clear out the last of their belongings. And that very night I received the loveliest of calls from her, blessing Ralph and Gail for staying the course with them and once again blessing Yahanoe and Ahnaya with still another memorable Christmas. She ended the conversation with wishes they might meet again somehow, somewhere, sometime but soon

Surely, working with this family has been a lesson to the resiliency of Godly families in confronting trials and tribulations when once snagged in the justice system, but still emerging OK

MORE

The party must not be over. One young woman called yesterday asking if she’s too late for help with Christmas. Earlier in the day, while standing in line at the grocers, bemoaning prospects of a lean Christmas, she was overheard. The eavesdropper promptly provided her with our home number. She never got a chance to thank the good Samaritan for the latter disappeared in the blink of an eye

She’s 20 and has a 9 month old boy. And with Christmas just around the corner, she had made a number of calls to service agencies only to be told they too were having a hard time this year

Lecretia grew up under Grandma’s watchful eye. Mom had been killed before Lecretia was walking, and dad took off soon thereafter. Lacretia too, will soon be moving on, for Grandmother recently died, and Grandpa, with his wife gone, isn’t able to adapt to rug rats. Lecretia comes across as a survivor, asking only for warm clothing for her son, confessing that he has found all the toys he needs. He’s content to bang away on pots and pans.

CONDLUDING REMARKS

It’s been a good start. Parties and gifts do bring cheer and comfort, and we did have a fine neighborhood communion of brothers and sisters in the name of Christ. Now the work begins

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16)

Angel Tree provides an opportunity to disciple the Good News right here in our backyard

Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” (Matt22:36-40)

It is our calling to reach out to our neighbors without there being a time limit. These Angel Tree families braved coming to our Church in trust. They came to believe we wished to partner with them in some form as extended family. How rewarding the opportunity to be in relation with them throughout the year in love

“"The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me

For The Least Of Us
Bill and Pam Ziering
26033 Mesa Drive,Carmel, CA 93923
831-250-7921

LOVE THY NEIGHBOR AS YOU LOVE YOURSELF

2010-05-09T08:59:00.001-07:00

April 20, 2010

LW, 26, cautiously ambled over to our booth during the mandatory monthly parolee meeting in Salinas, finding Pam's presentation on For The Least Of Us relevant and sensitively delivered. This was her first week out after spending four and a half years in prison. Communication was more than difficult what with sixty-five parolees, a dozen officers, and twenty representatives from the non-profit agencies gathered too closely together at the speaker's table, struggling to discover something of value in the despair of their desperate lives.

We reconnected again later that evening; only this occasion was even less fruitful as LW's cell phone kept cutting in and out. We derived this much. She did graduate from Carmel High, had lived with her family in their upscale Pebble Beach home, and has a highly achieving sister now the lead attorney in her firm. Meanwhile Loretta was now living in Carmel apart from her family who were still reliving the pain from five years ago. All of which piled on even more guilt and self-depreciation in Loretta's shattered ego.

Pam and I are vainly attempting to come aside Loretta and bring her into our church family. Family Matters with Christina seems just right, as does one of Brian's home churches. How good it would be for a team of mentors to arise. Loretta seems to crave acceptance, desires fellowship, and to experience the unconditional love of Jesus.

Her pledge to meet us at Church this Sunday failed. We offered a ride, but was rejected. Attempts to reach LW through her sister have not yet worked. We'll back off for a week or two then try again. Maybe starting with a paid visit to her sister's office.

Rochelle, about 45, hasn't been seen since the last rain. No rain, no Rochelle. Mrs D, on Atherton, the former proprietor of an acclaimed Carmel restaurant, has arranged her garage for both Rochelle and her dog – an inseparable pair. They've been doing this for years . Going to a shelter is out of the question. Rochelle wouldn't part company with her pooch for all the creature comforts of man. This week all the goodies prepared for by this gourmet chef were left untouched. Ditto for the dog. Mrs. D knew the family. They once had great wealth. The mom has moved out of state to parts unknown, while the brothers have nothing more to do with Rochelle. What happened is both a mystery and sad. Twenty years ago Rochelle and Mrs D ran in the same circles; Rochelle was engaged to the D's best friends, then something bad happened.

Mrs D left $50 out for Rochelle last week. When the rains came a few days later, Rochelle drove up in a taxi for which Mrs D paid the bill. Where the money went isn't known.

Neither Mrs D nor Pam and I know what to do. Past efforts to board the dog with us while Rochelle moves into a rehab shelter failed. We're both given to more prayer than usual.

Charles, Michelle, and Royal are faring much better. Michelle has come out of her shell and, in trust, spends a fair amount of her day, texting Cynthia, The long and short of it is her intentions to have Royal not relive her own lifestyle. Charles is working, thanks to Dr Kirk. Last reports he's doing about four hours of good work cleaning up the weeds and brush of Kirk's old residence. Then too, Bob, also from the Men's Saturday Mens' Fellowship is going to have Charles build him a fence.

Meanwhile Charles has struck it well with HUD and its Housing Resource Center. They'll be providing a house of the Murray's finding for a four month stay while the case manager works with Charles to improve his fuller restoration.

This will dovetail with our connecting the family with Pueblo Del Mar. It's a two year program with a supplied house and a full program for successful reentry. There Charles with a job in hand, will be continuing with Recovery on a weekly basis. I'll be tagging along at Pastor Mike Casey's highly engaging Monday sessions at Calvary Chapel.

What's particularly appealing is none of the above programs are a free ride. Charles will pay as he goes. And while the non-profits pay the lion share, the Murrays contribute their fair share and get involved in the program activities

Meanwhile Cynthia's bible group is dropping off warm and appetizing dinners to the Murrays on a scheduled basis. Independently, ditto Joanna and her thoughtful family

Helen, from our church, asked assistance for her dear friend down in Glendale whose daughter, now 62, was recently imprisoned at Valley State Prison in Chowchilla. There almost 4,000 women are incarcerated, some lifers, some short timers. (The facility was built to accommodate 2,024 inmates). The problem: Nary a word has been heard from the daughter, Maureen, on this, her first incarceration almost three months ago.

I got in touch with a member of our church whose daughter knows the system there from having spent a good many years there. It turns out, that the initial 90 days, while in "receiving", no telephone calls are permitted and only a few mailings are permitted. There are essentially zero options. Thereafter, one is "classified" and the first order of the day is a gratis phone call to family while in the counselor's presence.

Meanwhile, Helen's friend was left the number of the "A Yard Watch Captain" to let the daughter know her mother misses her with the love of Christ.

Bill and Pam Ziering

26033 Mesa Drive

Carmel, CA 93923

831-250-7921

For The Least Of Us", Inc. is a 501(c) (3) not-for-profit faith-based Christ centered prison ministry (EIN 26-1361229, DLN 17053351309017). Web site: fortheleastofus.blogspot.com

PEN-PAL gives HOPE

2010-05-09T08:54:00.001-07:00

PEN –PAL: A much appreciated source of encouragement and friendship to a lonely prisoner.

STORY Visiting Prison in an Envelope

PLAYERS Pastor Mike Harbert

Inmate Michal Evans

Inmate Willie Johnson

Pen-Pal Bill Ziering

ONSET August, 2009

OPENING Michael Evans, a Christian, wishing to connect with a Church outside the"wall", wrote to CPC. Pastor Mike passed the message to our ministry.

EXCERPTS

Ziering (8/09) Pastor Mike Harbert at our church, Carmel Presbyterian Church, passed your name on to us. We are members there too, and my wife and I team lead two ministries, For The Least Of Us (devoted mainly to the wives and children whose man is incarcerated) and the Coalition of Churches for Reentry and Restoration.(a consortium of 16 churches in Monterey County). I too, a former physician, served 6 months at the Atwater Camp, 9 years ago, never imagining I'd wind up dedicated to saving souls rather than bodies.

I understand you are a "Believer" and are a member of the "choir" there at Salinas Valley. Bravo! Having faith is what got me through our trials.Frankly, my "Summer Camp Atwater" was worth the experience, giving up "some time" to gain an eternity with him.

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Evans (Thanksgiving day) I've been here 15 years and it's starting to get old. I am very bored and lonely. No friends and no one to write to……..I am a born again believer in Christ (Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!(2 Cor 5:17) I grew up in the Church playing the organ and piano, but then made some foolish mistakes…..I always stress to the choir we must live the life we sing about…..My release date is 2020 if it's God's will. . Please continue to write and pray for me.

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Evans (12/27/09) Praise God! He has blessed me with another year of life. Soon I will be 56 and although 15 years have been spent here at Salinas Valley State Prison, I have met some great guys who I have ministered to………….I am at peace and very happy I got Jesus back into my heart…….. Our choir is breaking up due to a deficit in funding for an officer to baby sit us while we rehearse…..Can you help me with the purchase of a CD player and headphones so I can listen to my Christian CD's. I'm a bit short and if you can contribute half, I can pay you back with doing a portrait of your family or whatever scene you prefer. It's a talent I picked up here at Soledad.

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Evans (1/26/10) Hi Bill. I pray this letter finds you blessed. As for me, I am OK and continue to live saved. God has been good to me helping my sick back to heal with less pain as I am shunted in and out of the hospital……….. I am ready to draw for you whenever you are ready.

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Evans (2/8/10) Hi Bill, I haven't heard from you for awhile. I pray you are well and in good spirits. I no longer have money problems, so you don't have to contribute to my CD player. One of my brothers was released and gave me his gear and sent me $100 too. But I do welcome your letters, they're so inspirational. Remember the drawing I promised to do for you, and please know there is no charge. If I am able to help someone, that's my purpose in life.

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Ziering (2/19/10) Brother Michael - so sorry for the delay. I waited for our Board to release some funds to help you get to your Christian music. They did and I've already ordered the approved unit to be forwarded to you. We can empathize with your joy in music. Our church choir is one of the highlights of our worship service each Sunday, something we couldn't possibly do without.

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Evans (2/24/10) Praise your ministry! I have 9 CD's to listen to now during my good and not so good days. Now I'm pretty much complete and happy. Praise God. Please let the Board know they have made my day, month, and year! Please continue to write.

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Evans (4/08/10) I am so happy right now more than you will ever know……..I'll send you a visiting form too. Maybe you can come visit me. I haven't had a visit in 15 years. I may not know how to act. Respectfully, Michael.

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Johnson (4/25/10) My name is Willie Johnson. I am Mr. Evans cell mate. He went to the hospital on April 20^th and hasn't yet returned. When he received your gift he was so happy. That was the first time I've seen him smile in a long time. He's been in great pain with his bad back. He's such a cool guy claiming God has been good to him even with his bum back. The choir is waiting for his return. He plays the piano and without him there's no music. …… I too need a pen-pal. I've been here 23 years. My mom and sister have pass away so I have nobody in my life so if you wish to write me too, it's all good. Have a nice day. Willie Johnson.

Bill and Pam Ziering

26033 Mesa Drive

Carmel, CA 93923

831-250-7921

For The Least Of Us", Inc. is a 501(c) (3) not-for-profit faith-based Christ centered prison ministry (EIN 26-1361229, DLN 17053351309017). Web site: fortheleastofus.blogspot.com

CAN YOU HELP

2010-04-11T23:26:00.001-07:00

March 30, 2010

"Can you help?"

"There's this homeless couple with the most adorable 1 year old, living in their car which is about to be compounded. It doesn't run, needs a lot of unaffordable work, and is stuck there in front of a church." The police have given them until the end of the week to move it or lose it."

So went the 911 conversation with our CPC sister inquiring direction. She had happened upon the mom with infant and sensed things were not right. Over the next few days Cynthia has provided the basic necessities to mom, Michelle, and baby girl Royal. Now she needed more help.

First up, a call to the Salvation Army. I was ultimately connected with a case worker, Psyche (in truth!). Best as I could, from my vantage point as a distant third party I related the story -a story Psyche likely hears a couple of dozen times daily. She picked up on the number 1, 2, and 3 absolute need - shelter, and asked I drop the family off at their headquarters, 800 Scott in Sand City for an "intake history" and appropriate placement.

The long term core issue to the married couple is a car that works, that works more than just as a domicile, but runs and moves so that mom can get Royal to the doctor (multiple allergies), can drive to the food bank, and enables dad to keep up with collecting recyclables for sustenance

Pam and I met Michelle and Charles today at their big bronze '90 Lincoln Continental grounded outside San Carlos Church. Charles, 50ish, gentle and articulate, has two broken down knees, badly in need of joint replacement, but unavailable to him. He struggles to walk. His manner was peaceful, his nature positive, his character, grateful, his love of Michelle and Royal, abundant. Michelle, 25ish, reserved, and withdrawn, was content to play mother, leaving the role of family head to Charles. And in the midst of our fellowship, it began to rain

"Can you help?" The plea was simple, but at this moment of truth, my confidence was iffy. Each S.O.S. distress call is unique. I enjoy the opportunity and always manage to learn from the challenge, but score a total victory, no, and certainly nil without prayer and guidance from the Spirit.

After Charles locked their two bicycles to a post, and transferred the baby car seat, we made off to meet with Psyche. Psyche was sensitive and cordial but not gushy. She could not fulfill the couple's primary interest, a shelter that accommodates families. There are a limited number of shelters for the homeless in our county, a few for men, and even less for women, but none for couples with children. And Michelle and Charles are not about abandoning Royal or aborting their marriage vows for their individual self interests.

The immediate solution provided was a night's rest and shower at a local motel, one replete with a microwave oven and refrigerator (for Royal's soybean formula – available at $3.39 a half gallon). Further, Psyche provided us with a list of low cost apartment units in the area for which the Salvation Army will help with the first month's rent and security deposit – a solution, on the surface, not remote from Charles' ability to handle

Their long term goals are not unrealistic. They need a car that works. Charles' knees don't carry him further than a half block or much longer than 4 minutes. He continues to apply for jobs, any job, minimum pay or otherwise, but never comes close. So he does recyclables 6 days a week. On a bad day he brings in $8 and when he is graced, $22.

(Charles is a Christian, was brought up Catholic, sent his first children to parochial school in Salinas, and a bible is what we're gifting him today.)

The vouchers still remaining from the Yellow Brick Road will come in handy later in the week. We'll take Michelle, Royal, and yes, Charles, on a shopping spree there after the rains let up

Meanwhile Cynthia has arranged for their own local mechanic to check out "the car that couldn't" to assess the best price available for the block repair.

What Cynthia, Pam, and I are requesting are two items

Can you bring your recyclables to CPC on Saturday mornings at 8:30 AM. Pam and I will deliver them to our new friends?
And, prayerfully, can you part with and donate your old car (that still works or needs not major repair) to our non-profit, For The Least Of Us, (fully deductible). Charles can scrape together up to $500 (if needed) in the transfer.

Bill and Pam Ziering

26033 Mesa Drive

Carmel, CA

831-250-7921

CAN YOU HELP?

2010-03-30T14:43:00.001-07:00

March 30, 2010

"Can you help?"

(Charles is a Christian, was brought up Catholic, sent his first children to parochial school in Salinas, and a bible is what we're gifting him today.)

The vouchers still remaining from the Yellow Brick Road will come in handy later in the week. We'll take Michelle, Royal, and yes, Charles, on a shopping spree there after the rains let up

Meanwhile Cynthia has arranged for their own local mechanic to check out "the car that couldn't" to assess the best price available for the block repair

What Cynthia, Pam, and I are requesting are two items:

Can you bring your recyclables to CPC on Saturday mornings at 8:30 AM. Pam and I will deliver them to our new friends?
And, prayerfully, can you part with and donate your old car (that still works or needs not major repair) to our non-profit, For The Least Of Us, (fully deductible). Charles can scrape together up to $500 (if
needed) in the transfer.

Bill and Pam Ziering

26033 Mesa Drive

Carmel, CA

831-250-7921

A CHURCHES RESPONSE TO THE PRISON FAMILY

2010-03-28T11:03:00.001-07:00

Welcome to Overcomers: A post-prison Ministry In The Church

P.O. Box 403
Browns Plains
Brisbane, Qld 4118
Australia
3800 5813
Australia
3800 5813

Mentoring Program Within The Local Church

The Need:- Many of the inmates and ex-offenders I have spoken with, both as I ministered to them and as I have come in contact with them during my work in the community have expressed a profound knowledge of the lack of support "on the outside".

They usually are scared to death of what they will face and have expressed the fact that there is a need for a major support group for all ex-offenders. Their main fear in recidivism is the "abrupt transition back into society". In most cases there is no preparation given to them for this. It is just open the gate, shove 'em out, slam the gate behind them with a "you'll be back" attitude.

Often if the ex-offender has served a long term of five years or more, everything they knew has changed and they feel completely lost. The biggest problem most ex-offenders face is fear. Fear of failure. Fear of rejection by people within the Church because of where they have been and the reasons behind it. The ex-offender will often confront the pressures and prejudices of friends and family. They often have a low self-esteem and feelings of failure, hopelessness, suspicion and apathy.

Most leave prison with the same problems they had when they entered. Some have added problems that have developed whilst incarcerated. Such things as family breakdowns, enemies they may have made whilst living in close quarters whilst incarcerated, what to do with their lives from here on in, how they will survive and more. Many have to now face a world they faced before they went into prison, a world where they see no other options other than to commit another crime to survive. A world where no one will care about them or understand them or their needs.

These facts are a major contributing factor to a high rate of re-arrest across Australia. Even perhaps, world-wide. Statistics from state governments in Australia place the recidivism rate at anywhere from 50-80% on average. The failure of the Corrective system to truly rehabilitate inmates world-wide is well documented.

Therefore it is up to the Church to go well beyond the scope of many government and secular programs and to develop faith-based solutions to the problem of recidivism. Many studies have been made into this problem (one major study being carried out by the Washington Post, October 4 1997, and made public, the fact that there was a major failure in this arena even with special programmed courses for inmates in place. This is so in many cases of ex-offenders in Queensland's Correctional system. It has been found through research that Christian faith-based programs greatly reduce recidivism among their participants. This still however, does not fully eradicate the problem. It is up to the Church to ever look for the means to do this through the extending of the love of Jesus to these folk.

Both men and women. Overcomer's program is designed to have a major role in this area. Mentors General description: Mentors do not necessarily need to be trained counselors although if they are it is even better, but mostly they need to understand the needs of these people as they reintegrate into society. The mentors will need to be friends who will show they truly care for the well being and self-esteem and Spiritual growth of the ex-offender, bearing in mind that they will be working not only with Christians, but leading others to Jesus who have sought assistance as they come to the realization that they are in need of a mentor and assistance. All mentors undergo a training program which will equip them for this work. This training will be undertaken at various venues as both numbers and time permits. It will also incorporate ongoing training as the need arises. Mentors are responsible for providing support, encouragement and guidance to ex-offenders participating in the reintegration program by meeting with them regularly to listen and to share knowledge and experience. Both mentor and participants will have input into determining with whom they will be placed. Their placement will be with the denomination of their choice. It is also an excellent opportunity for students who wish to become involved with this work in the Pastoral Care practicums of their studies and future Ministry through working alongside Overcomers staff. The mentors can be from a variety of backgrounds ranging from psychology to Theology students and those who have at some time been incarcerated in a correctional center (a twelve month probationary period alongside of a proven mentor would be required in this latter).

This is not a ministry for what is often termed the "do-gooder". This is a very serious and important ministry and there must be a definite calling upon one's life to minister Christ to the fullest in this arena. This is an excellent opportunity to become involved in assisting the ex-offender to follow a life void of crime and full of Christ. The mentor should not be one who feels they would not be able to maintain confidentiality in their dealings with individual ex-offenders. They should also minister only to those of their own gender, except in the case of qualified psychologists or counselors and then only in the company of another person. For this reason it saves both time and effort in an emergency situation when an ex-offender needs immediate attention.

Qualifications for Mentors 1. Must believe in the program and the participant 2. Must be relationship-oriented, especially in relationship Evangelism. 3. Must understand ex-offenders and the problems they face. 4. Must be able to encourage and support without creating dependency. 5. Must be a responsible Christian fellowshipping regularly at a local Church. 6. Must be drug free and crime free for at least 1 year prior to appointment. 7. Must be approved by local Church leaders, with personal Pastoral reference. 8. Must reside in or within quick traveling distance of an area where Overcomers is operational. 9. Must be prepared to be called on a 24 hour basis if and when required. (This would be screened by a volunteer, 24 hour answer service). Responsibilities 1. Initiate and maintain contact with the participant in prison and after release; encourage the participant to feel free to call the mentor. 2. Visit participant at least once Bi-weekly. To write to the participant whilst they are still incarcerated or call at least once per week by telephone upon their release until the participant no longer requires their assistance. 3. Maintain contact with the participant for at least six months. Upon agreement by both parties, their relationship can be continued beyond this six month period. 4. Help the participant develop a life plan and obtain resources necessary for survival. The participant is to be encouraged to take the major role in this development. 5. Give general support as the participant goes through with his/her plan. 6. Avoid personal financial involvement. Overcomers support of Mentors.

Mentors will receive support from the program in the following ways: 1. An orientation meeting will be held to meet other mentors, review responsibilities and answer questions. This will be done by meeting together with the Chaplains of various Centers to develop a plan of action for the particular participant since the Chaplain will be the initial contact and will usually have a firsthand understanding of the individual ex-offender concerned. 2. The Project Coordinator will interview the mentor by appointment on a monthly basis to evaluate the mentor/participant relationship. 3. Regular meetings will be held for mentors to discuss problems and exchange ideas in problem solving and ongoing training as new methods are developed. 4. If a mentor relationship develops serious problems, which can happen to the best of them, Senior staff will help solve the problem where possible or after discussion with all parties concerned, will terminate the relationship and where possible, appoint a new mentor to the case. 5. Mentors will have available to them a resource list of shelters, release houses, emergency food sources, job leads (through both a list developed by Overcomers and an appointed local employment agency), etc. 6. Initial and on-going training will be provided for interested mentors in local Church settings. 7. For confidentiality purposes, mentors will be able to use Overcomers address or telephone number if they do not wish to disclose their own, however it is preferred that at least one other contact telephone number is used for emergency purposes. Overcomers Need:- To support this ministry, like everyone else, we have the need for prayer and financial partners. Please prayerfully consider this aspect of perhaps the most important ministry to the ex-offender.... that of continued discipleship according to the mandate in Matthew 28:20.

Remembering that in today's society there is a need for financial support for a ministry to continue and meet the daily need. For further details on how you can become a support partner and for prayer needs please feel free to contact us by email. Donations are best sent by cheque or money order to our office. As a Church fellowship, you might like to consider our "Gold Coin" option...If each Church member donated a gold coin once per week toward this ministry, imagine what God could do in discipling these folk in a year. Please feel free to contact us and we will advise of further details involving this area. Thank you for taking the time to read this page and please do come visit us again. Mentor and financial support partner applications can be made directly to our office. 192 Browns Plains Road, Browns Plains, Brisbane 4118 Telephone 617(07)3800 5813 Facsimile (07) 3809 0707 Email: Overcomers@mpx.com.au

FOR THE LEAST OF US

Bill and Pam Ziering

26033 Mesa Drive

Carmel, CA

831-250-7921

ziering@pacbell.net

fortheleastofus.com

2010-03-27T12:01:00.000-07:00

This post was published to For The Least Of Us at 11:19:37 AM 3/27/2010

THE CHURCH: AUTHENTICITY

return to religion-online

The Call to Prison Ministry

by Kenneth L. Carder

Kenneth L. Carder is a bishop in the United Methodist church in Nashville, TN. This article appeared in The Christian Century, October 3, 2006,

When I was a newly ordained pastor in 1966, I heard a speech by a federal judge that significantly shaped my life and ministry. The judge said that he kept in contact with every person he sentenced to prison. His rationale for writing or visiting inmates was simple: he didn’t want his only impact on an individual to be the act of denying his or her freedom.

This highly regarded jurist then said, "Pastors should be as familiar with the inside of the local jails and prisons as they are the local hospitals." He observed that most people who are hospitalized have a strong support system and are surrounded by people devoted to their healing and well-being. By contrast, people housed in jails and prisons receive minimal support, and the people around them are mostly committed to confining and punishing them.

Though as a pastor I had visited hospitals almost daily, I had never been inside a jail. Within a few weeks of hearing that judge’s challenge. I made my first visit to the county jail. I reluctantly and anxiously entered a world often hidden from and ignored by congregations and pastors. There I met more than law enforcement officers and inmates. I met the One who said, "I was in prison and you visited me.

The incarcerated are among the fastest-growing populations in the U.S. Approximately 4,500 are added to the prison population each month. According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics for 2004, there are more than 2.2 million inmates in the nation’s jails. The 2004 figures reflect a record 32-year continuous rise in the number of inmates. The U.S. incarceration rate of 724 per 100,000 residents is the highest in the world. The rate of incarceration has quintupled since 1971. Prisons and jails are grossly overcrowded, with no relief in sight.

Prison ministries are usually relegated to specialized groups such as Prison Fellowship or Kairos. Inmates are seldom on the regular visitation schedules of pastors. Government-funded prison chaplains are relied upon to provide pastoral care and religious services to inmates. Very few local jails have chaplains. While many dedicated chaplains serve in prisons, they are often seen as hired hands of the department of corrections, and they often lack the trust of inmates.

For pastors, finding the time to add prisoners to the list of those to be visited is a challenge. Personal fear and lack of confidence in relating to the criminal-justice system creates understandable hesitation and resistance. Entering the unfamiliar world of inmates entails moving outside comfort zones, and those who desire to do so will receive little encouragement.

Hostility and prejudice toward the incarcerated are impediments to ministry. The criminal justice system is dominated by notions of retribution, vengeance, punishment and isolation. The core values of the Christian gospel -- forgiveness, compassion, redemption, reconciliation, restorative justice -- run counter to prevailing sentiments in the justice system.

Pastors and congregations engaged in prison ministry often meet bureaucratic resistance. Prison staffs are overworked, underpaid and undervalued, and they work in a high-stress environment. They are among those who need the ministry of the church. Building trust among the staff is essential for access and effectiveness in any prison ministry.

Though the obstacles are formidable, the potential benefits to pastors and congregations are substantial. And much is at stake: faithfulness to Christ’s mandate and mission, renewal of the church’s witness and ministry, the theological integrity of the church’s proclamation, the spiritual vitality of pastors, and the well-being of more than 2 million inmates and their families.

Prisons and jails present in microcosm the challenges confronting the church and the world -- racial polarization, economic disparity and poverty, terror and violence, drug and alcohol abuse, personal and family brokenness, isolation and loneliness, anger and meaninglessness and guilt. Behind the walls of every prison and jail are fathers and mothers, sons and daughters, husbands and wives, friends and neighbors -- all persons made in the divine image who, like the rest of us, have distorted that image and who long for love, reconciliation and purpose. Ministry in such contexts of intense needs and opportunities can energize and shape ministry in the broader society where the same realities exist in less concentrated form.

Inmates and their families have shaped my own experience and understanding of the gospel. During my first jail visit a young man asked to speak with me privately. Ed was a muscular man whose arms were covered with tattoos. On his left arm was inscribed Born to Lose, and on his other arm, Born to Raise Hell. He immediately blurted out, "How do I get God in my life?"

"Why,", I asked, "do you want God in your life? What difference do you think that would make?"

For the next several minutes he shared his life’s story of abuse, foster homes, repeated incarcerations for drunkenness, theft and larceny. He then added sorrowfully, "I’ve obviously made a mess of my life. I want to amount to something. I’ve hurt a lot of people and I ain’t worth shit."

I responded, "Ed, you don’t have to get God in your life. God is already present in you. Your guilt and regret, the longing to make something of your life, the desire for a sense of worth -- that is God’s presence with you. We can begin by thanking God for being present in those feelings and desires and then open your whole life to that Presence."

What theologians call prevenient grace took on new meaning in that conversation. I learned that we never take God anywhere; we find God already present.

Ed helped me learn early on that the Christian gospel must be more than a theological abstraction; it must be embodied. How was Ed to know the meaning of love when all he had known was rejection? How was he to understand forgiveness when vengeance and retribution had dominated his experience? How was he to experience the worth and dignity rooted in grace when he felt worthless?

After several visits, Ed asked, "Can you introduce me to a man in your church who can show me what it’s like to be a Christian?" That opened the door for congregational involvement. I introduced him to a person in the congregation who subsequently involved others in baking cookies and providing reading material for inmates and organizing occasional worship services.

Some of my most profound theological insights, transforming experiences and enduring friendships have come out of my relationships with

incarcerated persons. Inmates have plenty of free time, and artwork can be a popular pastime. Several men who occupied the same cellblock in one county jail were particularly adept at creating cartoons. I provided them copies of the New Testament in a modem translation and asked them to read the parables and sayings of Jesus and identify those that lent themselves to cartoon portrayal. The result was a collection of insightful portrayals of the blind leading the blind, a rich man trying to go through the eye of a needle, a man removing the speck from another’s eye while a log was protruding from his own, and the laying up of treasures where moth and rust destroy and thieves steal. The cartoons led to long hours of discussion of the teachings of Jesus that would rival most seminary classes for passion and depth of insight.

Involvement with prison and jail ministries keeps the pastor focused on life-and-death matters. Leaving the "free world" and entering the world behind prison walls tends to strip one of pretense and superficial preoccupations.

No place confronts us with life-and-death challenges like death row. Relationships with the condemned and those whose job is to guard them and execute them are among the most intense and transformative pastoral relationships. Capital punishment ceases to be an abstract political, ethical and theological issue. Being present with persons who are awaiting execution, along with their families and the families of the victims of violence, pushes the pastor to the edges of faith and stability.

Bill has been a friend since I met him on death row more than 20 years ago. We have shared many experiences -- his retrial and resentencing (to life in prison) and my changes in pastoral assignments. When I was elected bishop he called me from prison to say, "Finally, an American election that turned out right."

Bill is always forthright, insightful and compassionate. When I asked him if any pastors or people from local churches ever visited his prison, which houses approximately 3,000 people, he said, "I’ve been in this prison six years and I haven’t seen a preacher yet, and I’m not aware of any churches that are involved here." I had passed several churches of various denominations along the rural west Tennessee road that leads to the sprawling prison complex.

Since I now help to educate and form pastors in seminary, I asked Bill, "What do you consider to be the most important qualities of a pastor?"

He replied, "Integrity, consistency and dependability." By integrity he meant that there should be congruity between the pastor’s proclamation of the gospel and the pastor’s life. Consistency, for Bill, involves treating people consistently with respect, compassion and dignity regardless of their status or condition. Dependability is "doing what you say you will do." He added that over his more than 25 years of incarceration he had seen many pastors and church people promise, with good intentions, to visit, but "only a handful can be depended on to stick around very long." Such unfulfilled promises add to the cynicism and disillusionment of inmates.

Unless it is involved with the people in jails and prisons, the church will surely lack integrity, consistency and dependability.

Bill and Pam Ziering

26033 Mesa Drive

Carmel, CA

THE CHURCH: AUTHENTICITY

2010-03-27T11:19:00.001-07:00

return to religion-online

The Call to Prison Ministry

by Kenneth L. Carder

Kenneth L. Carder is a bishop in the United Methodist church in Nashville, TN. This article appeared in The Christian Century, October 3, 2006, pp. 25-29. Copyright by the Christian Century Foundation; used by permission. Current articles and subscriptions information can be found at www.christiancentury.org.This material was prepared for Religion Online by Ted and Winnie Brock.

When I was a newly ordained pastor in 1966, I heard a speech by a federal judge that significantly shaped my life and ministry. The judge said that he kept in contact with every person he sentenced to prison. His rationale for writing or visiting inmates was simple: he didn't want his only impact on an individual to be the act of denying his or her freedom.

Though as a pastor I had visited hospitals almost daily, I had never been inside a jail. Within a few weeks of hearing that judge's challenge. I made my first visit to the county jail. I reluctantly and anxiously entered a world often hidden from and ignored by congregations and pastors. There I met more than law enforcement officers and inmates. I met the One who said, "I was in prison and you visited me.

The incarcerated are among the fastest-growing populations in the U.S. Approximately 4,500 are added to the prison population each month. According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics for 2004, there are more than 2.2 million inmates in the nation's jails. The 2004 figures reflect a record 32-year continuous rise in the number of inmates. The U.S. incarceration rate of 724 per 100,000 residents is the highest in the world. The rate of incarceration has quintupled since 1971. Prisons and jails are grossly overcrowded, with no relief in sight.

Though the obstacles are formidable, the potential benefits to pastors and congregations are substantial. And much is at stake: faithfulness to Christ's mandate and mission, renewal of the church's witness and ministry, the theological integrity of the church's proclamation, the spiritual vitality of pastors, and the well-being of more than 2 million inmates and their families.

"Why,", I asked, "do you want God in your life? What difference do you think that would make?"

For the next several minutes he shared his life's story of abuse, foster homes, repeated incarcerations for drunkenness, theft and larceny. He then added sorrowfully, "I've obviously made a mess of my life. I want to amount to something. I've hurt a lot of people and I ain't worth shit."

I responded, "Ed, you don't have to get God in your life. God is already present in you. Your guilt and regret, the longing to make something of your life, the desire for a sense of worth -- that is God's presence with you. We can begin by thanking God for being present in those feelings and desires and then open your whole life to that Presence."

What theologians call prevenient grace took on new meaning in that conversation. I learned that we never take God anywhere; we find God already present.

After several visits, Ed asked, "Can you introduce me to a man in your church who can show me what it's like to be a Christian?" That opened the door for congregational involvement. I introduced him to a person in the congregation who subsequently involved others in baking cookies and providing reading material for inmates and organizing occasional worship services.

Some of my most profound theological insights, transforming experiences and enduring friendships have come out of my relationships with incarcerated persons. Inmates have plenty of free time, and artwork can be a popular pastime. Several men who occupied the same cellblock in one county jail were particularly adept at creating cartoons. I provided them copies of the New Testament in a modem translation and asked them to read the parables and sayings of Jesus and identify those that lent themselves to cartoon portrayal. The result was a collection of insightful portrayals of the blind leading the blind, a rich man trying to go through the eye of a needle, a man removing the speck from another's eye while a log was protruding from his own, and the laying up of treasures where moth and rust destroy and thieves steal. The cartoons led to long hours of discussion of the teachings of Jesus that would rival most seminary classes for passion and depth of insight.

Bill is always forthright, insightful and compassionate. When I asked him if any pastors or people from local churches ever visited his prison, which houses approximately 3,000 people, he said, "I've been in this prison six years and I haven't seen a preacher yet, and I'm not aware of any churches that are involved here." I had passed several churches of various denominations along the rural west Tennessee road that leads to the sprawling prison complex.

Since I now help to educate and form pastors in seminary, I asked Bill, "What do you consider to be the most important qualities of a pastor?"

He replied, "Integrity, consistency and dependability." By integrity he meant that there should be congruity between the pastor's proclamation of the gospel and the pastor's life. Consistency, for Bill, involves treating people consistently with respect, compassion and dignity regardless of their status or condition. Dependability is "doing what you say you will do." He added that over his more than 25 years of incarceration he had seen many pastors and church people promise, with good intentions, to visit, but "only a handful can be depended on to stick around very long." Such unfulfilled promises add to the cynicism and disillusionment of inmates.

Unless it is involved with the people in jails and prisons, the church will surely lack integrity, consistency and dependability.

Bill and Pam Ziering

26033 Mesa Drive

Carmel, CA

NO WAY THIS CAN HAPPEN TO YOU?

2010-03-26T07:58:00.001-07:00

FOR THE LEAST OF US
Restoring Families and Challenging Churches

Invisible prison

Inmates' families face many challenges

By Christina Quick

Ann Edenfield Sweet never expected to be the wife of a prison inmate.

The former cheerleading captain and college homecoming queen married a commercial airline captain who seemed to share her Christian faith. They and their four children lived in a spacious home in suburban Albuquerque, N.M., and actively participated in a local church.

But on Aug. 5, 1986, Sweet received a phone call that changed her life. Her husband had been arrested, taken to jail and charged with drug trafficking. Unaware he had ever engaged in illegal activities, the news stunned Sweet.

"The old me really died that day," she says. "In many ways, I became a different person."

Unfortunately, Sweet took on a new identity in the eyes of others as well. As news of the arrest spread, friends and neighbors avoided her. Parents no longer allowed their children to play with her young sons. She was asked to resign as a Cub Scout leader. She says even members of the church she and her husband had attended for 12 years kept their distance.

"Unless you've lived through it, you don't know what it's like to have people turn the other way and not return your wave when you pull into the cul-de-sac," Sweet says. "As far as other people were concerned, my children and I were the guilty ones."

With four boys between the ages of 6 months and 7 years, Sweet's troubles had just begun. Within hours of her husband's arrest, the family's assets were seized. Sweet discovered while trying to buy groceries that she no longer had access even to her checking account.

"I literally became penniless overnight," she says.

Sweet took a low-paying position working with youth at a large, downtown church. There she encouraged other women and children dealing with the stigma of a family member's incarceration.

"My faith was the only thing that kept me going, and I tried to share that with others," Sweet says.

Six years into her husband's prison sentence, Sweet learned he had been approved for early parole and could be released in five months.

When Sweet told the new senior pastor her family soon would be reunited, she thought he would be happy for her. Instead, she says, he told her he could no longer be her pastor.

"I started sobbing," she says. "I felt like this was the second church that didn't want me. I knew God wasn't kicking me out, but when a pastor rejects you and you no longer feel welcome in church, you're tempted to think that way."

Sweet left the church and took a job with an audiobook publishing company. She also launched a new ministry to help families such as hers make positive connections with local churches. Wings for LIFE hosts parties for inmates' families and provides Christmas gifts, school supplies and other items for their children.

Sweet has written a book, Family Arrested: How to Survive the Incarceration of a Loved One, to help others navigate the penal system and the challenges of having a family member behind bars.

"It took me more than 13 years to be able to talk about my husband's incarceration and the impact it's had on my family without crying," Sweet says. "My greatest freedom was in finally letting go of that pain and giving it to God."

Though Sweet and her husband remained together four years after his release, the union eventually failed.

Studies have shown incarceration takes a heavy toll on marriage. Marriages that survive a prison sentence often dissolve after the spouse's release.

Scott Jett, director of Shapes Mentoring Program, an Assemblies of God outreach for inmates' children in southwest Missouri, says families of the incarcerated are a largely unreached mission field.

"Unfortunately, many people in the church are afraid to open themselves up to vulnerability," Jett says. "They're worried someone might steal from them or take advantage of them. But many times, what these families need most is to feel accepted and valued."

Jett says families of inmates face "invisible bars" that can dramatically affect their quality of life. Most live below the poverty line, and studies indicate children of inmates may be at increased risk of being incarcerated during their lifetimes.

"They feel isolated and abandoned," Jett says. "There are financial and emotional issues. And there is intense shame. To be the spouse or child of an inmate is to wear a label no one wants."

Manuel Cordero, a Colora, Md.-based national correctional ministries representative for Assemblies of God U.S. Missions, agrees.

"They're treated like they are also inmates, as if they are bad by association," Cordero says. "They're marginalized and ostracized. The greatest tragedy is when that happens in the church."

Amelia Velazquez says discipleship is crucial in helping inmates' families get past obstacles society and circumstances may place in their paths. She says her relationship with Christ provided an anchor when her husband went to prison on a drug conviction shortly after she became a Christian.

"What makes it difficult for women who don't have a relationship with God is not having a purpose for the future or knowing what the future holds," she says. "With God, you have hope and you can have the courage to continue."

Velazquez says becoming involved in ministry herself also helped her cope. Throughout her husband's incarceration, she led a ministry at a women's prison.

"You really are serving time with the person inside," she says. "But you can't wait for that person to get out of prison to begin your life. You have to get involved with something that will bring fulfillment and help shift your focus from your problems to the needs of others."

Velazquez and her husband, Alex Velazquez Jr., beat the odds by keeping their marriage intact. Alex Velazquez accepted Christ as Savior during his four years in prison. The two now serve as pastors at Oasis City Church, an AG congregation in Philadelphia.

"I know what it's like to go to Christmas parties and be the only person there without a spouse," Amelia Velazquez says.

Yet she says God's presence was enough for her during that time. She tells other women she mentors that just as God was with the biblical patriarch Joseph during his imprisonment, He wants to help families of prisoners break through every barrier that stands in their way.

"A relationship with God is the starting point for true freedom," she says.

COME, LET US REASON TOGETHER

2010-03-24T21:05:00.001-07:00

FOR THE LEAST OF US
Challenging Churches and restoring families

RUMINATIONS

America's criminal justice system

Misguided

Crime is considered more an act upon the State than upon a victim, a violation justifying punishment

Victims are used more as witnesses for the State rather than assisted for their loss

Deprived of their careers, offenders are unlikely to find a suitable job. Payment of their restitution takes precedence over repayment to the victim

Ever escalating costs of present system

One in 32 adult currently under supervision

13 million incarcerated

Almost 1 million inmates released each year

$25,000 cost to imprison each inmate each year

$50,000 cost to imprison each inmate on death row each year

$600,000,000 cost of building another new prison

It's been a poor investment

A 70% recidivism rate is a failure rate

Taxpayer beware, the present system becomes more wasteful each year

Alternative models must be pursued in the interests of public safety, and the restoration of our communities, families and the human condition

Restorative Justice model

Based on accountability, competency development, and community safety

Requires admission of guilt, willingness to participate, ability to make reparation

Focus on

Restoration not retribution
Offender responsibility not guilt
Repentance and redirection
The debt to the victim not the state
The future not the past
Repair - not life-time punishment

Calls all parties—victims, offenders, communities and the government—to recognize the importance of repairing the harm caused by crime

Victim-offender mediation. Calls upon professions to facilitate restorative encounters

Reintegration. Provide means and opportunity to rejoin their communities as contributing members

COME LET US REASON TOGETHER" (ISAIAH 2)

Bill and Pam Ziering
26033 Mesa Drive
Carmel, CA 93923
831-250-7921

LINKS TO WEBSITES

2010-03-20T17:54:00.000-07:00

MARCH 20, 2010
FAVORITE BLOGS AND WEBSITES

To view, please "copy", then "paste" to search window

www.MissionWaco.org
Larry James' Urban Daily
Think Outside The Cage
Prison Talk
Restorative Justice Online

The Innocence Project

Church Under The Bridge.org

Breakpoint

Prison Fellowship

Overlawyered
MichaelSantos.net
Kariosprisonministry.org
Exposed
AZAuthors's Blog

   In His Service
   Bill and Pam Ziering
   831-250-7921
   ziering@pacbell.net

Newsletter, Spring 2010, FOR the Least of US

2010-03-15T12:05:00.000-07:00

OUTREACH The economic down turn is affecting us all. The challenges are there and the opportunities to display our Christian character seldom have been greater.

Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’(Matt 22)

Our ministry, For the Least Of Us, is blessed. Charitable giving in the form of financial and material contributions from the Church and from stewards of the needy continue to be faithful and our outreach undiminished.

As a consequence of our last Board meeting, Pam and I contacted several non- profit and County-wide agencies to learn how allied service agencies are fulfilling client needs. Feeding one’s family with healthy selections looms heavily in these days of austerity. Last week we went bulk shopping, stopping mainly at COSTCO, perhaps America’s most recognizable convenience store. Listed are the main items we picked up and delivered to several of our families. They’re listed under the categories of food preferences, household supplies, and hygiene provisions.

Fresh vegetables Toilet paper Dish washer soap

Eggs Soap/soap pads Laundry detergent

Milk Tooth brush Paper towels

Peanut Butter Tooth paste

Chicken/turkey Diapers

Hamburger Hairbrushes, combs

Tuna Furniture polish

Rice/beans/pasta

Cheese

Potatoes

Frozen foods

Bread/Butter

Rice/beans/pasta

Mayonnaise

Salt/sugar

Making house calls was eye opening, one young mom with two children under 3, had but a few dollars available to carry her family through the next 3 weeks. Our petty cash fund consequently came in handy.

MEETINGS Parolees, those inmates with good behavior records, conditionally released from prison before their sentence is complete, must attend the monthly PACT meeting held at Salinas Valley Community Church. Upwards of 120 men and women listen to approximately 20 service groups – non profits, such as the Salvation Army, Second Chance Youth Project, Turning Point, Celebrate Recovery, One Stop, The Bridge Restoration, VA, AA, Housing Resources Center, Mobile Clinic, Shelter Outreach, Serenity House, Sun Street, Victory Mission, and Monterey County Legal Aid. Each tells about their resources dedicated to ease the parolees back into their community. Their provisions include food, clothing, shelter, job training, rehab (alcohol, drugs), counseling, literacy, bus tokens, and a lot more.

Pam and I were invited. I detailed the mission of For the Least of Us.

To identify, actively nurture, and support families of an incarcerated member

To link with active prison ministries and organizations towards:

Reconciling families

Transforming hearts

Assisting in the provision of skills and services sufficient to help break the revolving door of recidivism

Welcoming the whole family, as members back into our community and church

I spoke of peace, prosperity, and the promise, afforded by a relation with Christ. Pam and I encouraged the brothers and sisters to find refuge in a welcoming church hopefully one with an active prison fellowship and one with bible study. Their attention was piqued when I described my own fall from the illusionary treasures of the world to the real treasures of His kingdom.

Afterwards, 3 young men approached our station - each a Christian who were eager to reestablish connections with a church. One regretted that a recent letter to his pastor had at yet been answered. At his request I pledged to contact the pastor directly to share our good impressions about this earnest father of 9 year old twin boys. Another of the 3 visitors shared his concern of being unable to support his mate and their small child. Each desperately wanted a job, any job, as a means to function as an important financial contributor.

We are most impressed with the non-profit agencies, so directly and compassionately active in reaching out to restore those caught up in the criminal justice system: youth with broken families, the weak, reaching out for support in all the wrong places, the heavily burdened families left behind, and those coming out on reentry with small prospects of making it back – without Christ and a transformed heart, and meaningful support from the foundational base, the church.

In His service Bill and Pam Ziering Ziering@pacbell.net 831-250-7921

“For The Least Of Us, Inc.” is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profits Faith- Based, Christ-centered prison ministry (EIN 26-1361229, DLN 17053351309017). It is guided by the precepts of the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability. Website: http//www.fortheleastofus.com , Blog: fortheleastofus.blogspot.com

Contributions are fully tax deductible and may be sent to For The Least Of Us, Inc, 26033 Mesa Drive, Carmel, CA. 93923

AN INVITATION TO THE PASTORS

2010-03-12T21:47:00.001-08:00

The Church is the largest company in our city with 500 branch offices. It is the only group that has everything it needs to change a community. (Alan Doswald) The local church is the hope of the world." (Bill Hybels)

There are 355 biblical references in scripture to "prison" and "captivity", two of which are:

"Remember those in prison as if you were their fellow prisoners (Hebrews 13:3) Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ." (Galatians 6:2)

11 million men and women will be leaving "correctional" institutions this year. Close to 70% will be back, mostly within several months, unable to make the adjustment. Who are they, and where do the come from? We might be surprised how many hail from our own church membership. In days gone by, the church played a dominant role in safeguarding it members. Nowadays the government has been involved in this relationship, not always to the benefit of all. The church had its mission:

"I was hungry, and you gave me something to eat. I was thirsty, and you gave me something to drink. I was a stranger, and you took me into your home. I needed clothes, and you gave me something to wear. I was in prison, and ye came unto me and you took care of me. (Matthew 25:25-35)

Crime has been redefined as "breaking a law, superseding perpetrating an event causing "injury to a victim". Consequently, our correctional institutions are vastly overcrowded resulting in out of control human and financial costs. Further without rehabilitative programs, prisons are sometimes considered postgraduate institutions for crime.

In mid October Carmel Presbyterian Church plans to convene a non-denominational half day forum for the pastoral leadership of Monterey County to provide models of successful prison ministries, their missions, and the fruits there from.

The program is in formation. Please know, you are invited to suggest content or be an active participant. Would you please indicate your interest in attending?

YES ___ NO___ ANOTHER TIME__ Bill Ziering Ziering@pacbell.net

Publish Post
831-250-7921

26033 Mesa Drive

Carmel, CA 93923

In His service

ANGEL TREE CHRISTMAS PARTY at Carmel Presbyterian Church

2009-12-28T17:15:00.001-08:00

                    FOR THE LEAST  US
          Challenging churches and restoring families

Christmas 2009

                          TESTIMONIALS
                         Host Families

Angel Tree Christmas Festival

I want to thank your ministry for giving our church the opportunity to share the joy of Christmas giving with these hurting families. Anthony was the most alert, wide-eyed child I have ever seen, taking in everything including four pieces of pizza, two ice creams, and a box of raisins! He carried and guarded his gifts all the way home! I suspect that Rudy will be open to Men's Fellowship and church. I'll be in touch with the family. Chuck

*************

Wade and I had a wonderful time at the party(wow) and with our precious new friends Alejandra and Angel(after they got on the bus, Angel blew kisses back to me as we waved through the window!). I took a turkey to the family today and Alejandra was very excited to be able to cook it along with her sister-in-law for all the family. They are so grateful and we pray God's blessing on them and all the "little ones". Merry Christmas, Sheryl and Wade

*************

The party was grand. The kids seemed to enjoy themselves, the adults seemed comfortable and happy. I enjoyed chatting with the 9th grader in your family, C.J. He was friendly, and liked to talk about sports.Our family was very lovely. We will stay in touch. The older daughter is developmentally disabled, so Ann wants to see that she is getting the medical support she needs. Ann might be able to get the mom hooked into Easter Seals. Ron
   *************

What a beautiful event. I am so sorry that I wasn't able to participate, but I will be part of it next year. Maria

   ************

What a great party! What a fabulous afternoon! You blessed so many, my family included, by orchestrating this grand event. I have a CD with all the photos. Christina.

************

Yesterday I was at a boy's group home making Christmas cookies with about 7 wonderful boys and we had such a wonderful time of just sharing the afternoon and singing Christmas songs. Our hearts are on similar paths to reveal the Father's love to those sometimes forgotten and set aside through lives circumstances, BUT GOD He sees each one and knows their heart so he sends his assistants, US..We love you and bless you so much. Dan and Vicki
************

The smiles on the faces say it all!!! A wonderful evening. Thank you for all your ministry does to enrich the lives of these families. Doyle

*************

Thank you for your tireless work "for the least of these" as representatives of our Lord and Savior, Jesus!! I pray you have a wonderful Christmas! Your brother and fellow servant. Mike

_______________________________________________________________

For The Least Of Us
Bill and PamZiering
ziering@pacbell.net
831-250-7921
26033 Mesa Drive
Carmel, CA 93923

"For The Least Of Us, Inc." is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit faith-based prison ministry (EIN 26-1361229) Donations are entirely tax-deductible and may be mailed to the above address in care of For The Least Of Us

ANGEL TREE Christmas 2009

2009-12-28T17:11:00.001-08:00

FOR THE LEAST OF US
NEWSLETTER 15

December 25, 2009

Our Angel Tree Christmas festival is over, but the treasures of Jesus Christ has just begun. This week, the Children's Ministry of Carmel Presbyterian Church hosted the families of our greater community suffering the absence of a missing parent this Christmas, with a joyous event celebrating the birth of our Lord, Jesus Christ and the promise of an everlasting relation with Him in His Kingdom to come that will have no end

HIGHLIGHTS. The Holy Spirit was evident from the first to the last

Families flocked to the Church by bus, car, van, and on foot

The classic Pacific Monarch bus arrived filled with families from our neighborhood many of whom never had traveled so regally or who had ever visited our beloved Carmel.

Lines of welcoming CPC families greeted our guests as they descended the bus with a police escort through the bustle of Carmel's shopping season

More than 250 participants unabashedly expressed their love for Jesus and to one another. Pastor Greg, in Spirit, rained God's love down equally to one and all

Our children recited God's word with strength and conviction

The thunder of Christian hymns sung by families echoed the halls as we melted together proving that the colors of black, brown, yellow, and white turn to gold

Tons of pizza, cookies, fruit, lemonade and ice cream disappeared in record time.No child or family was left behind

Equally tasteful and needy gifts were thoughtfully and generously distributed by our host families to our own and Angel Tree children

Evolving friendships were rooted with pledges of continued relations throughout the year

The bus ride home was filled with chatter of the joy of new beginnings

Pam and Bill Ziering

26033 Mesa Drive

Carmel CA 93923
250-7921
William_ziering@comcast.net

ForThe Least Of Us", Inc. is a 501(c) (3) not-for-profit faith-based Christ centered prison ministry (EIN 26-1361229

Newsletter #10, June 08, 2009

2009-06-08T14:27:00.000-07:00

Summer 2009

JUNE 2009 9th edition

One of our brothers in coming home!

Jeff Wells, husband of Laura, father of Connor (6) and Evan (3) is seven weeks from rejoining his beautiful family and our church community. To announce his homecoming, our Saturday morning Men’s Fellowship is busy assembling a welcome home celebration after worship services in August.

Jeff has gifts: accounting, bookkeeping, finance, taxation, formation and management of trusts, web marketing, bank and credit card reconciliation, QuickBooks expertise, blog and social networking, and still more.
His overriding interest is finding a job, being a breadwinner and the man in his home. Our interest is assisting him through Christian counseling, and mentorship on a continuous basis. Please let Pam or me know what your thoughts are and how you might explore using his services.

********************

SNAPSHOTS

Ladonna called back today. She was more intact than the desperate, tearful woman of 6 weeks ago. Then, she had exhausted her options and was about to be turned back to the streets. She, 47, a college graduate, now “clean” for months, had appealed, without success, to multiple service agencies for a roof over her head in a fit environment .Either she didn’t qualify or the meager facilities were full. One shelter gave her our name and number. There was one bed open and we were said to be her last hope. But it would take a dollar or two to pay for her care, life skill training, and counseling. LaDonna prevailed. Without our assistance, she’d be forced back into the streets to do what she didn’t want to do to make it through her day.

Today’s call was to notify us that the shelter was closing its’ doors in 2 days. They had not received their funding. LaDonna had worked odd jobs the past weeks, anything legitimate, to share in the costs, but jobs were scarce and discontinuous. I got on the horn and reached the Monterey Reinvestment Board and Loyanne Flinn who commiserated with us on the lack of beds for women, abused or down on their luck. She did suggest the Resource Housing Center which I promptly called and spoke with Elisa Hupt, who volunteered to take the case. She mentioning a shelter in Salinas with 2 emergency beds, and if that failed, to provide resources for a 3 month period!

I’ll call LaDonna tomorrow to check how it's working out

******************

S.S., one of our Angel Tree families, adopted by the Clayton small group two Christmas’s ago, was about to be homeless 3 months ago. Well, the Lord pointed us to Craig’s list, where an Angel lay. Just the day before this Good Samaritan had placed a notice that her gorgeous home would be vacant for 2 months and was being offered free of charge to a needy family. We were able to bring the parties together and this Christian family of 5 moved in to the home in an exclusive neighborhood in Carmel.

But, all stories don’t have a continuously happy course. The 2 month stay has ended. Dad, didn’t find a job and now has relapsed and is back behind bars. Mom, a great mom, now, alone once again, raises her 3 lovely children, ages 6, 8, and 13, with her job as a home health aide. Once again, God to the rescue! His angel in Carmel has located another home, Carmel of course, where the family can stay, rent free, for perhaps 4 months, enough time, hopefully for things to simmer down and for S.S. to secure a richer job more consistent with her gifts and talents.

Meanwhile the Men’s group is scurrying about to provide furnishings (beds, chairs, sofa, tables, lamps) in this lovely but bare home.

Bill Ziering Ziering@pacbell.net 831-250-7921 In His service

Be careful, you might be in the company of Angels

2009-04-21T20:36:00.000-07:00

Sunday, April 19, 2009

Don't rely on appearances!

By now I bet you've seen Susan Boyle's performance on Britans Got Talent last Saturday evening.

The judges, the audience, everyone was literally blown away by this Scottish woman's vocal ability.

Why?

Everyone pre-judged her based on her appearance. No one expected anything from her. Everyone dismissed her with laughs and cat-calls.

We do it all the time, don't we?

We do it on the basis of class, race, looks, body size. . .the list goes on and on.

Shame on us all for not assuming the very best of each other and everyone we meet.

Thanks, Susan Boyle. We all needed what you delivered. Forgive us.

Forgive us, Lord for not believing in those things you've placed in us all.

Watch Susan again right here.

DALLAS TEXAS: A Saga of one city's attempt to shelter the homeless.

2009-04-09T09:26:00.000-07:00

Update on the plan to redevelop and renew the Plaza Inn at I-30 and S. Akard Street on the southeast edge of Downtown Dallas:

It turns out to be quite a saga, maybe closer to an epic!

Chapter One: The Central Dallas Community Development Corporation places the property under contract and writes a Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LITHC) application to the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs (TDHCA). The first round scoring on the application places it at the very top of such applications in the entire state of Texas. We're feeling really very good about the prospects of the plan.

Chapter Two: We begin to explain our plans to the neighbors who live, work and own property around the project site. Lots of honest conversation ensues. After two large, well-attended public meetings and numerous, smaller private meetings, we continue to feel positive about the project. We adjust our plans to include everything over which we have control that the neighborhood association and various voices from the community suggest. Included in the changes are 72 units of new construction, market rate, multi-family homes.

The only part of our plan we did not alter were the homes we intended to set aside for 50 formerly homeless individuals and families. At last, when the neighbors vote on our plan, we are turned back and voted down. This means that we cannot hope to receive the backing we need from Council Member Pauline Medrano and her colleagues on the Dallas City Council.

Chapter Three: We exit the process, but turn over our position to Hamilton Properties, the owners of the Plaza Inn. They adjust the plan to make it more economically feasible and to further suit the wishes of the neighbors. Translation: The new plan eliminates all units of permanent supportive housing designed for formerly homeless persons. The plan goes forward with neighborhood support now that CDM and the homeless are out of the picture. No homeless housing will be provided, but high-quality, affordable housing will be developed.

Chapter Four: The TDHCA objects to the revised proposal, citing 33 reasons why the plan, as presented, is not worthy of funding. Many of the problems are technical and based on inaccurate information and details lost in the translation during the revision process from the original proposal. At the end of the day, it becomes clear that the only way to advance the proposal on appeal is to put the permanent supportive housing units back into the plan. The appeal is submitted with this provision for the homeless included once more. A subsequent meeting with the neighborhood association results in a final rejection of the revised plan. As a result, the tax credit application is withdrawn and the deal is dead.

Takeaways:

1) People in all parts of Dallas fear and do not understand the chronically homeless. As a result of the fear and lack of understanding, they will resist the development of housing for this subset of the population almost automatically and in every part of the city. Further, many people do not want to hear the facts about the homeless who receive the benefit of permanent housing. No amount of national, empirical evidence convinces most people. Clearly, we must work harder, start earlier and do a better job of presenting the truth about "housing first" and permanent supportive housing as a viable, community solution to chronic homelessness. At the same time, we must find ways to legitimately earn the trust of neighborhood groups. We continue to hope that the success of our project at 511 N. Akard in the heart of Downtown will help with community education and understanding.

2) Funding for the development of permanent housing for the homeless must come from public sources with great capacity. These deals are complicated and expensive. Because of neighborhood opposition, and short of significant breakthroughs in community understanding, Downtown areas remain the best and possibly only location for such developments. A logical source of funding will continue to be the LITHC funds from the TDHCA.

3) Having funds available does not guarantee success. We may need to face the fact that funding is easier to solve than location for these projects, due largely to neighborhood opposition.

4) Currently, site selection for these developments may need to be limited to locations where no neighborhood organization exists. This limits development to very weak communities, not a good choice for several reasons, or Downtown locations that tend to be the most expensive sites.

5) Providing lots of information and/or being responsive to community ideas and suggestions is no guarantee that development plans will be supported or accepted. Unfortunately, this is simply a fact of life in this sector of the housing development industry at this point. Again, building trust is key. The Plaza Inn project taught me that I need to exhibit more patience, kindness and respect for those who disagree, while at the same time providing useful information needed to change attitudes toward our homeless neighbors.

6) The current political process serves property owners before the larger good of the entire community. Property rights trump human or community needs/rights.

7) The need and the relief that certainly can be provided for the clear need make continuing the effort more than worth the struggle and the frustrations. At the same time, developers and city leaders must face the fact that these developments will take more time, effort and funding than other sorts of housing endeavors.

A TIME FOR ACTION:

2009-03-02T21:46:00.001-08:00

How to Start a Prison Ministry
by Frances Jett

Remember those in prison as if you were their fellow captives. (Hebrews 13:3)

Building and maintaining prisons is one of the fastest growing "industries" in the United States. More and more men, women, and children are being incarcerated each day, forcing communities to build additional jail cells. Beyond the issues of how to prevent people from entering the prison system is how to care for those already behind bars.Many congregations feel that prison ministry is best done by someone else: an expert, a prison chaplain, or, some drastic cases, not at all.

Embracing our biblical mandate is essential when starting a prison ministry in your faith community. The theological foundation for the United Methodist Church to be in prison ministry starts with mandates by Christ to be in ministry by "proclaiming freedom to the captives" (Luke 4:18), and we are all summoned to "remember those in prison as if you were their fellow captives" (Hebrews 13:3). Jesus identified himself as the one who was hungry, thirsty, a stranger, a prisoner - and invites us to ministries of nurture, outreach, and witness. We respond to this invitation and commit ourselves to justice-making.
John Wesley defined true religion as love shed abroad in our hearts, as love for God and neighbor. Wesley considered regular visitations of and friendship with the poor and imprisoned as essential to discipleship as prayer and Holy Communion. Ministry with offenders and victims, then, is not optional; it is mandatory if the church is to be the church. As a sign, foretaste, and instrument of God's reign, the church has no choice but to cast its lot with the ostracized, victimized, and marginalized.

The next step is to establish structure. Find out who in your faith community is already involved in prison ministry or reform activities. Some people work with ecumenical or secular groups; get to know those people and those groups. Seek out those in your community employed in any part of the criminal justice system: police officers, judges, lawyers. Start exchanges between those working in prison ministries and those employed by the criminal justice system. Invite them to speak on the importance of prison ministry or victim offender reconciliation. Peace with Justice Sunday or any Sunday that you may designate to reflect on social justice ministries would be a good time to organize an event on this ministry.

The final step for the prison ministry coordinator is to provide support. Collect and distribute articles and news about prison ministry. Maintain a file of resources and training opportunities on prison ministry, prison reform, and restorative justice. Distributing this information and having visitors speak on the subject will raise the awareness of your faith community's need to be involved with persons affected by the criminal justice system. You will have the power to effect change, as those who are incarcerated return to the free world. Considering that most of those incarcerated are released into society, making that transition a healthy one is important to the welfare of all people.

Not everyone in your faith community will feel comfortable visiting a prison, or participating in some form of restorative justice; those persons can participate in other ways. Since less than 20 percent of inmates receive visitors regularly, writing letters to the incarcerated and their families is appreciated. Preparing gift baskets for prisoners or providing housing for visiting family members, are also valuable opportunities for people to become involved. Enabling persons to take part of the ministry at level that is comfortable for them is extremely important.

We boldly state the idea of restorative justice in our Social Principles: "In the love of Christ, who came to save those who are lost and vulnerable, we urge the creation of genuinely new systems for the care and support of the victims of crime and for rehabilitation that will restore, preserve, and nurture the humanity of the imprisoned." A primary goal of rehabilitation has been taken out of the criminal justice system. Our current system is described as retributive, where crime is a violation of the state, defined by lawbreaking and guilt. Justice determines blame and administers pain in a contest between the offender and the state, all directed by systematic rules.

Restorative justice, on the other hand, considers "crime as a violation of people and relationships. It creates obligations to make things right. Justice involves the victim, the offender, and the community in a search for solutions which promote repair, reconciliation, and reassurance" (Howard Zehr, Changing Lenses, Scottdale, PA: Herald Press, 1990, p.181). Restorative justice is not a new way of thinking or behaving. It is part of our Judeo-Christian heritage. The goals are to resolve conflict, find mutually beneficial solutions, and restore persons who intentionally or unintentionally have broken a covenant with the community, and increase their self-awareness and accountability. Each time God forgave the Israelites collectively or individually, it was God's invitation and opportunity for them to return to a relationship with God and to the human community. Sometimes the need is to transform, when there is little to which a person or situation can be restored. In both cases, the invitation to be instruments of restoration or transformation is still ours to accept as people who embody the faith.

There are many ways to put our faith into action. The General Board of Church and Society is mandated to speak truth to power and advocate for those who cannot advocate for themselves. We are actively advocating for youthful offenders for a juvenile justice system that will protect them from adult offenders in jails and prisons. We are actively opposing prison privatization as a public safety priority. We continue to speak out against police misconduct and discrimination.

The Church needs to understand that our ministry is with prisoners, crime victims, and their families and the community at large. This encompasses a concern for the entire criminal justice system, especially persons employed within the structure of that system. The ministry of the church is both pastoral and prophetic, seeking both to heal those who have been wounded and to transform those structures that inflict those wounds.

Bill and Pam Ziering
831-250-7921
For The Least Of Us

AWAKEN AMERICA

2009-02-28T17:04:00.001-08:00

February 26, 2009

OUR MISSION

To identify, actively nurture, and support families of an incarcerated member

To link with active ministries and organizations toward:

o Reconciling families

o Transforming hearts through Christ

o Assisting in the provision of skills and services sufficient to help break the revolving door of recidivism

o Welcoming the whole family as members into Christ’s body, the church

Why be bothered with prison ministry?

2.700,000 men/women in prison
10,000,000 more in jail
7,000,000 on probation/paro
10% children in America has a parent in the "system"

No other country in the world competes with these numbers. How America defines crime, and deals with it is unique among both the civilized world and the emerging nations. Here, inmates are herded into vastly overcrowded cell blocks, deprived of all civil rights, excluded from any rehabilitative training, and ultimately released with only a prayer to make it successfully back into the competitive world. Is it any wonder the rate of recidivism is now approaching 70%? Some have likened incarceration to a postgraduate program for criminal behavior. How well does this square with America being as the ethical leader of the civilized world?

   ********************

A LETTER RECEIVED TODAY

Hello Bill and Pam,

Thanks for your kind message. I am the chaplain among some eleven hundred inmates, many of whom will be released directly from here or go on to State prison, where they might serve a term of a year or two. All of which is simply to agree with your observation. Most of the people we incarcerate will be back in our communities sooner or later. And yes, the public seems blissfully forgetful of this.

As there is not that much direct community involvement with prisoners themselves, the other good task people like yourselves set yourselves to is ministry with, support of the outside families. You fill one of the crying evils of our County, perhaps of our State--a near-total lack of transitional services, job assistance, ex-con and family housing.

At the County Jail level, the chief goal of Command staff is to keep inmates safe and secure, rather than rehabilitated, while they wait for their trials to unfold, generally very slowly. Some will end by being acquitted of their charges, too, and freed. As you probably know, there is almost no public money for inmate Program for them, while they wait unsentenced. They will see very few civilians inside the Jail; all of them service people of one sort or another--nurses, parole officers, rehabilitation counselors, the chaplain.

The sole exception are the ministry volunteers, whose task is to conduct worship in one form or another once a week for the many separate housing units here, for while in Custody (as opposed to State prison) we may not call together large general groups for worship. We cannot, for instance, call together all the Muslim or Jewish or Catholic inmates for their own worship services, because the inmates are separated into housing units, and kept apart on purpose, as seems most prudent to the safety officers.

So, I may applaud and give the God-speed to what you all are doing for the least of these. I don't see many places where our specific goals are going to overlap, although of course we share many of their general goals--especially to reconcile their spiritual health and well-being with the grim fact of their incarceration. For they must and despite all factors, become whole men and whole women, in good repute and in ill repute, still called into relationship with their creator, carrying the image of that Creator, and considered as having nothing, yet in truth possessing everything.

The Rev. Cynthia Montague
Chaplain, Monterey County Jail
Salinas, California
(831) 755-3890 39cmont27@sbcglobal.net

And was Jerusalem built indeed,among those dark satanic mills

The Government sequesters inmates and blind us to its practices. Our intention is to make visible the process through newsletters, forums, and conversation Society cannot afford a system that does not provide reconciliation and restoration, tears apart families, and consequently will promote further destructive behavior. Correction will not happen at once or globally; it starts at the local level, with our reaching out in the character of Jesus to those who cry out in their pain. Are we not to love one another just as He loved us?

Bill Ziering Ziering@pacbell.net
831-250-7921 In His service

2009-02-07T23:15:00.000-08:00

February 7, 2009 7th edition

In his sermon this week, Pastor Rick Duncan saluted the many groups in our church who reach out to service those in our community who are in need. Their model? Jesus Christ. Their reward? The joy of giving!

Just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many." (Matt 20:28)

**************************************************

“Jillian Antonucci is with us. She joined the Prison Fellowship Angel Tree Program. That's a program that exists in order to help a child whose parent may be or has been in prison. It's a great program, by the way.

“She takes time out from attending Grove City College in Pennsylvania to mentor Brianna Morris, whose father and mother have both been in prison. I asked her, I said, ‘Well, how did you get involved with the program?’ She said, ‘The first thing is I prayed and asked for guidance from the Almighty.’ It's kind of an interesting way to become inspired, isn't it? Matter of fact, it is the basis of many faith-based programs—matter of fact, it's the basis of all faith-based programs.

“Brianna was suffering from depression. But Jillian, as a result of her love and desire to help, has watched this young lady become someone who is laughing and more open, somebody who has set goals. Interestingly enough, the goal: she either wants to be a basketball player or a computer technician. If your jump shot doesn't work, go computers. But we want to thank you both for being here. Thank you for coming. Please stand up and be recognized for your good work.”

President George W. Bush, Helping America’s Youth Initiative. April 1, 2008

                              ************************************************

TESTIMONIALS

We are glad your Christmas was a blessing with your family.
We have made 2 contacts with our prison ministry family, and have set up times twice a month for small visits with them. We pray the Lord will give us just the right words to use when we meet with them. Much Love and Care, Karen and Kylee Keeven

                       *****************************************************

We brought gifts to Junior and included some to his half sister and for mom. The family is very nice, cordial, and very young. Mother is only 23. Her current husband is battling cancer. She is, very petite and lovely, works at the Asilomar front desk. It seems she may not be attending a church at this time. She knows, and will be reminded, that we will encourage their faith in Christ. So, a good start. Ann is very encouraged, and the kids are gems, the way the Lord does. There is an extended family around them, grandma, cousins, uncles and aunts, so while life is not real easy, there is plenty of support. Ron and Ann Kihara

. *****************************************************

Just this week, the Joan Orchard bible study group celebrated a get together with their adopted family with a pot luck luncheon. The mom without prompting, gave an update, expressed her heartfelt gratitude to one and all, and asked for continued prayers for her family of six. There were few dry eyes in the room. All were struck how God was using this family for His glory, for now she too is ministering to another woman caught up in the legal system.

*******************************************************

In His service

WHAT'S OUR MISSION?

2009-01-25T17:34:00.000-08:00

FOR THE LEAST OF US, Inc
A Prison Ministry

Our mission is two-fold:
To identify, actively nurture, and support families of an incarcerated member

To link with the active prison ministries and organizations towards

Reconciling families

Transforming hearts through Jesus Christ
Assisting in the provision of skills and services sufficient to help break the revolving door of recidivism
Welcoming the whole family as members into Christ's body, the church

NEWSLETTER ANGEL TREE December 27,2008

2008-12-27T16:46:00.001-08:00

FOR THE LEAST OF US

Challenging Churches and Restoring Families

"Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid." (John 14:27"

We've multiplied! Last Christmas we were one; this year 28 small groups from Carmel Pres picked up the Cross and followed Him.

"Whoever welcomes a little child like this in my name welcomes me." (Matt 18:5)

TESTIMONIALS

Today, December 24^th,finally our family of 5 made it out to Salinas to deliver our gifts to McKenzie age 2 (An Elmo doll, tub toys, and gift certificates to Toy R Us, Target, Safeway + a Holiday floral for the family). As most of us have discovered, the household is comprised of more than the incarcerated and the child. Maria, the grandma, not yet 40, resides in the women's facility at Chowchilla. Mariah, 19, her granddaughter (working on her GED) is McKenzie's mom. Maria's mom took the youngsters in a few months ago. She was aided and abetted by her own mom, who is the matriarch of the house that is now home for the 5 generations. On our approach, we had no difficulty recognizing the residence; the front yard was strewn with dozens of McKenzie's toys and playthings, (no doubt all her worldly treasures) there likely being no room at the inn for anything but Homo sapiens. There was time for laughter, prayer, stories, easy conversation, hugs, and promises to return. We exchanged gifts. Maria, and great grandma presented us with a touching card, signed by McKenzie in secret scribble. On "reentry" at home we were greeted with the following email:

Hello to you and your family. I just wanted to thank you from the bottom of my heart for having consideration for others. You guys are very kind hearted, caring people. We appreciated the gifts more then words can say. But, most of all I loved seeing my daughters smile when she saw her presents. That smile is priceless. Once again thank you so much. I hope you and your loved ones have a very safe and happy Christmas and New Years. From the bottom of my heart ,Mariah &Family

Hi ,. Just a note to let you know that we dropped off our Angel tree presents this evening. We also gave the family a grocery card. We went to the grandma's house and she seemed truly grateful. She spoke very little English but the kids were there and very excited. We couldn't talk with her but we gave her a witness Christmas card. I took some pictures and will send them to Raquel. Please tell me how to address the envelope: there seems to be a specific format. Thank you for all your work on this project: it must be exhausting. Our best wishes to you and Pam for a very blessed and merry Christmas

Bill and Pam Ziering Ziering@pacbell.net
831-250-7921

Angel Tree

2008-12-01T19:47:00.001-08:00

December 2, 2008

It Starts with a Gift… It Leads to Lives Transformed by Christ

Welcome to another year of Angel Tree Christmas! If you're a first-time volunteer, you'll soon understand our excitement and enthusiasm as we reach out to families of prisoners.

There is so much joy that comes with sharing Christ's love with kids who have a mom or dad in prison. Angel Tree is a powerful way for Carmel Presbyterian Church to lovingly answer the biblical call to minister to the least of these.

"Whoever welcomes a little child like this in my name welcomes me." (Matt 18:5)

In our Savior's name,

Bill Ziering

Ziering@pacbell.net

831-655-4768

Right now, 1.5 million children know their biggest Christmas wish can't come true. They know mom or dad can't spend the holidays at home with them because he or she is in prison. These young and vulnerable boys and girls struggle with loneliness, isolation, upheaval and shame. But with your help, we can deliver a Christmas present, a smile, and hope for a better future.

You can let these precious children know they are not forgotten.

Angel Tree, a program of Prison Fellowship, seeks the reconciliation of prisoners and their families to God through the transforming love and grace of Jesus Christ. While reconciliation and transformation can start with something as simple as a gift, it takes ongoing relationships and support to continue the journey. Angel Tree encourages and equips churches to go beyond their Christmas involvement to provide year-round support for prisoners' families.

CARMEL PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH is running to reach out to these children left behind. 19 of the 31 families mostly living with their grandma, aunties,

in Seaside, Pacific Grove, and Carmel, have been "adopted" by our membership, , mostly by one of our many "small groups".

Pastor Rick Family Matters Dr Bill and Duncan Lewis Sue Clayton Charlie Hayes Joan Orchard Terry Budden Sharon Stoner Eric Holk Dick Nystom Frank Rabb Chuck Hawkins Karen Keenan Ric Masten Bonnie Alfriend Tom Tuttle Mary Waters Mae Merrill Pam Ziering

What Others Are Saying about Angel Tree

"I grew up watching my mother, Ruth Bell Graham, reach out to families split by incarceration. I commend Chuck Colson for reaching out through Prison Fellowship's Angel Tree and providing a channel for us to impact young lives - some of our nation's most-at-risk children. Please consider supporting this great ministry with your gifts and prayers and demonstrate the abundance of Christ's love through your generosity."

Franklin Graham

Can you help too? 12 more volunteers and our promise is fulfilled. Jesus will do the rest.

Pam and Bill Ziering

250-7921

ziering@pacbell.net

LOWERING RECIDIVISM THE OBVIOUS WAY

2008-11-06T22:04:00.000-08:00

The PEP Story

PEP’s team recognizes that prison is a storehouse of untapped potential. Many inmates come to prison as seasoned entrepreneurs who happened to run illegitimate businesses. For the truly reformed prisoners, once equipped with education and life skills training, the ROI potential for these men, their families and communities is limitless.

Former Wall Street investor Catherine Rohr founded PEP in May of 2004 when she and her husband toured a prison and noticed that executives and inmates had more in common than most would think. They know how to manage others to get things done. Even the most unsophisticated drug dealers inherently understand business concepts such as competition, profitability, risk management and proprietary sales channels. For both executives and inmates, passion is instinctive.

Catherine wondered what would happen if inmates who were committed to their own transformation were equipped to start and run legitimate companies. Following an unusual calling, Catherine left behind her New York career and financial stability, moved to Texas with her husband and started a one-of-a-kind “behind bars” business plan competition. Her efforts were geared toward channeling the entrepreneurial passions and influential personalities of the inmates—intentionally recruiting former gang leaders, drug dealers and hustlers.

The overwhelming response of 55 inmates and 15 world-class executives to judge the business plans and presentations was the catalyst to launch the Prison Entrepreneurship Program. Since inception, PEP has produced staggering results … click here to view our paradigm-changing statistics.

For a deeper look into PEP’s story click here.

APATHY and the CHURCH

2008-11-02T15:10:00.001-08:00

The Yale Journal for Humanities in Medicine (Myles Sheehan)

Apathy is a failure to care or attend to one's own needs or the needs of others. If one thinks about apathy in the context of illness, apathy can afflict a patient or it can afflict caregivers.

One cannot focus on God if one does not know that means caring for others. In failing to care for others, one fails to attend to the center of reality whom Christians know as God. The scene of the final judgment, from Matthew's Gospel, presents a dividing of humanity into sheep and goats on the basis of attention to other persons and their needs:

When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on the throne of his glory. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, and he will put the sheep at his right hand and the goats at the left. Then the king, will say to those at his right hand, "Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me. I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me."

"Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me." (Mt. 25:31-40. NRSV)

This incarnational faith that equates treatment of the sick, beggars, prisoners, and the needy with how one treats Jesus,
________________________________________Published: September 17, 2004

CENTERFORCE ANNUAL SUMMIT

2008-10-12T21:24:00.001-07:00

Oct 6-7, 2008, Sonoma, CA

The Centerforce mission is to support, educate, and advocate for individuals, families, and communities impacted by incarceration.

HIGHLIGHTS

Matthew Cate, Sec. CDCR (CA Dept Corrections & Rehabilitation

50% of those exiting prison have no knowledge of where spending their first night.
Overcrowding, and lack of resources will worsen due to fiscal crisis.
"Lifers" have proved invaluable in calming the angry "25 year old

Ann Adalist Estrin (National Resource Center on Children & Families)

The pain from incarceration remains for a lifetime. (Need for support groups)
Children (in silence) mourn for their dad. ("Toxic stress"). Both need to feel "held in mind"
Public Awareness Campaigns exist to expose the "broken" criminal justice system and a call for a response

Eric Bode, Tami Reed (Chowchilla Family Express)

Bus from major cities in CA to the two largest women prisons in America. Leaves from LA at 4am and returns the next day at 9pm. Supplies food, housing, family photos, teddy bears, and counseling. Links the families together

Mike Farrell, Dan Abrahamson, Elizabeth Gaynes – Sentencing reform

Paroles are essentially unavailable despite eligibility and warden approval. Sentencing from 5 to life, 10 to life, etc will never get out.
More and more prisoners are being transferred out-of-State, guaranteeing family disintergration
85% of the married will be divorced at time of release. (98% of the incarcerated women)

Angela Irvine, PhD Planning for Re-entry and Recidivism Prevention

Best judges for what's needed are the "clients" themselves. Too often bureaucrats make the decisions

Jobs first, housing second, and diversionary programs a distant third
Success best fulfilled with "exit strategy", life skills and literacy training (rather than focus on academics), health and dental care
Watch vocabulary reaffirming human dignity. Don't identify as "felon', "offender" and "inmate".

Question from the audience: "How do Americans sleep at night?"
Answer: They are unconscious, and must be awakened to the exponential crisis. In truth we are all interconnected, and what has happened to the families in our neighborhood, and at our church might well happen to us tomorrow

Churches are a solution to the "conspiracy of silence" in making the invisible visible. Their practices of redemption, transformed hearts, and restoration, are to be acted upon. Church leaders are to lead the way from the pulpit and being in the front line

Matt Gray (Sacramento Lobbyist for Prison Reform). Has been on both sides: A victim of violent crime and a family member of an inmate.

State bills in contrast to federal bills have no pork
Legislators spend 50% of their time in Sacto fundraising
Legislators must tow the party line or suffer the consequences from within
Meeting with members: Eyeball to eyeball, two minute maximum, (no stories), seek common ground (never argumentive), be totally humble, provide single page handouts for staff, offer solutions, and make self available for additional help, and thank them for their courtesy
Current bills 6 and 9 are horrific. The will insure every lifer eligible for parole will never get out, nor will it be possible to reverse or modify them in the future

Yearly awards

Robert Ayers. Present warden at San Quentin. Acts to lower recidivism with multiple innovative programs. His advice to the audience, "KEEP UP YOUR ENERGY".
Phillip Seiler's mother. Worked for her sons release from 20 years on death row at San Quentin and despite the Governor's veto of the Paroles Commission granting his release, sued the present Governor and won.

Socratic Forum (Ron Clement moderator)

Sasha Abrimsky (American Furies, Crime, Punishment, and Vengence in the Age of Mass Imprisonment). Collapse, the current status of our economic system. Tensions are and will be extremely high. Crime will increase sharply as the unemployment rate will reach towards 25%. It is urgent we fund mental health and drug addiction programs. Jobs and housing are the basic needs. The foreclosure on houses will make the feds landlords for public housing. Legalizing marijuana will be a win win step. The taxes secured will release lots of money to the government.
David Shaw (CA Inspector General). Probation will assume much of the role currently played by the DA's. Present facilities overcrowding demand we must rethink how best to manage our offenders. Seeking alternatives will be the job of Probation

Paul Wright (Editor: Prison Legal News, Author: The Celling of America. Himself in prison for 17 years.) The experts for reform are the voices of the prisoners. Decriminalizing is critical.
Richard Word. (Police Chief, Vacaville, CA) Too few dollars, too few staff. Must reprioritize. Redeploy staff from traffic supervision to dealing with serious crime. Start "values" programs in grade schools.
Pam Douglas. (Community stakeholder). Leave the low level drug offender to the local community for "restorative justice" (restoration to the victim, and redress). Save money by ridding unnecessary funding, illegals.
Phillip Seiler. (Releasee, and apprentice plumber). Vocational unions care more for fulfilling the job than one's past record. The hiree must receive help in obtaining the tools to start his trade. Above all, provide "life skills training" to youth mainly from those "experts" who were inmates themselves
David Warren. (Representative. Taxpayors for Improving Public Safety). Literacy is basic. When one can't get a job, he becomes vulnerable to escape with drugs. Give the youngsters "hope".
Rod Clement (Moderator and Advisor to foundations). Consortiums are basic to find their common ground to improve the criminal justice system and decrease recidivism.

Comments from audience. Implement Restorative Justice for all juvenile offenders. Restore families in crisis. We are all part of one body.

Funding

Study the foundation websites, their interests, and guidelines
Speak to their agents and tell of your work, its basis, like work being done, collaborative parties, outcomes, and how to measure success
Grants are given only to the passionate

26033 Mesa Drive, Carmel, CA 93923, william_ziering@comcast.net

TOTAL TRANSFORMATION

2008-10-12T20:22:00.001-07:00

Power In Prison

Michael G. Santos 09.24.08

My prison term began in 1987, when I was 23. Although I did not have a history of violence or previous confinement, the bad decisions I made as a young man persuaded a judge to impose a 45-year term. The long sentence induced administrators to lock me inside the impregnable walls of a maximum-security federal penitentiary.

I remain in prison. It is chaotic world of violence, of hopelessness, of despair. It is an environment ripe for me to study power at a primal level.

Administrators control the infrastructure. Their rules rip away a prisoner's identity and replace it with a registration number. Staff members issue every prisoner identical coarse and threadbare clothing from bins. Rules dictate what, when and how much we eat. Guards tell us where to sleep and with whom.

We work jobs according to the needs of the institution rather than according to merit or aptitude. Different rules determine when and how we can communicate with family; meaningful interactions with members of society are blocked. Instead of encouraging men to earn freedom, prison policies are designed to make it clear that inmates have no control over their destinies. Only the turning of the calendar page matters.

In prison, preservation of the institution trumps the needs of the individual. Unlike any other place in America I know, prison administrators rely on the threat of punishment and coercion rather than the promise of incentives to manage inmates. People who seek power inside prison walls learn to manipulate this environment. Yet as recidivism rates show, those who learn to live in prison simultaneously learn to fail in society.

Without hope, men adjust in a myriad of ways to ease their time. They join gangs. They hustle contraband. They ceaselessly plot and scheme. They threaten. Most power in prison is based on fear, on the risk of bloodshed. Through intimidation and violence, some prisoners satisfy their lust for dominance and find immediate gratification.

Preparing for success upon release, on the other hand, requires a far different effort. Rewards do not come for years, even decades. Whereas administrators appease the gang leaders with single-man cells and work schedules, the inmate who focuses on preparing himself for life outside prison toils away quietly in obscurity, motivated completely from within and susceptible to predators and extortionists. As Lion, a gang leader I wrote about in my book, Inside, told me, all a man needed to thrive in prison is hatred and a knife.

Myopic prisoners think they can enhance their power by joining gangs or engaging in high-risk, low-reward behavior. And, indeed, in an institution founded upon skewed values, it is easy enough for prisoners to lift their stature--at least inside the penitentiary. Neither administrators nor the prison populace respect the man who educates himself or prepares for a law-abiding life upon release. But those who cultivate reputations of worthlessness, lethal violence and treachery build armies of sycophants.

Early in my term, a gang leader who called himself Gaspipe outlined the path to power. "It's simple," Gaspipe said. "I give respect and I demand respect. Any man who even thinks about testing me had better be ready to bleed. I'm ready to go. I know my brothers have my back."

To embrace Gaspipe's premise, prisoners have to believe that life offers nothing beyond the concrete blocks and steel that confine them. They are content with extortion, reaping windfall profits in the underground economy and dispensing their booty to a coterie of followers. They build an elusive, penitentiary power.

As a long-term prisoner with more than a quarter-century to serve, I rejected this penitentiary protocol, this institutionalized power. From the beginning, I strove to create something different. Real power, I was convinced, comes to those who build a deeper meaning in their lives; true power comes from self-mastery. As I learned from the ancient writings of Aristotle, even prisoners needed to put forth an effort to know themselves.

With plenty of time for introspection, I concluded that I didn't have the spiritual temperament of a monk. I knew I could endure the lengthy sentence imposed upon me, but I found that I could not enjoy fulfillment in a life of solitude. I had to connect with the wider community beyond the prison walls.

To triumph over the sentence, I knew I had to emerge successfully. As Stephen Covey's books taught, I had to begin serving my term with the end in mind.

Under the sentencing scheme in use when I was convicted, I knew that the possibility of good-time credit could mean my release in just over 26 years--in 2013. In 1987, that was longer than I had been alive. But instead of dwelling on the impossible amount of time until my release, I envisioned myself emerging from prison with dignity, a proud and virtuous man.

I had been a mediocre student through my school years. Mediocrity, I knew, would not be acceptable if I was going to excel in prison. By his very nature, a prisoner is inferior and a failure. To succeed, I would have to do far better than average. My goal was to have law-abiding citizens accept me as something more than a prisoner; I hoped they would consider me a peer. I hoped to learn and to create opportunities through mentors. Those opportunities would allow me to transition into society as a fully functioning and contributing citizen upon my release.

A gang leader would build his power base by orchestrating illicit schemes. I identified such behavior as offering high risks with low rewards. A lazy prisoner would sleep excessively and narcotize himself with television. That was low-risk, low-reward behavior.

I sought to empower myself with low-risk, high-reward behaviors. I educated myself, developed a network of support and strove to increase my mental, physical, spiritual and emotional fitness.

Occasionally, I took higher levels of risk, but only for commensurate rewards. For example, my writings have exposed me to the enmity of the system by revealing what I have observed and experienced.

Now I have more than 21 years of confinement behind me, and fewer than five years of prison ahead. My moral compass has guided me through prisons of every security level and has empowered me in ways that allowed me to transcend prison boundaries.

Over the last two decades, I have moved from high-security penitentiaries to minimum-security prison camps. I have earned an undergraduate degree from Mercer University and a graduate degree from Hofstra University. I have built a thriving network of support, and married an extraordinary woman whose beauty takes my breath away.

Publishers have brought books I have written to market and they educate readers across the world about America's prison system. Partners have built and continue to maintain MichaelSantos.net, a Web site that distributes my writings to help those struggling through the criminal justice system.

I have contributed to society while serving a 45-year prison sentence. That is empowering.

Michael Santos is the author of Inside: Life Behind Bars in America. He writes about the prison experience at www.MichaelSantos.net.

REASON ENOUGH FOR A PRISON MINISTRY

2008-10-01T10:52:00.001-07:00

FORBES MAGAZINE September 24, 2008

I remain in prison. It is chaotic world of violence, of hopelessness, of despair. It is an environment ripe for me to study power at a primal level.

To triumph over the sentence, I knew I had to emerge successfully. As Stephen Covey's books taught, I had to begin serving my term with the end in mind.

I sought to empower myself with low-risk, high-reward behaviors. I educated myself, developed a network of support and strove to increase my mental, physical, spiritual and emotional fitness.

Occasionally, I took higher levels of risk, but only for commensurate rewards. For example, my writings have exposed me to the enmity of the system by revealing what I have observed and experienced.

I have contributed to society while serving a 45-year prison sentence. That is empowering.

Michael Santos is the author of Inside: Life Behind Bars in America. He writes about the prison experience at www.MichaelSantos.net.

FALL FORUM, OCTOBER 4, 2008

2008-08-06T09:52:00.000-07:00

COALITION of CHURCHES for REENTRY & RESTORATION

PART 1
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2008
Carmel Presbyterian Church (Ocean and Junipero) Carmel, CA
9am to 12:30

INCARCERATION: EFFECTS ON THE INDIVIDUAL, and THE FAMILIES

SPEAKERS:
The Rev. Connie White Director, Victim Offender Reconciliation Program, Monterey. (“Is it all about crime and punishment”)

Pastor Fred Anderson
7^th Day Adventist Church, Seaside (“Rescuing souls before and after sin”)

Charles Russell Director, Prison Ministry, (“The one answer to making it through the system”)
Janice Little Field Director, Prison Fellowship, Fresno (“What about the families and children left behind?)

___________________________________________________________

PART 2

RE-ENTRY WITH FAITH-BASED ALTERNATIVES

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2008

SPEAKERS:
Josef Corbin Corbin Building, Inc., From con to industrial giant
Pam Hogan, MA
From Prison to Paycheck: What No One Ever Tells You about Getting a Job
Sheriff Kanalakis
Director,Monterey’s state contract Prison Re-entry Facility “The new model”
Pastor Joe Avila
Executive Director for Prison Fellowship, for Northern California and Nevada (“In the prisons with Jesus”)

NEWSLETTER August 6, 2008

2008-08-06T09:00:00.001-07:00

JULY 2008 =================================================================

Greetings in the name of Jesus Christ. Thanks to so many of you in so many churches for joining God in this work of his in our local communities. I continue to be amazed at how much has been accomplished in so short a time. Your prayers and work have already produced a harvest. I stand and watch, joyful and in tears of thankfulness.

Below is a report to you on activities over recent weeks. It concludes with requests for continued prayer and acts of service. Contact me or others in this ministry with your offers of stewardship and prayer via email or phone or letter.

In our Savior's name,

Bill Ziering
===================================================================

Activities during the last 30 days:

-To conduct in-prison evangelism and discipleship.

Charles Russell, Chairman of Prison Ministry at the 7th Day Adventist Church in Seaside is now approved and is disciplining youth at Juvenile Hall in Salinas. Sue Creel has provided him Bibles in Spanish and English. Chaplain Robert and Pastor Phyllis Auhll have been solicited by Prison Fellowship Ministries to disciple each Monday at the Soledad Prison.

To identify, actively nurture, and support those families left behind who reside in a prison of their own.

Gail Howard with the Zubick family continue to do food preparation each Wednesday and are teaching Jack how to prepare food. Pam Ziering assists Laura Wells each two weeks with her ladies support group, "Hope Together".

To link with other post –prison and aftercare organizations towards total reintegration of the individual back into the family, community, church, and workplace with full rights under the law and equal status among man.

Charles Russell, Robert Auhll, and Bill Ziering accepted the invitation from CDCR (California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation) to speak in favor of the proposed Secure Prison Reentry Facility at the July 22, 2009 Board of Supervisors Ila Mettee and David Potter both commented how their 3 minute presentations were more impressive than the hour long one from those representing CDCR. Subsequently the Board voted to continue exploring the State project aimed at reducing recidivism.

Come aside the family in love on a continuous basis.

Some of the components include: Prayer, Christian counseling, small group fellowship, Church outreach, visitations, food, clothing, child care and activities, assistance with community services, home repair, healthcare, business counseling, job training, physical and nutritional mentoring, Pen-Pal, and Angel Tree.

We have begun distributing the gifting of the $500 in vouchers from the Yellow Brick Road to needy families in our ministry.

Each Friday at our weekly coalition meetings (Coalition of Churches for Reentry and Restoration") after the opening prayer followed by bible study (relevant to the agenda items) we go to corporate prayer before deliberating on the week's agenda.

Bill Ziering visits Pastor Mike's (Casey) Monday evening "Bridge" fellowship. Pastor Mike's "board" purchased a house in PG which currently is home for 6 parolees who lack family and a place to live. Later in August, we will participate at Jesse Alvarez' PACT meeting; there, parolees learn of the variety of programs/services provided in our community directly from representatives of those organizations.

We are active in pen-pal with Jeff Wells and Jay Zubick.

Laura Wells delivered a testimonial this Sunday to the 6pm group.

Answered prayer during the last 30 days:

We pray that more of our church members who have had family incarcerated would be attending one or more of our several groups. We too are surprised how resistant (humiliation? anger? depression?) are these families who know not yet how releasing it is to share their hurt though testimonials, and support of others in the same boat. I am learning that although these 21 (known) families have finally opened up to their being personally affected by incarceration, they are highly resistant to sharing their bottled up feelings.

Planned activities during the coming two months:

We are readying another forum at CPC, the "Second Annual" set for Saturday October 4th from 9am to 12:30. Guest speakers tentatively include (pending their availability):

The Rev Connie White (Restorative Justice, Victim - Offender Reconciliation)
Charles Russell (Spent 20 years in prison over 4 arrests, now gainfully employed as a meat-cutter while heading up a prison ministry at his church)
Pastor Frederick Anderson (7th Day Adventist Church, Seaside. (Topic: Prevention through family unity and Bible obedience)
Janice Little, Field Director for Prison Fellowship Ministries (Topic: Coming aside the family left behind)

Help needed requests:

Pray that other churches on the Monterey Peninsula led by their pastors join with us in unity through developing a prison outreach ministry. We are prepared to assist then as they want our counsel. We ask you to pray for their boldness to join God in this work of His. Pray for a Christian imperative that more churches come to the understanding that God refers to prison and captives more than 250 times. While government is invested to maintain law and order, the church is to reach in compassion and support, a position many seem to have forgotten.

In Christ's name,

Bill Ziering

Lowering Recidivism

2008-07-24T20:40:00.001-07:00

FOR THE LEAST OF US

Challenging Churches and Restoring Families

RE-ENTRY FACILITY

Monterey County has been awarded $80 million in state funds to renovate the present jail building in Salinas, followed by constructing a 491 bed prison re-entry facility for inmates 18 months before release. (The state grants were made available under AB 900 which provides $750 million to approved applicants). With the ever-increasing incarceration rate resulting in perpetual over-crowded and illegal conditions, the State is looking for innovative approaches to reducing crime and need for imprisonment.

A prison re-entry facility is being touted as one such remedy. With recidivism (return to prison) now approaching 80%, these transition facilities can prepare the inmate for a more successful adaptation back into the community.

A practical curriculum incorporating life skill preparation, job training and procurement, counseling (mental health, spiritual, anger management) recovery programs, provision of social services, mentorship, opportunities for fellowship and support, and financial aide for basic needs, are to be incorporated within the facility as a one-stop resource. Programs to reduce recidivism benefit not only the inmates and families, but the greater community and improve public safety.

DEMONSTRATED NEED

United States has the highest incarceration rate in the world with a five-fold increase in the last 30 years. The following statistics, while frightening, explain why the current system of incarceration and release is not working and instead only compounding the problem. ^{1, ,2}

2,271,000 inmates currently serving time.
One in 34 Americans has been in prison.
One in 3 African-Americans will spend time in prison.
One in 6 Latinos will spend time in prison.
700,000 prisoners are released nationwide each year.
Most will return to prison, most unable to make a living or successfully rejoin family life.
Most marriages of prisoners end in divorce.
The children of inmates are 10 times more likely to become inmates themselves.

Recidivism is an on-going issue that harms all parties, the inmate, his family, and the community

Three of four former inmates will return to prison within three years.
Imprisonment has proved little more than a temporary "warehousing" of criminals.
Prisons are commonly viewed as "post-graduate schools for crime".

This "revolving door" issue has several causes. Considering these issues is critical to determining the structure of any re-entry facility program as well as measuring success of such programs. Typically a former inmate is in a substantially downgraded position socially and economically than when the inmate entered prison.

Recidivism contributors include:

Released prisoners return to a new era; their old skills often are antiquated and employment opportunities are not readily available.
Service programs (skill training, job procurement, support, etc.) are hard to find.
Abandonment by their families, friends, co-workers and community is prevalent.
Mental health issues (depression, anxiety, etc) commonly develop in prison.
Marginalized, ex-inmates readily pick up substance addictions.
Mentoring ex-inmates has not been a community priority.
Basic services for shelter, clothing, recovery and discipleship are lacking.
Financial aide is limited in availability.

Details of Proposed Re-entry Facility : The state corrections department has plans for 280,000 to 300,000 square-foot secure buildings designed to blend in with surrounding communities. Possible architectural plans - Contemporary, Mission, and Tuscan models.

Possible location: Fort Ord, Seaside

Management: CDCR

Facilities: It is suggested that the rehabilitative/habilitative services be located on grounds, coordinated and supervised by an experienced administrative professional staff in collaboration with CDCR and with continuous and regular team meetings occurring at weekly/monthly intervals

Possible Program Offerings:

Employment: basic job skills training, specific trade skills training, literacy education, life skills education (financial, academic, vocational navigation), internship program, financial assistance, transportation support (bus voucher program),
Mental / Social / Physical: mental health assessment and treatment, substance dependency recovery programs (residential and outpatient), women's abuse/shelter services, small group fellowships, counseling services,
Community: youth outreach, facilitation with other community organizations (e.g.; Kairos, Koinonia, Prison Fellowship), local volunteer opportunities, facilitation of community education and participation
Emergency and Temporary: on-site meals, shelter, clothing, transitional housing
Voluntary mediated dialogue with victim and offender if appropriate; victim impact classes where victims are brought in to tell their story to inmates as a group.

Prison Statistics. US Department of Justice. Retrieved on 2008-04-18.¹

Nell Bernstein, All Alone in the World: Children of the Incarcerated (New York: The New Press, 2005) ²

Think Outside the Cage: Ending The Cycle Of Crime: Ex-Cons Get A Hand

2008-06-19T08:30:00.000-07:00

Think Outside the Cage: Ending The Cycle Of Crime: Ex-Cons Get A Hand

A: Getting Started | Reentry Policy Council

2008-06-10T10:25:00.000-07:00

A: Getting Started | Reentry Policy Council

Think Outside the Cage: The Ex- Con Next Door -

2008-05-29T21:57:00.000-07:00

Think Outside the Cage: The Ex- Con Next Door -

Think Outside the Cage: A Second Chance NY TIMES EDITORIAL

2008-05-22T15:26:00.000-07:00

Think Outside the Cage: A Second Chance NY TIMES EDITORIAL

Larry James' Urban Daily: People always ask. . .

2008-05-07T15:29:00.000-07:00

Larry James' Urban Daily: People always ask. . .

Think Outside the Cage: American's In Prison

2008-03-08T14:17:00.000-08:00

Think Outside the Cage: American's In Prison

ONE LINERS ON PRISON MIINISTRY

2008-02-19T19:05:00.000-08:00

FOR THE LEAST OF US
Challenging Churches and Restoring Families

...be doers of the Word, and not hearers only..." James 1:22

One of our volunteers put it this way: “Jesus said if you visit a prisoner you visit Me. I don’t know why it took me so long to figure out He really meant what He said!” How about you? (Mark Earley, CEO Prison Fellowship).
Mayor Dennis Donahue, Salinas, CA, plans for cleaning up crime is three-fold: Strengthening families, increasing literacy, and providing for after school programs.
Hostility and prejudice toward the incarcerated are impediments to ministry. The criminal justice system is dominated by notions of retribution, vengeance, punishment and isolation. The core values of the Christian gospel--forgiveness, compassion, redemption, reconciliation, restorative justice--run counter to prevailing sentiments in the justice system. (Pastor Kenneth Carder, Duke University)
In Matthew 22:34-40, we see the Sadducees trying to trap Jesus with the question of what the most important commandment was in the law of Moses, which of course is to love the Lord your God. But then Jesus goes on to say that “…..the second is equally important: Love your neighbor as yourself.”

“Whoever desires to become great among you shall be your servant... for even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.” (Mark 10)

"There is crisis in the spiritual well being of the inmates," he continued. "If you can reach them with the word so they can see where they're at within the bounds of God, then prison becomes a more peaceful place. There's an awful lot of anger and denial brought into this place. Usually the anger is at others and at themselves. You try to point out in scripture the dangers of anger and try to get them to seek sharing their anger with the Lord because He can handle it. But if they don't know the Lord they don't know about that resource." (D. Winters, New Covenant Church, Ala)
After all, 80% or more of the 2 million prisoners now "doing time" will be leaving their prison cell within the next few years. After-care and job development loom as an area of prison ministry calling for the creative commitment of the Church. Model programs have developed in the Oklahoma Conference, Central Pennsylvania Conference, and some ecumenical and community center programs. Perhaps the most critical aspect of transition back into society as constructive citizens is the involvement of ex-offenders and their families in the full life of a local congregation. This is a challenge to each of our local congregations. (Marian Styles – McClintock)
Prison is a lonely life, both for the inmate and the loved ones who have to get along without him or her. It's a vicious cycle: Absent fathers and mothers create broken homes, and broken homes often lead to even more crime. So how can churches help? Former inmate Manny Mill encourages Christians to reach out to prisoners' families and offers practical suggestions for ministering to this forgotten segment of society. "I say to prisoners ... 'You have the power in Jesus Christ now to break the cycle of crime.'" - Manny Mill (President of Koinonia, a prison ministry)
Dr. Richard Kern, executive director of the Virginia Criminal Sentencing Committee, described how Virginia has done away with its parole system. Their prisons had been loaded with non-violent offenders. These people are not simply turned loose after they have been found guilty. But instead of being sentenced to prison, many are sentenced to various types of work-release programs. Recidivism has been reduced to 49%
Most churches today live in fear of lack of resources, the "what ifs," and have forgotten that our primary call is to "give ourselves away." We're not here for ourselves. We're here to bring good news to the poor. So instead of having a servant "lose my life" mindset, we have a fortress mentality. "Build these walls, protect these walls, and don’t let anybody in." (Pastor Jimmy Dorrell, Mission Waco)

Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth," (I John 3:18).

In His Service Bill and Pam Ziering 26033 Mesa Drive, Carmel, CA93923 831-250-7921

A COMMUNITY AND NEIGHBORHOOD HEALTH CENTER – A faith-based ministry in human development

2008-02-15T12:35:00.000-08:00

Clearly, if you want to build somebody's self-esteem, it's not giving them money and helping them out through the next crisis. It is giving them value, it is in helping them identify the gifts they have and giving them the confidence the world has beaten out of them. (Pastor Jimmy Dorrell, Mission Waco). People possess the power, the capacity and the desire to solve their own problems, if they are given the resources they need and the opportunity they crave. People don't need help nearly as much as they need a chance. (Larry James)

PATRONS

The homeless

The poor

The aged
The addicted
The felons
The disabled
The pregnant

PROVISIONS
Shelter, Food, Clothing, Transportation, Health care, Child care, Respite care, Recovery/support, Social services, Financial aid, Mentorship, Community center, Activities (Interactive lectures, parties, dancing, singing, bible study)

TRAINING
Literacy, Employment skills, Family matters (marriage, child rearing)Social adaptation, Ethics

WORK PROJECTS
Creation of jobs (construction, landscaping, cooks, food servers, meat cutting, auto servicing, health aides, secretarial, cashiers, delivery, clerks, On-the-job counseling

ELECTIVES
Worship services, Bible
study, Adult ministries, Teen center, Children activities
Senior luncheons, Town Hall

The poor are the Church. Whenever the Church is understood as separate from the poor, it is no longer the Church… Only by understanding that those In the Fourth World are our moral equals and by embracing them as full members of society – neighbors, friends- can we possibly begin to deal with the problem of extreme poverty. It suggests that giving charity, paying higher taxes, voting correctly, and political advocacy are not nearly enough. It is only by fundamentally changing our relationship to the poor that true change will be possible.”

"The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.” - Matthew 25:40

“The LORD will answer and say: If you do away with the yoke of oppression, with the pointing finger and malicious talk, and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday. - Isaiah 58:9-10

“But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous." - Luke 14:13-14

Therefore because you impose heavy rent on the poor And exact a tribute of grain from them, Though you have built houses of well-hewn stone, Yet you will not live in them; You have planted pleasant vineyards, yet you will not drink their wine.
Amos 5:12 For I know your transgressions are many and your sins are great, You who distress the righteous and accept bribes And turn aside the poor in the gate.

MISSION BASIS

We as a community, faith based and secular, are called to care for those who are suffering, to assist those who are unable to do so for themselves. It is a calling at the highest level, compassionate, sacrificing, loving, for which all are ennobled.

“Crisis care” in our outreach ministry is to be provided for by trained and professionals within the proposed neighborhood center, in collaboration with the multiple outside public and private service organizations. Clearly, these endeavors and provisions will be immediate and life sustaining. The need for such services is constant. Man will forever find himself victim of untimely events whether preventable or unanticipated.

To minimize the cycle of poverty, however, simultaneous to emergency intervention, is long term habilitation/rehabilitation. While short term immediate assistance mainly for food, shelter, health care and transport is an imperative, until there are job skills and available jobs, stop gap assistance is just that, a postponing of personal and family disintegration. For families to take their rightful place alongside their more productive and affluent neighbors, there is need for them to be adopted into the general community as brothers and sisters with equal acceptance and status. This will take intention and effort on the part of the rest of the community.

The poor and “others” can be empowered to take control and manage their predicament. Neighborhood health and resource centers located in areas of poverty and need, can work effectively with government and other civic institutions on a holistic (physical, mental, spiritual) basis.

In development, leadership and management are to be transferred to the neighborhood itself thus providing political power to those who are served. Employment opportunities are available. Those servicing the neighborhood center are to be recruited from within, to provide jobs in the food bank, restaurant, clothing store, outpatient health facility, transportation service, and function as clerks, intake supervisors, literacy teachers, respite caretakers, homemakers, computer mentors, bible and small group leaders, etc.

I got my energy for this work from other people, so the self must stay in connection with others, new others, others that have more talent and more vision and more power than you have others that have more talent and more vision and more power than you have. That energizes you and keeps you going. You've got to be in relationship with real people.

2008-02-06T16:55:00.000-08:00

PRISON MINISTRY FORUM (CPC Jan 12, 2008) BREAKOUT POINTS

A letter to my church brotherhood:

Whereas the recidivism rate on re-entry is the same for Christians as for non-Christians (now approaching 85%) and whereas the releasee must return to his/her old neighborhood and the “friends” who prompted the original criminal behavior, it is critical that the church body come aside the family as a counterforce.

Neither the criminal justice system nor the home environments have proven helpful. The large majority of those released were sentenced for non-violent crimes and have completed their time, yet within two years most will be returned to prison on a technical “violation”, related to the lack of mentorship, family support, and inability to obtain or keep a job.

John Wesley defined true religion as love for God and neighbor. Wesley considered regular visitations of and friendship with the poor and imprisoned as essential to discipleship as prayer and Holy Communion. Ministry with offenders and victims, then, is not optional; it is mandatory if the church is to be the church. The church has no choice but to cast its lot with the ostracized, victimized, and marginalized.

Consequently, as part of the Great Commission, it is likely a Christian imperative that each of us pledges to share our unique God given gifts with some family at this church or in this Monterey county who God loves and desperately needs our help. (In the 4 months of this ministry, the number speaking transparently of incarceration in their family swelled for “1” to “22”).

I believe each of you will identify one (or more) roles (as a team member) that you we might call upon when the need arises? Won’t you return this form to me with your pledge within the next day?

Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth," (I John 3:18).

For the prisoner:

o In-Prison Ministry. Unleashing Christ’s power in prisoners’ lives through “transformational discipleship.”

o An adopting church (policy, staff, membership)

o Prayer teams

o PenPal

o Visitations from church body

o Bibles and other Christian books

o AngelTree

o Training for re-entry. Koinonia, Kairos, etc

o Mentorship on re-entry (spiritual, physical, emotional”

o Rehab on re-entry (alcohol, drugs, pornography, sexual)

o Job training and opportunities

o Counseling (Mental health, marriage, parenting, employment, social, etc)

o Mediation: Victim repayment

o Transitional housing

For the family left behind.

o A welcoming church (staff, deacons, membership)

o Emergency food

o Financial aid

o Housing

o Healthy relationships as Covenant Small Groups

o Child care

o Secondhand clothing

o Transportation

o Job training

o Schools (tutoring)

o Social services, legal services, medical and dental Rx

o Business counseling

o Household help

o Respite care

o Fellowship (small groups, membership)

o Prayer warrior team

o Loving mentors (professionals, membership)

“Take tender care of those who are weak; and be patient with everyone. See that no one pays back evil for evil, but always try to do good to each other and to everyone else. Always keep on praying. For this is God's will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.” (1 Thes 5:14-19)