Corrections Ministries / Deacon John Cord

Ex-inmates encouraged to “take Jesus home” with them after their release

After a recent Sunday Mass, a woman asked if she could talk to me. She told me that she had been in the state prison five times during a period of years.

She explained that she was a drug addict. She told me that she has been clean for more than 14 years.

When I asked her how she did it, she told me that during her last prison sentence, a Narcotics Anonymous (NA) counselor told her that she needed to take Jesus home with her when she was released. She was also told that she needed to find an NA chapter and a good mental health counselor as soon as she got released.

This woman went on to explain that during every previous time she was incarcerated, she was very dedicated to the religious services that were offered inside. She told me that she convinced herself that she was a good Christian woman and that she would continue to be a good and faithful Christian upon her release. She was clean and sober and was very confident that she could resist drugs when she returned home.

However, four times in a row, when release day came, she walked out the door and left Jesus behind. She was not aware that her devastating addiction would follow her home, but it did. Each time, within a day or two she found her old friend, heroin. She told me that each time, it seemed harder to resist.

But on her fifth release, an NA counselor connected her with a compassionate NA counselor in her hometown. This caring lady picked her up from the prison gate and made sure she was safe and secure. She asked the counselor if she could go directly to a Catholic church to pray. The two of them went and prayed together. As she prayed, she felt the same presence of Jesus that she had felt on the inside. She knew that she had a chance.

Fourteen years later, she still feels the presence of Jesus with her. She now counsels other addicted women, especially those being released from prison.

What we know is that after an addict is away from their drug for a period of time, they begin to feel like they are no longer an addict. I have heard many people on the inside tell me, “I used to be an addict, but I have been clean since I have been in prison.” Sadly, statistics show that an addicted incarcerated person will go back to their drugs within a very short time of being released.

Can you imagine if every person who was incarcerated had access to a drug counselor or a mental health counselor, especially one who cared? Even better, what if that counselor was a Christian who believed that their clients could truly benefit from a relationship with Jesus?

As you may know, our ministry is working toward starting a re-entry program. One of the most important aspects of it will be to connect each person to a good Christian counselor before they are released. That counselor will then connect the person to another person on the outside who will care and guide them.

During the coming months, I will write more on this program, giving you more insight into what we are working toward.
 

(Deacon John Cord is the coordinator of Corrections Ministry for the archdiocese. For more information on supporting the office’s re-entry ministry, contact Deacon Cord at 317-432-6604 or by e-mail at jcord@archindy.org.) †