Spring 2012 Newsletter - Freedom in Christ Prison Ministry
Transcription
Spring 2012 Newsletter - Freedom in Christ Prison Ministry
Spring 2012 Volume 2, Issue 3 “I was in prison and you came to visit me.” Matthew 25:36 Task Force Members Rev. Robert Leaverton, Secretary Absarokee, MT [email protected] M eet R everend R obert (R ob) N edbalek We are so pleased to announce our new Pastor for Freedom in Christ Prison Congregation Ministry! Baptized in a Congregational Church (now UCC), confirmed in a LCMS congregation, married in a Methodist church, he got his first taste of ministry as youth pastor, Sunday school teacher and bus driver at a Baptist church (ABC). Joining an ELCA congregation, he ultimately went to Wartburg Theological Seminary, seeking an M/Div. and ordination to the ministry of Word and Sacrament. Ordained March 17, 2002, he served as pastor of rural, multi point parishes in Montana, North and South Dakota before returning home to Montana with his family. Convicted of vehicular homicide in 1980, gave Rob a different appreciation for prison ministry. While at the seminary, he and a classmate, Carl Fulk, became acquainted with Ed Nesselhuf and Prison Congregations of America, who encouraged both to consider making themselves available for call to Prison Ministry in the PCA. But Rob chose to return to Montana, where family ties tugged at him, and entered parish ministry, which took him away from home, again. Now time has taken a full circle, as Rob has been called to serve as the pastor of Freedom in Christ Prison Congregation at the Montana State Prison in Deer Lodge, Montana. Rob and his wife Lori have six children: Todd, Tara, Trebor, Danyelle, David and Johnathan, twelve grandchildren and one great-grandchild. Johnathan remains at home, entering the seventh grade next year. Vocationally, Rob has a background in retail and wholesale business, automotive and motorcycle mechanics, and a myriad of other “jobs.” To quote a friend, “You name it, Rob’s done it.” Rob and Lori are very excited to begin this next chapter in their lives, sharing the love of God in Christ Jesus with those who are incarcerated in body within the Montana State Prison, through Freedom in Christ Prison Congregation. With S adness b y Pas tor Rob Saturday, March 10, Pastor Leroy Iseminger passed away. “Pastor Ike” was the first pastor of the Prison Congregations in America congregation, St. Dysmas, at the South Dakota State Penitentiary in Sioux Falls, SD. When Leroy was talking to his congregation and would begin a sentence with the word, "Men," it sounded like an endearment. He retired from the congregation in 2000. He never stopped loving his congregation, nor did their love for him wane. Please join me in prayers for Ike's family, his wife, Orpha, and their six children and all who love him. Barbara Davis Hamilton, MT [email protected] Rev. Greg Karlsgodt Helena, MT [email protected] Rev. Melanie Martin-Dent Anaconda, MT [email protected] Rev. David Peters Montana Synod Liaison Billings, MT [email protected] George Sorensen Great Falls, MT [email protected] Rolf Tunby Plevna, MT [email protected] Chaplain David Young Bozeman, MT [email protected] Rev. Chris Flohr, Chair Missoula, MT [email protected] Bea Rosenleaf Project Administrator 406-560-4993 Page 2 Freedom in Christ Prison Congregation Project We’re on the web! http://ficprisonministry.com C ongratulations and Welcome from P C A! We are so grateful for the work that the Task Force has done , and for never giving up. To say we are excited is an understatement! On behalf of the board and staff, as well as our founding director, Pastor Ed Nesselhuf, I extend a warm welcome to Freedom in Christ Prison Congregation into the PCA family! FIC is the 18th congregation organized in the PCA model, where the inmate members, have their own pastor and support from outside churches. It was several years ago that Pastor Ed entered into conversation with people in Montana about this possibility. From those conversations came the Freedom in Christ Task Force, which has worked long and faithfully to bring this ministry to fruition. Some years before Pastor Ed starting work in Montana, he told a couple of seminarians that they should consider prison ministry. That suggestion stayed in the heart of one of those seminarians, even as his call took him in other directions. Now, these years later that person, Pr. Rob Nedbalek, has been called as the pastor of FIC! God’s hand has always been in this work! We are so grateful for the work that the Task Force has done – and for never giving up. To say we are excited is an understatement!!! Together you will continue to change lives – and who knows where the seeds that you plant through Freedom in Christ will spout? God bless! Mary Mortenson, Director, Prison Congregations of America MSP Volunteer Training C lass The next volunteer training class provided by Montana State Prison (MSP) is scheduled for Saturday, May 5th at MSP in Deer Lodge. The class begins at 8 a.m. and lasts all day. MSP provides lunch. If you are interested in serving as a volunteer for the ministry inside the prison, you are required to complete this training and be able to pass a background check. You must complete an application form and send it to MSP. This application must be received by MSP NO LATER than 10 days before the class date. Applications are available as a PDF downloadable file on our website at: http://ficprisonministry.com/volunteer-opportunities Please send us an email, or give us a call, to let us know you are attending this training session. These training classes are only scheduled two or three times a year, so plan accordingly if you want to volunteer inside the prison walls! Please note that this does not pertain to folks who are only interested in attending worship services as a member of their home congregation. Future information will be available for this situation. Wish List Pastor Rob is in need of a few copies of the old altar version of the LBW. Can anyone help us with this request? We have services in several locations in the prison and it will be nice to have a copy of the book for each location. Also, if you happen to have copies of the old green Hymnal book you are no longer using, we’d sure appreciate more copies! Thanks for thinking of the prison congregation in your donations! Page 3 Volume 2, Issue 3 P astor R ob’s C orner Talk about hitting the ground, running! My first OFFICIAL day as Pastor was March 15th. I attended my first Freedom in Christ Prison Congregation Ministry Task Force meeting at Hope Lutheran Church in Anaconda and, with task force members, worked through some of the new (and old) business and changes that are taking place, or are going to take place, for FIC. Then, on Friday, I sat in the classroom at Montana State Prison, with 21 new Correctional Officers, 5 other new support staff persons, for my first day of New Employee Orientation. This is 8 hours a day of learning the policies and procedures of the prison. It is a bit intense for this old guy whose study habits were not all that great in the first place. I drove back home to Huntley that night and gave my first presentation at Emmanuel Lutheran Church in Shepherd on Sunday. That isn’t quite as courageous as it sounds, since Emmanuel is my home congregation, so I felt pretty safe there for my first outing. Back to Deer Lodge for the next five days, during which I got my Employee ID, which meant that I do not have to remove my belt, glasses, watch and other metal objects from my person just to get in. It also means that I can move more freely throughout the facility. At the end of the week I was actually starting to feel like I belong. There is a growing sense of family among the class. Then back home Friday night to spend a bit of time with my REAL family. The weekend was short, though, as I spent most of the day Saturday, along with other family members, helping my niece move into her new apartment. Then I was up bright (actually still dark!) and early to drive to Bozeman to do my second presentation, at Christ the King Lutheran Church. As I type this, I have just returned from my seventh day of class, and have four more to complete this week, to “Graduate.” Then Friday, I will drive back home, eat with my family. Saturday, I will head to Great Falls for an interview and on Palm Sunday, April 1st, I will lead my first worship service at the prison! I am very excited about that! There is more in the wings after that. More presentations and meetings, as well as working with the RAC (Religious Activities Center) staff learning my way around and within the facility, and trying to get a feel for things. P astor R ob is O ff and R unning! Pastor Rob isn’t known for letting the grass grow under his feet! Since the first day on the job (March 15th) he has been busy with meetings, training and presentations at various congregations. Looking forward, in April, he travels to Great Falls to join forces with George Sorensen (a Task Force member) to visit with folks at First English Lutheran Church about Freedom in Christ Prison Ministry. Would you like to learn more about the prison congregation ministry? We can help with that! Pastor Rob and Task Force members are available to come to your congregation or community organization to visit about our ministry project. Pastor is also available for sermons, children’s sermons or visit with youth groups. Give us a call to schedule a time at: (406)560-4993 Or send a request to our email address on the back of this newsletter. We’d love to send Pastor Rob to your neck of the woods! I want you to know that through all this, I have felt your prayers and support surrounding me, and seen many examples of the Spirit at work. This is going to be exciting and rewarding, and I know this is what God has called me to do, sharing the love of God in Christ Jesus with people whose bodies are imprisoned at Montana State Prison in Deer Lodge. Grace and Peace † † † Pastor Rob Nedbalek FREEDOM In CHRIST Prison Congregation Ministry "So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed." John 8:36 Page 4 Freedom in Christ Prison Congregation Project We’re on the web! http://ficprisonministry.com B uilding a C hurch of M any Faiths One of the goals of Freedom in Christ is to build an ecumenical congregation with our full communion partners, other denominations and the prison population. We are reaching out to you, our sister congregations asking for your help in supporting this ministry through prayer, financial giving, becoming volunteers, and participating in worship services once the congregation is in place. A congregation within prison walls is made up of people of many faiths, not just Lutheran. As such, it is our vision to include all Christians and warmly welcome them into the new prison congregation to worship in peace and harmony and share in God’s Word of love, forgiveness, hope and healing through the power and presence of the Holy Spirit! As you have read, we now have a pastor in place to serve the new congregation ministry. Now we can focus our attention on organizing the congregation and having our first worship service. With the model we are using, outside congregations are invited to come worship with the inmates. We hope you will join us in this endeavor and schedule a worship service date to come and worship with the inmates. It is truly a rewarding experience - just watch the video on the home page of our website to see what others are saying about prison ministries! C omputer P rogrammer N eeded! Are you a computer wizard? Do you have programming experience? Are you familiar with HTML, CSS and PHP code? We are looking for someone who possesses these computer programming skills to help add a little more pizzazz to our website AND to help coordinate linking computers in several locations throughout the Synod region. Our website is selfhosted with well known hosting company. We use WordPress for our website management. This position is a longterm volunteer position requiring good time management skills. If you are familiar with Word Press and possess the skills to work within the software, and you would like to offer your talents to our ministry, then we WANT you! Please contact Bea Rosenleaf, Project Administrator at 406-560-4993, or email her at: [email protected] We’ve H ad a M ake-O ver! Our website has a new look Lots of action, lots of information, and THE place to visit for up-todate events. There is short video on a prison ministry showing how the Prison Congregations of America model works for worship services plus some interesting statistics. We frequently add links to many websites and articles regarding prison ministries and re-entry programs. Information on ways you can help is available as well as forms, past newsletters and more. We even have a PayPal button to make donating to our ministry easier. Be sure to sign up for our electronic newsletters and website news feed to keep abreast of all the exciting developments to come. We are joining the ranks of social media enthusiasts! We now have a Facebook Page. Please go and “Like” us to keep up to date on current events with Freedom in Christ! http://facebook.com/ ficprisonministry Volume 2, Issue 3 Page 5 Freedom in C hrist History Are you familiar with the Parable of The Sheep and the Goats? You can find it in the Book of Matthew, chapter 25, verses 31-46. In the story all the nations are before Jesus and he separates the people into two groups – one on his right and one on his left. The group on the right he calls sheep (the righteous), the group on the left are the goats. To the group on the right he says, “Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For 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 invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.” The sheep answered him by asking, “When did you see us doing these things for Him?” He answered, “I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.” While we, here at Freedom in Christ, do not consider ourselves “righteous,” we do believe in the need to visit those in prison. To share the Good News and show that God does indeed provide grace, love and forgiveness – even to those in prison. The Freedom in Christ Prison Congregation Pro- ject began its work about four years ago. Due to fiscal cutbacks and program changes, the minister position at the Montana State Prison was eliminated and replaced by a Religious Activities Coordinator. The men no longer had consistent, full-time pastoral care. A group of folks recognized the need for this consistent pastoral care, and presented the idea to the Montana Synod, ELCA. A task force was established to create a congregation at the Montana State Prison for Men based on the Prison Congregations of America (PCA) model. The difference between the PCA model of prison ministry and other ministries going on in prisons is that in this model the inmates are the church members. They have a trained pastor from the outside and they host worship guests from churches on the outside, which also support the inside congregation financially. After four long years of hard work, the Freedom in Christ Prison Congregation Task Force and Call Committee recommended a candidate for the pastor’s position to the Montana Synod Council in February. We are pleased to announce that the official Letter of Call was received by our new pastor. He will begin to establish a network of connections with other prison congregation ministries to help acquire information and assistance in setting up the new congregation at Montana State Prison. The rest of the year will require rolling up our sleeves and really digging into the work to set up the congregation for their first worship service. This journey will truly be a learning experience! Part of the work is to find ways to sustain the congregation financially. We depend upon outside sources through their gifts and donations. Our financial supporters to date are awesome, but unfortunately we are still short of projected budgets. Another goal of Freedom in Christ is to be ecumenical in nature. We are extending an invitation to our Communion Partner Churches to join us in this endeavor. While the word is spreading, it could spread even faster if you can help us! Tell everyone you know in your community about Freedom in Christ! Word of mouth is the best voice we have for getting information out to others. We hope you can help with this little task. During the past year, our Project Administrator has been busy setting up databases for mailing lists, volunteers and donors, creating a website, designing our logo and brochure, and talking to people. We are trying hard to be “green” by establishing an electronic newsletter. We know that not everyone has the internet or email, and we will continue to print a limited number of hard copies for those who don’t have electronic means. For those who do have internet and email access, we ask that we can communicate with you through this tool. Information can be delivered quicker, thus getting the word out about what we are up to, and it helps us keep costs down. Paper, ink, printing services, and postage are expensive, and we would rather be able to keep funds available for the congregation and new program development. Our contact information is listed below. Please let us Con’t. pg. 7 Page 6 Freedom in Christ Prison Congregation Project We’re on the web! http://ficprisonministry.com Visitations M atter b y Da vid Young Visitations matter. Visitations matter in reducing recidivism. Visitations matter in successful family reintegration. The Minnesota Department of Corrections (DOC) recently completed a study that examined the effects of prison visitations on offender recidivism. Using an average follow-up period of nearly five years, the study evaluated the relationship between prison visitations and recidivism among 16,420 offenders released from Minnesota prisons between 2003 and 2007. Two significant findings were: 1. 2. Any visit from a mentor reduced reconviction by 29 percent; A visit by clergy lowered recidivism by 24 percent. Other key findings included the following: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Nearly 40 percent of the offenders were not visited once while in prison; Visits from siblings, in-laws, fathers and clergy were the most beneficial in lowering recidivism; The frequency with which inmates were visited had a significant effect on recidivism; Visits closer to an offender’s release date had a greater impact on reducing recidivism; The larger an offender’s social support system, the lower the risk for recidivism. David Young is a The results of this study suggest that prison visitation can significantly improve the transition professional member of offenders make from the institution to the community. In addition, the results indicate that prison visitation can improve recidivism outcomes by helping offenders not only maintain social the American ties with both nuclear and extended family members (especially fathers, siblings, and in-laws) Correctional Chaplains while incarcerated, but also by developing new bonds such as those with clergy or mentors. Association and a The authors of the study said that revising existing visitation policies to make them more member of the Freedom “visitor friendly” may represent a relatively low cost-potentially high benefit measure that in Christ Task Force correctional systems could take to help ease the burden of prison overcrowding and budget deficits. The authors also indicated that efforts should be made in the community to help to Committee. preserve the social ties that were established or maintained in prison so as to further strengthen the beneficial effects of prison visitation. Armed with this new evidence, Prison Fellowship in its March 2012 newsletter, has offered up the following four ideas as ways to encourage prison visits: 1. Place Inmates in Institutions Closer to Where Their Families Live. More than half of prisoners with children live more than 100 miles from where they lived before prison. This study shows by discouraging visitation, long-distance placements are harmful to public safety. Institutional convenience should never trump public safety; 2. Expand Visiting Rooms and Visiting Hours. Visitation is severely limited, often restricted to a few hours one day a week, or even every other week. Inmates should not be denied opportunities to stay involved with their families; 3. Allow Mentors to Remain in Contact with Inmates after Release. Many prisons prohibit mentors from staying in touch with inmates upon release. This study shows the policy of “non-fraternization” undermines public safety by cutting off offenders from an important relationship at the most important time; 4. Pick a Prison and Go… In this study, 40 percent of the inmates never received a visit. Consider how intimidating it would be to face release after five years in prison and not have had contact with anyone outside prison. Where would you sleep? Who would help you find a job? A two-page summary of the Minnesota study is available at: http://www.doc.state.mn.us/publications/documents/11-11PrisonVisitationResearchinBrief_Final.pdf The full report of the Minnesota study can be downloaded at: http://www.doc.state.mn.us/publications/documents/11-11MNPrisonVisitationStudy.pdf Volume 2, Issue 3 Page 7 Photo © Bea Rosenleaf Upcoming Events: April 15th, 11 a.m. -- Pastor and George Sorensen at First English Lutheran Church in Great Falls May 5th, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. — MSP Volunteer Training in Deer Lodge, Lunch provided. Applications are available on the website for download. Mail to the address provided on the website. June 1st—3rd Montana Synod Assembly, Crown Plaza, Billings. Installation of Pastor Robert Nedbalek. Freedom in C hrist History know if you would like to receive our newsletter (and in what format), volunteer or be placed on our electronic mailing list. As we go forward, the need for volunteers will be great. With the proposed fundraiser, we will need volunteers to help in various areas around the Synod. If someone wants to volunteer to attend Bible Studies and other programs, they must attend a mandatory one-day training session at Montana State Prison. These training sessions are only held two or three times during the year, so if you are con- (c on’ t fr om pg. 5 ) sidering volunteering inside the Prison, please keep this in mind. If you would like to volunteer, please contact us and we will put you in our volunteer database to keep you informed of all the details. While we are moving forward, we are still in need of your prayers and support! Your past support is much, much appreciated. God is guiding us in this wonderful journey and we hope that you will join us. God is so good…all the time. Page 8 Freedom in Christ Prison Congregation Project We’re on the web! http://ficprisonministry.com “Where our treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Matthew 6:21 $1 to $99: Rev. Alvin & Linda Beyers Rev. Mike & Dorothy Borge Barbara Connolly Anne Dobney Gerald Ebelt Harold Everson Ken & Pat Gjerde Joe Haugestuen Rodney & Sandra Herrick Ruth & Rex Ijames Curtis & Karen Johnson Rev. Darius Larsen Rev. Melanie Martin-Dent Ann & Morris Mitteness Maynard & Shirley Olson Ronald & Marian Paulson Ken Schneider John & Gladys Simonds Hinsdale Lutheran Hinsdale Hope American Lutheran Fallon Sacred Heart Church Harlem Saco WELCA St. James Lutheran Columbus St. John’s ELCA Women Great Falls $100 to $499 Howard Albers Jacob Block Jeremy Blyth Mike & Diane Conner Bishop Jessica Crist & Turner Graybull Jim & Kathy Eff James & Sharon Engh Revs. Rick & Mary Green Ronald & Eleanore Hasley Paul & Kay Hanson Michael & Marjorie Holland Rev & Mrs. Marc Kolden Rev. Betty Mawbey Rev. Robert Nilsen Jeff Olgaard Ron & Nancy Osborn Rev. David & Deborah Peters Carl Rohr George & Marilyn Sorensen David Streufert Gayland & Barbara Westoff Terry & Kim Wilker Bethany Lutheran - Dutton Christ the King Lutheran Bozeman Hope Lutheran - Powell Immanuel Lutheran Absarokee Peace Lutheran Men’s Breakfast Group - Billings St Paul Bazaar Team Missoula Valley of Christ Lutheran Frenchtown $500 to $999 Barbara Davis Greg & Carroll Karlsgodt Rolf Tunby Hope Lutheran - Anaconda All Saints Lutheran - Big Sky Bethlehem Lutheran Kalispell Faith Lutheran - Hamilton Golden Triangle Cluster Chester Immanuel Lutheran Missoula Our Savior’s Lutheran Thompson Falls Peace Lutheran - Billings Zion Lutheran - Fairfield $1,000 to $4,999 1st English Lutheran Great Falls American Lutheran - Baker Prison Congregations of America St. Paul Lutheran - Missoula Trinity Lutheran Hot Springs Help Us S ave - E lectronic N ewsletters Newsletter are expensive, and the postage to mail them is expensive. However, we WANT to communicate with you, our supporters and prayer warriors! Can you help us in our endeavor to go green AND save money for ministry program development instead of printing and mailing expenses? There are several ways you can let us know you would like to receive the newsletter electronically: Sign up on our website Send us an email Write a note Give us a call You can also print the newsletter through a link on our website! We know not everyone has a computer, or access to the internet, but did you remember your local library has computers with internet access? If you would rather have a hard copy, just let us know. We will print a limited number of copies to mail out. Thanks for your help! Page 9 Volume 2, Issue 3 Jesus in R eal Time b y Tom Wilson “What church in town is taking the kids to Silverwood?” he asked, obviously wanting to ensure that his children didn’t miss out. I responded that I didn’t know, and continued to work at my desk— without looking up. The inmate was mildly irritated. Wasn’t I the religious guy? Shouldn’t I know what’s going on in the religious community? He sifted for answers to his unspoken thoughts by continuing to probe, “Well, how many churches are there in Deer Lodge?” It couldn’t be that hard to keep track of such things in a small town. “Twelve,” I said, “soon to be thirteen.” Looking up, I observed that he was muscular, cocky, hair slicked back like DeNiro in his prime. “Waddaya mean, ‘soon to be thirteen?’” he said with just a hint of a smirk. I explained that I was part of a team that was planting a new church in Deer Lodge. He inquired about what “kind” of church so I elaborated. He’d never heard of the small movement that I’m a part of, so I told him that some refer to our tradition as Empowered Evangelicals. I briefly shared that we embrace the concept of the citychurch (that believers from every denomination are on the same team), and that we sometimes experience God in trans-rational ways. He narrowed one eye and cocked his head. “How so?” he asked. I responded, “We’ve seen supernatural physical healings, and we sometimes get what we believe are prophetic insights.” His smirk was full -blown now, and he commented, “I bet you get funny looks from people.” I smiled and said, “Sometimes.” He began to tell me how he didn’t like orga- nized religion. He told me about the hypocrites, and how he could find God in the mountains. He began to talk faster as he explained how religious people had defrauded his vulnerable grandmother of a considerable amount of money. He was making himself mad. In the middle of his soliloquy, the Holy Spirit spoke a word into my mind. The word was, “Teresa.” I wrote the name on my large monthly desk calendar as he continued to speak. When he took a breath, I interjected, “What was your grandmother’s name?” He paused, “What?” “What was your grandmother’s name?” I repeated. He told me her name. It was Teresa Sullivan. I rotated the desk calendar so he could read the name that he had just watched me write moments before. He stuttered, looked at me, then back to the calendar. He gave me a funny look and searched my face for an explanation. I told him that God revealed his grandmother’s name to me because He wanted him to know that He knew her, knew her story, and was equally offended by what happened to her. The inmate’s countenance melted into wonder. He humbly asked if he could have the paper with his grandmother’s name. I carefully cut the entry from the page and gave it to him. He responded to the “God moment” by living with a new sensitivity toward faith. He began to study the bible with his kids in the visiting room. But that beautiful story of Jesus-in-real-time doesn’t have a storybook ending, not yet anyway. Dysfunction and rebellion scar deeply, and this man’s issues weren’t totally resolved in the few moments it took for this story to play out. What he needed, and still needs, is the very thing I can’t give him. He needs discipleship. He needs a shepherd in the context of community. It’s a powerful thing when the witness of the Spirit combines with the plumb line of Scripture and the scrutiny of the body of Christ. That’s what he needs. The very thing I can’t give him. I’m glad God has called volunteers like the Freedom in Christ team and the Deer Lodge Ministerial Association to Montana State Prison. The fields are white unto harvest and the workers are few, but the ratio is changing because of willing and giving souls who are serious about the Great Commission and the Kingdom of God. Yes, the ratio is changing, and with it the demographics of heaven— what could be better than that? Tom Wilson is the Religious Activities Coordinator at Montana State Prison and Pastor of the Deer Lodge Vineyard Christian Fellowship. He writes as a private citizen. The name in this article was changed. Freedom in Christ Prison Ministry Project P O Box 617 Anaconda, MT 59711 Phone: 406.560.4993 Email: [email protected] Website: ficprisonministry.com Help change lives! Please share our newsletter with everyone you know! We print in black and white for ease of copying and sharing. Did You Know… Inside this issue: Welcome. Training, Wish List 2 From the Pastor, Off & Running 3 Build a Church, Help Wanted, 4 Website Make-over History 5 Visitation Matters 6 Upcoming, History (con’t) 7 Circle of Freedom, Electronic Newsletter 8 Jesus in Real Time 9 The U.S. has more than 1,100 state and federal prisons and that they employ about 1,600 professional chaplains? More than 9 million individuals cycle through local jails each year? The U.S. spends $74 billion on corrections each year? 1 in 28 children have a parent behind bars; 1 in 9 African American children has a parent incarcerated? More than 700,000 sentenced prisoners are released into communities from state and federal prisons each year (about 13,600 per week); 2 out of 3 will be rearrested within 3 years?