Service Opportunity

About Resurrection ReEntry

Resurrection ReEntry is working to establish both a coordinated in-prison program and a reentry hub that graciously receives people back into the community after incarceration.

Ministry with incarcerated and formerly incarcerated individuals is a richly rewarding experience where you get a front row seat to watch God change people’s lives. You can serve one-on-one or as part of a group of volunteers who seek to offer access to the physical, emotional and spiritual resources necessary to live the life that God intends for all of us.

Why focus on incarcerated individuals?

According to the Kansas Correctional Association newsletter, “most prisoners come from disadvantaged backgrounds. Many have not completed high school. Many can barely read. Roughly one-third were unemployed before imprisonment. Another third had annual income of less than $5,000. Children of incarcerated parents have an increased risk of anxiety, depression, aggression, truancy, attention disorders and poor scholastic performance. African Americans are 7.8 times more likely to be imprisoned than whites, when convicted of the same crime.” (KCA Eagle, January 2008).

Releasing people, who were already disadvantaged and now have a “criminal record”, back into the community with little or no resources is simply unacceptable. The lack of coordinated reentry helps fuel the crisis of mass incarceration. Within three years of release, about two-thirds of released prisoners are rearrested.

By the numbers:

• 4,000 people annually return to the KC Metro area from incarceration
• 80% of women who are experiencing incarceration are moms
• Roughly two-thirds of women in prison are women of color
• Nearly 20% of children entering the child welfare system have a parent incarcerated
• Approximately 75% of the children of offender parents will be offenders themselves

How you can get involved

• Alpha in Prison: Help facilitate Alpha with inmates in correctional facilities in Kansas. No previous Alpha participation is required, and you can explore this serving opportunity without any commitment or training. 
• Mentoring Opportunities: Provide one-on-one mentoring to inmates in correctional facilities in Kansas. Mentors should have a deeply grounded personal faith, a willingness to be fully present to another person and an openness for personal growth. A 12-month commitment is required and training is provided. 

“I was in prison and you came to visit me… Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.” (Matthew 25:36c, 40b)