First United Methodist Church of Olympia
One Parish One Prisoner
Here’s our guy.
Your team meets on the 2nd Sunday of the month, at 3 PM.
March 13
April 10
May 8 (Mother’s Day—maybe adjust?)
etc.
Read to Discuss at April’s Meeting: Trauma & Healing
Read to Discuss at May’s Meeting: The Welcome Home Prep Event
Read to Discuss at June’s Meeting: The Stones to Roll Away - the big one
Read to Discuss at July’s Meeting: Accompaniment Through the System
For August’s Meeting: Rest, Prepare, Journal, Eat Tacos Together
2/6/22
Keep writing to Michael. Keep tabs on replies—should we switch to JPay? Alvin will check via JPay with Michael and see if he’s gotten the first round. Follow the action items from the first two modules: start the conversation on his plans/hopes, regarding housing and otherwise.
READ: The Art of Building Trust
CONVENERS:
Mark and Doug
BARDS:
Barbara and Alyson
FACILITATORS:
Sue and Dave
PASTOR:
Amanda
1/28/22:
Send your first letter to Michael, if you haven’t already. With COVID lockdowns happening across the state, we might have to jump up to JPays sooner than usual.
READ: SUCCESS and Re-entry Planning Begins
SIGN UP for JPay - use your friend’s DOC number to get on his list.
1/20/22:
Please write and send your first letter to Michael. Let’s get the ball rolling—introduce yourself and make sure to honor the pace that you’re on.
A few things to keep in mind with writing letters in to prison: plain white paper only—no cardstock, folding greeting cards, glitter, stickers, etc., no address labels—handwritten only. Photographs are allowed, please write Michael’s name and DOC number on the back.
Write Michael’s address on the envelope as seen in your Starter Kit (and up above).
Ground-level logistics and sending funds are at the first learning module: The Lost Art of Letter Writing. Learn about JPay, Western Union, etc.
—
Below is the new path we’re trying to find with you.
Key point: All with criminal histories are stigmatized. The ones we most regularly accept, embrace, and set out to be in community with church partners (drug dealers/users, gang members, etc.) are FRANKLY more dangerous, risky, likely to manipulate than sex offenders.
Recidivism by category in Washington State (source)
Addiction: 60-68%
Street Gang Activity: 77%
Prison Gang Activity: 83%
Property / Robbery: 65%
Sex Offense: 28%
(Nationwide, other studies indicate sex offenses had a recividism rate of >10%.)
Neither social fear nor national policy are based on data or efficacy. Post-carceral life for those with sex-related criminal history involves tens of thousands of restrictions, bureacratic requirements, and additional fees—even more than those leaving incarceration without sex-related criminal history. None have proven to deter or prevent sex-related crimes. Registering as a sex offender, for example, only serves to further isolate the individual and render them homeless/re-incarcerated; it does not lead to fewer sex offenses. The general public’s outcry on the matter is loud, while our understanding is little; we are led by fears rather than logic, compassion, and Jesus’ undying compassion. Let’s change this.
Below are initial resources we have begun to gather that will be helpful in our journey together. This episode of YOU’RE WRONG ABOUT is a good start. To be clear, this is a podcast about individual and societal effects of Sex Offenders in our country; it includes content and language that should be discerned with care.
The podcast episode springs from to this article that is helpful to read as well.
“I don’t even forge relationships anymore,” Winters said. “People are judgmental, so I keep to myself. I go to work, I go to sleep and I try not to think about what’s going to take everything away the next time.”
Even further reading and links are on this page. It’s a rabbit hole.
