Three Resources Every Returning Citizen Needs

THREE RESOURCES EVERY RETURNING CITIZEN NEEDS

A SAFE ENVIRONMENT

First, Jon was able to leave prison for a safe environment. During his time behind bars, his mother moved to a better neighborhood than the one of his childhood. Without the temptations of his former relationships, Jon could stay away from his old habits and lifestyle.

"I no longer had to live in the 'hood,’" Jon explains. "So, I didn't have to come home to an environment that was drug-infested, [had] people getting shot, and where there was temptation everywhere."

EMPLOYMENT

Second, Jon got a job within his first week of freedom. The man who employed Jon had gotten to know him when volunteering at Jon's correctional facility. The man offered Jon a job as a painter once he was released.

For many returning citizens, finding a job can be almost impossible due to their criminal past. Once their background check reveals a record, most employers won’t continue the hiring process.

When returning citizens can’t find work, they’re unable to meet their parole and probation requirements and can end up returning to prison.

COMMUNITY

The third resource Jon had was a church community willing to stand with him. A strong group of Christian men held Jon accountable, helped him along, and refused to let him fall back into his old habits.

"Before I went to prison, people all around me were drug dealers and killers," Jon says. "When I came home from prison, I was in the church mostly. My friends were engineers, lawyers, construction workers—my environment was totally different."

Jon’s church family could see past his criminal record and acknowledge his God-given potential. And it made a huge difference in how Jon thrived in his second chance at life.

THE CHURCH SHOULD LEAD THE WAY

Today, Jon is the pastor of Chicago West Bible Church. In the years since his release, he's had his fair share of struggles. He can't tell count how many times his job applications were rejected—he stopped after 67. But even so, he's managed to pursue both his education and his career as a minister.

He recognizes how his reentry got off on the right foot because he had people who cared about him—but not every returning citizen is so fortunate. Because of this, Jon works hard to advocate for the needs and rights of the formerly incarcerated.

And he believes the Church today should to lead the way, particularly when it comes to hospitality.

"I often say [to Christians] that if you're not letting a man or woman sit at your [dinner] table, you're really short-changing the process," Jon says. "There were people who accepted me into their homes, and there was a plate for me at their dinner table whenever I wanted it,” he explains.

Jon adds, “I had never seen a godly family before. I had never seen a man lead his family in prayer. I had never seen a guy act like an idiot and then have to go and ask his wife for forgiveness! But I learned all of that because I was around people enough that I was able to see their [lives]."

"The Gospel is all [relational]," Jon says. "And it's uncomfortable because it means you've got to see all my mess—you've got to give access to my heart in very vulnerable ways, but that's what men and women who are coming home from prison need."