Ex-Offender Reentry Program Resources

Church-based Program Models

Meet Me At The Gate: This is a church-based program through which a congregation "adopts" a newly released prisoner, offering mentoring, discipleship, and practical assistance. 
           Steps & Timeline for a Meet Me at the Gate Ministry  

Additional Tools for Church Leaders

1. For further how-to's, check out FASTEN's Ex-Offender Reentry Toolkit. 

2. To minister to a prisoner's family and children, consider partnering with Prison Fellowship's Angel Tree project or launching an Amachi program in your congregation to mentor children of prisoners.

Recommended Books for Church Leaders

1. Equipping Your Church to Minister to Ex-Offenders. This manual provides practical, Biblically-based advice for starting either a church-based or separate faith-based ministry aimed at helping ex-offenders face the many obstacles they will encounter after spending time in prison. It provides guidance on issues ranging from what it looks like to express godly love to ex-offenders to information about the legal and organizational structure of a post-prison ministry.

2. The "Putting the Bars Behind You" Curriculum. From Jist Publishers, a group well known for career-oriented materials, comes this five workbook series focused specifically on job search/job retention for ex-offenders. Read a curriculum review of it. 

3. Makin' It: A Parole and Probation Survival Guide is a short handbook ministry leaderse can provide to newly released prisoners. It contains 31 survival tips covering such issues as physical health, reintegrating into family life, job preparation, sexual health and awareness, emotional health, budgeting, communication skills, substance abuse, and goal setting. 

4. Mentor Training Manual for New Mentors is a handbook for Christians who will mentor prisoners still in jail or who have been newly released. 

Training Opportunities for Church Leaders

Transition of Prisoners hosts a national ex-offender reentry conference that provides a variety of training opportunities for faith-based practitioners. 

MentorCare Ministries provides on-site consulting services to congregations wishing to start a new prisoner aftercare ministry.