In a recent interview, World magazine editor in chief Marvin Olasky asks Prison Fellowship CEO Jim Liske about his church background, and how he came to be involved in in working with prisoners and their families.
“I had a family member who went to prison seven years ago,” Liske tells Olasky. “White, middle-to-upper-middle class, go-to-church-every-week families don’t have people go to prison, right? I did not know how to deal with this personally. I started my own personal wrestling match.”
Liske tells Olasky about the time he asked the members of his suburban congregation how many had a family member in prison, or if they had personally been affected by crime. Nearly 75 percent of the mostly middle-class parishoners raised their hands.
This realization that crime has impacts people from all parts of society, including the Church, eventually led Liske to develop organizational structures to assist ex-prisoners in reentry. Several not-for-profit organizations were created to handle reentry, substance abuse, job placement, and training. The result? With the assistance of the state of Michigan, recidivism in three counties around Liske’s church was reduced to three percent.
Effective reentry needs individuals, local groups, and churches who are committed to assisting ex-prisoners as they return to their communities. If you or your church are interested in serving prisoners and their families, please visit our get involved page, or contact Prison Fellowship’s National Program Support Center at 1 (800) 251-7411.