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How Many Captives Need To Be Set Free Indeed?

Isaiah prophesied that the Christ would proclaim good news to the poor and freedom to the prisoners. In Luke 4:18-21, Jesus declared Himself the fulfillment of Isaiah 61. As Christians, it behooves us to be aware of the roughly 2.2 million people in jail or prison in the U.S. Jesus told the sheep at his right hand, who were slated to enter His glory, that “You visited me when I was in prison.” If you help those in prison, you help the Lord Jesus Christ!

We have all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God, so we cannot turn our backs on those in jail or prison.

Furthermore, there are many other people who are suffering immensely while on parole, probation, on house arrest, or in community corrections (work release). At any given time, nearly 7 million people are in the United States carceral system (probation, jail, prison, or parole). Those that are free from the confines of jail or prison, but still in the carceral system, also urgently need our help, because they are 7 times more likely than the general population to commit suicide and a recent study in Indiana found that they are 8 times more likely to die due to overdose during the first year upon release from incarceration [1]. Many released from jail in the past year struggle to find jobs and as many as half our unemployed, while those who are employed often make less than $10,090 a year.

Homelessness and untreated mental health and substance use issues are also common among those impacted by the criminal justice system. For instance, roughly half of prisoners have been formally diagnosed with a psychological disorder and the vast majority of them also have a diagnosable substance use disorder. Experience in prison usually only exacerbates these issues. With all of these odds against them, it is no wonder that over two-thirds of those released from prisons are rearrested within three years and half are put into jail or prison again. In other words, people are not really free when they are released from jail or prison, they need our help to be truly set free and to live of recovery. We need to help them know the truth, so that they can be free indeed!

[1] This study was conducted in Marion County, Indiana, comparing those recently released from incarceration with the general population.

Especially High Incarceration Rates in the U.S. and Indiana

Sadly, the United States imprisons more people than any other nation in the world most years, although North Korea and China come close. Although we have only 5% of the global population, we confine 25% of the world’s prisoners. Indiana being the 15th most carceral state in the nation [1], is therefore one of the most carceral geographic areas in the world. This provides Hoosiers with an opportunity to show true hospitality and grace to over 250,000 people that are released from federal/state prisons and county jails within our state each year.

That’s about as many people as live in Fort Wayne! In other words, just as many people need our help re-entering the community as the combined populations of Bloomington, Lafayette, and South Bend!

Nationwide, over 10 million people are released from jail or prison each year, so you don’t need to go overseas to find a mission field full of people who need help with overcoming suicidal ideation, risk of drug overdose, post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, anxiety disorders, joblessness, and a lack of safe housing!

For instance, the vast majority of state’s department of corrections re-entry coordinators recognized that lack of affordable housing and discrimination and stigma against those with convictions were the key barriers to housing for those re-entering.[2] The people who need your help are in or being released from county jails and federal/state prisons across our country. The harvest is truly plentiful, but the laborers are few. We cannot afford to let 10 million Americans and 250,000 Hoosiers to remain underserved while at a high risk for recidivism, death by overdose, substance use, isolation, homelessness, and joblessness. Do not withhold good, when in it is in the power of your hand to perform it.

Indiana also has 1,155 youth under the age of 18 in detention. Both youth and emerging adults (18-24) have unique developmental needs that are often ignored both during incarceration and upon release. With your help we will also be able to increase high quality and developmentally appropriate services to youth and emerging adults upon release. Although we are dedicated to helping people of all ages impacted by the criminal justice system, it is important to point out that emerging adults comprise just under 10% of the U.S. population, but are involved in 23% of all arrests in the U.S. This higher rate of arrest can be attributed in part to this age group having the highest rates of substance use disorders (1 in 7 emerging adults are addicted to alcohol or drugs). Furthermore, the vast majority of people with mental health disorders experienced the onset of the disorder prior to age 24, and serious mental health disorders among youth have been on the incline for over a decade.

[1] Indiana is ranked 15th for the most people in federal and state prison or local jails with only Southern states and Montana incarcerating more people per capita.

[2] 37 out of 50 state’s re-entry coordinators responded. Indiana was one of the states that did not respond.

Things are Not as They Seem

As Christians, it is important to be aware of myths that affect the way we treat our fellow brothers and sisters. For instance, many Christians seem afraid of people accused or convicted of violent crimes, yet Paul the apostle (overseeing multiple murders by stoning), Peter (chopping a man’s ear off), and Moses (killing an Egyptian guard) were all guilty of violent crimes. With out them, the Christian faith would not be as widespread and robust as it is today. In harmony with this idea, people convicted of violent crimes are less likely to be re-arrested than most other types of offenses. People committing property crimes are the most likely to be re-arrested! But, whether a property, drug, public order, or violent offense, as Christians, we can help reduce the likelihood of further crime by providing spiritual, social, and financial support.

When we talk about crime, the victim’s perspective is important to consider. Politicians who advocate for tough sentencing often state that they are doing it for the victim’s sake. However, only 18% of victims wish for their victim to go to jail; rather, 75% of victims would rather that the government utilize alternatives aimed at true rehabilitation such as restorative justice, community service, treatment and recovery from substance use disorders, and promoting mental health. The study of victims is poignant in that incarceration and convictions often contribute to worse mental health and increased risk of addictions for those convicted and their loved ones.

Behavioral Health in and out of Jail

If you think that jail is a place that promotes mental health, consider that suicide is the most prevalent cause of death in county jails. In fact, the risk for suicide in jail is two to three times higher than in the general population, which is quite striking considering that those in jail are under almost constant monitoring via video camera, confined to an extremely small space, and have limited access to sharp objects and chemicals. Furthermore, a study published in Criminology found that, post-release, the number of months of incarceration predicted an array of mental health problems, including depression. Namely, the longer someone was imprisoned, the greater risk they were at for poor mental health upon re-entry into the community.

In a Washington state study, the leading cause of death post-incarceration was drug overdose and the highest risk for this was during the first couple of weeks of re-entry and up to a year, which suggests that we need to be there for people immediately upon release or as soon as possible thereafter. Another study in Washington found that the suicide risk was 62% higher among previously incarcerated people than among the overall population. In a Norwegian study, the suicide rate in prison was 11.7 times higher than the global average for adults and the suicide rate post-release was 7.3 times higher than the global average. This study also found that first day of release entailed by far the highest risk for suicide, followed by the first week, and then the first 6 months. A study in the United Kingdom found that risk for suicide was high throughout the entire first year of re-entry; however, the first four months entailed the highest risk and the first month involved double the risk of any subsequent month.

Whereas the general population in the U.S. has an 8.7% lifetime prevalence rate for PTSD, 48% of those in prison have PTSD, which includes reliving the traumatic event (flashbacks), night terrors, severe emotional and physical reactions to reminders of the event, trying to avoid people and places that remind one of the event, being easily startled, self-destructive behavior (e.g., binge drinking), being overly alert to possible danger, irritability, excessive guilt or shame, feeling emotionally numb, memory problems, trouble sleeping, and hopelessness. It often leads to panic attacks as well. This is an insidious disorder that you would not wish upon your worst enemy and many with substance use disorders do not realize that they have it because they reactively use the alcohol and/or drugs to numb the emotional and pain. Others subconsciously repress (stuff down) the negative memories and emotions, so that they do not realize that they are affected by PTSD. Unfortunately, people often experience high rates of potentially traumatic events while incarcerated, such as physical and sexual assault, threat of victimization, and solitary confinement. For instance, physical violence is 27 more times likely to be experienced within prison than in the general population and 40% of prisoners report experiencing physical or sexual violence while incarcerated. A meta-analysis (a collection of studies that examines average effects) found that experiencing traumatic events in prison led to a much greater risk for PTSD post-release.

When you consider the constellation of issues that people re-entering the community are dealing with, it can be overwhelming. Fortunately, at Paul’s Plan Ministries, we have a team of people that are equipped to provide front-line help for people with a broad array of mental health, substance use, social, employment, and personal issues. But we can’t do it alone, we need your prayers, volunteering, and/or financial support. We welcome you to join us in helping serve those in our county with immense needs for support and the potential to make radical comebacks in life.

If you would like to learn about how to become involved with jail ministry, please use the contact us page.