Aftercare Coordination
The chaplaincy helps coordinate aftercare for inmates who are being released back to the community. The office makes referrals to local churches, drug and alcohol treatment facilities, halfway houses, and individuals that have a heart to help inmates become productive citizens and stronger Christians. So often even those who grow under the Christian teaching offered in the jail, fall prey to their old habits and weaknesses within a short time after release. It is during these most vulnerable times that the Christian community must reach out and take these people under their wing. This has always been the greatest weakness of the jail ministry. The reason for this weakness is that immediately upon release, the inmate returns to the same setting he had come from and within a week, he is involved in the same old lifestyle. Currently, Chaplains for Christ International is trying to pioneer a program to bridge the inmate from jail or prison immediately into a treatment program by having a program member pick the inmate up from the jail or prison and transporting him or her directly to the treatment program with no stops in between. For those who want help but do not want to go into a full-time treatment program, we are starting a weekly Bible study/prayer time with ex-inmates to help give them support and direction.
