Takeaways from our Hope After Prison Workshop

During our “Hope After Prison” workshop on June 8, we heard from four creative and inspiring New York City leaders about their work to empower men and women who have been incarcerated.

Julio Medina (Exodus Transitional Community), Kathleen Slocum (Open Hands Legal Services), Charles Hoke (Defy Ventures), and Heather Garretson (a law professor and researcher) all challenged us to re-think how we engage with men and women who are returning home from prison, who face very real challenges and barriers to re-entry even after they have served their time.

We wanted to share just a few quotes from the night that resonated with us:

“The gospel speaks to us through people and every person that walks through the door.” 

— Julio Medina, Exodus Transitional Community

“If Jesus loved these typse of people [ex. thieves, murderers, criminals] unconditionally, why do we treat these people coming out of prison like modern-day 21st century lepers?” 

— Charles Hoke, Defy Ventures

“We are not seen as the label we deserve. We are sinners and we are labeled loved, forgiven and saved… Jesus freed us from the label of sinner, so we need to find places in our community where we can free others of the label of felon." 

— Heather Garretson, legal scholar

“In the end, there will be no more tears and no more pain, so that is the motivation [for our work].”

— Kathleen Slocum, Open Hands Legal Services

This month, we’re praying for the men and women in our city and across our nation who are facing these barriers to re-entry. We’re asking God to move in their individual lives and in the greater community to provide them with hope and a future. And we’re praying that God would show individuals in our community how to use their spheres of influence affect change.