Articles

• COS Plants ‘Celebration Fellowship’ — A Prison Congregation.  Covered by the Grand Rapids Press.
• The Christian Century is devoted to our prison system, and includes a piece by Troy Rienstra called “Partners in the Gospel,” about the prison ministry at Standish. To read Troy’s article and others about the prison system, click here.
• The June 9, 2005, issue of USA Today has a front-page story titled “After Years in Solitary, Freedom Hard to Grasp: Ex-Cons Face Long Odds on Release From Isolation.” It reviews how difficult it is for prisoners to re-enter society, especially those who have been in solitary confinement – a number which has greatly increased in recent years. The article makes reference to government efforts to help released felons adjust to freedom when the Clinton administration in 1999 formed “re-entry courts” to help thousands of felons each year get housing, jobs, and mental health services. What about the promotion of “re-entry churches”? One inmate commented about the nature of his re-entry: “It was like being released to a dark room, knowing that there are steps in front of you and waiting to fall.”

Recordings

• Listen to “Moral Rehabilitation in an Immoral Environment” by Burl Cain, Warden of the Louisiana State Penitentiary. This is a recording from Calvin College’s January Series.

Websites

Criminal Justice Chaplaincy
Prison Fellowship
Crossroad Bible Institute
CRC Office of Social Justice: Restorative Justice
Report from the CRC Synodical Committee to Study Restorative Justice - PDF, 41 pages 
Death Penalty Discourse Network
Prison Creative Arts Project
Speak Up for Hope Ministry
Citizens Alliance on Prisons & Public Spending
Michigan Department of Corrections
Public Policy Associates
Restorative Justice Online
Prison Congregations of America
Re-Entry Policy Council