Life After Prison

Why the Ex-Offender Needs Our Help

I'd like to begin by telling you a little about myself. I grew up in a loving family, with a grandmother who taught me about the Lord. Nonetheless, at the age of 16, I got involved in the drug game. I was considered a "Pot Head" by the most liberal standards, and was also involved with growing & selling pot. At 18, I got involved with some heavy dealers and agreed to set up a speed lab in Canada. Our sole intent was to import the meth we made into the States. Little did I know that the RCMP, DEA and the I.N.S were onto our operation from the beginning. After crossing the Detroit River and making our first delivery, I was arrested. Our lab (which police estimated had a value of $12,000,000) was shut down and I was sentenced to 2 years in U.S Federal Prison. Sitting in Wayne County Jail in downtown Detroit, it seemed as though my life was over. But, as I look back, I can see that it was the best thing that could have ever happened to me. I came to know the Lord while in prison.

Early on in my sentence, I was very fortunate to meet a man named Bill Kennedy, who was a mature Christian. (You may have heard his story on 'Focus on the Family'. You can read more about him at www.justiceforkennedy.com). Bill took me under his wing & discipled me in the way of Christ. I know it was God who brought us together! Bill's mentoring, combined with the fact that I had a loving family, gave me a huge upper hand upon my release. I was released in March of 1998, and have gone on to establish myself in a good job; I have a loving wife & good friends.

One of the biggest joys that has come out of my experience in jail is the work my wife and I are now able to do inside the Windsor Jail. We walk the corridors of the jail on a weekly basis, listening to those that need someone to listen, and providing hope and encouragement wherever we can. We also provide the men and women with correspondence Bible study courses, to help them grow in their faith.

In the two years that we have been involved at the jail, we have seen a great need for people to come alongside ex-offenders who have given their lives to Christ. All too often, guys who have made sincere commitments to the Lord get pulled back into their old lifestyles when released. The number one cause for this is NOT that they don't have a relationship with the Lord, but that they have no idea how to live out the Christian life, day to day.

We are all born as slaves to sin. That is the human condition. Those of you that have been Christians for many years can testify to the fact that we

continue to sin until the day we die! Each of us has sin in our life that is not easy to get rid of. For some, it may be the love of gossip. For others, it may be an addiction to food, or a quick temper. Whatever the sin, God's Word says that they are all the same in His eyes. Sanctification is the process of becoming more like Christ, and this process takes a lifetime! Our sins did not magically disappear the moment we were saved. This is true for the ex-offender.

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