These 52 daily devotionals are short testimonies written in first-person by kids in jail who have come to a faith and Christ.They express confusion and sometimes despair but always the hope that is found in a relationship with God.Because they are real-life accounts, the testimonies address hard issues—like continuing to struggle with sin, insecurity and fear of failure, self-mutilation, attempted suicide, and the frustration that comes from being locked up over and over again.Each testimony is followed by Scripture and then two questions that help the youth apply what he or she has just learned.
Why does FASTEN recommend this resource?
This short book is geared towards high-risk youth.Because it is written by kids and teenagers, the language and the topics are extremely relevant to today’s youth.This devotional is perhaps most challenging and effective because of its peer-to-peer teaching style.Urban youth workers could use the devotional to help them develop biblical responses to common struggles high-risk youth face.
Many inmates struggle with uncontrolled anger and aggressive behavior. In fact, this issue may have contributed to their incarceration. This workbook provides practical instruction about how inmates can be angry, but avoid aggressive behavior. In addition, it helps them to recognize situations in which they may have gotten angry unnecessarily and discusses how they can change their attitudes to avoid becoming angry needlessly. The workbook enables inmates to explore the causes for their anger, such as childhood experiences and pain, and describes what may be internal and external triggers. In addition, it explains the difference between anger and aggressive actions and how to avoid letting anger lead to violence. Inmates will learn relaxation techniques, guidance about how to change negative thinking patterns, and other skills to help them manage their anger successfully.
Why does FASTEN recommend this resource?
When an inmate struggles with anger and aggression, a crucial part of his preparation for a successful return to his community and family is the development of anger management skills. This well-written workbook provides straightforward information about the causes of anger and how an inmate can control it. It encourages the inmate to engage in extensive self-examination by asking thought-provoking questions and giving inmates the opportunity to write detailed responses. Faith-based practitioners can utilize this resource in their pre-release programs to help inmates learn how to avoid engaging in violent and destructive behaviors that may have contributed to their imprisonment.
This paper was prepared for the “From Prison to Home” Conference held January 30-31, 2002 sponsored by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. It examines the impact of parental incarceration on children’s well-being and development, to determine just what is happening to the children of incarcerated parents.
Why does FASTEN recommend this resource?
The paper addresses the “scope of the problem” by citing statistics about the patterns and demographics of both the children and the parents. It identifies factors that determine how the child will react to parental incarceration. This is helpful information for practitioners as they seek to identify actions that could mitigate the negative effects of parental incarceration. The paper also offers brief case studies of several programs and discusses the challenges of establishing evaluation systems for assessing different types of interventions. It concludes with a section of public policy analysis relevant to incarceration issues.
Prisoners and Families: Parenting Issues During Incarceration
by J. Creasie Finney Hairston (published by the Urban Institute, 2002, from the "From Prison to Home Conference" of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services)
This paper provides an overview of family matters during incarceration. It examines the problems that families face when a parent is incarcerated and the strategies they use to manage to those problems.
Why does FASTEN recommend this resource?
This article provides insight into the patterns of behavior and thoughts of children whose parent(s) are in prison. It offers thought-provoking observations from several angles and is readable. Its final section on “Policy Directions and Strategies” offers a “where-do-we-go-from-here” analysis that will be interesting to practitioners and policymakers alike.
Although these workbooks were not specifically designed for faith-based job readiness programs, they are a good resource for any program interested in thoroughly preparing ex-offenders to successfully obtain and retain employment.
RSS |
Share
| privacy |
site map |
help |
feedback |
about|
donate
