Issues to Consider Before Launching an After-care Facility for Ex-Offenders

Issues to Consider Before Launching an After-care Facility for Ex-Offenders

Excerpted from Equipping Your Church to Minister to Ex-Offenders, by Louis N. Jones, ConquestHouse, 2000, p. 60.  Used with permission.).

Careful and thorough planning is a necessary prerequisite to a successful after-care facility for ex-offenders.  Before starting up, the following questions should be considered:

1)    How many people will we serve?  How large should this center be?

2)    Can our budget handle the increased expense?  If not, how will we pay for it?

3)    What types of offenders shall we serve?

4)    Where should this center be located?

5)    Are there any zoning restrictions?  Are licenses required?

6)    Does the community support this center?

7)    Do we have outside resources available to handle areas we are not equipped to handle, such as medical needs?

8)    Can we locate a good Director for the center?

9)    What types of security should be in place?  How much supervision shall we employ?

10)Do we have good relationships with parole officers in the community?

11) What rules and regulations shall we adopt?

12)What are the penalties for violating rules and regulations?

13)What is the procedure for hearing grievances?

14)What should the typical resident’s schedule be?