Aftercare is a key factor to success for parolees! Aftercare encompasses the services we offer to those men released from prison. Keep in mind that we do not provide these services to all parolees. We only help those men who have committed to at least six months participation in Celebrate Recovery Inside.
Home Plans - About two months prior to release from prison, an offender must submit a Home Plan to their Probation and Parole Officer inside the prison. This plan outlines the housing arrangements upon release. This plan must be approved and verified with the P & P Officer.
To begin this process, our Volunteers in Corrections (VICs) will ask the men to fill out a Home Plan that we created for CRI use. The man will give us the location where he would like to reside. He also provides us with information with which to make the best possible choice for housing. That is when our Home Plan Assistants take the file and begin the task of finding a guaranteed spot in a housing facility. We have a database of transitional housing facilities all across Missouri. We begin the application process and give the men weekly updates as to our progress. Our Goal: To place a man in a transitional housing situation where Celebrate Recovery is offered either within the housing facility or in a local church. When there is no Celebrate Recovery offered in the location of choice, we work to find a housing facility that offers some other faith-based services.
Job Search Assistance - Before and after release, it is our plan to assist in the search for a job. CRI volunteers will research job opportunities within the community where the offender wishes to parole. This could include gathering information to take to the local MO Career Center or locating businesses that will hire persons with a felony conviction. It might involve making interview appointments upon release from prison.
Education and Training Opportunities - Many men leaving prison are in need of additional training or education with which to secure a good paying job. It is our mission to provide the men with opportunities for advancement in their parole locale. FAFSA forms are available inside the prison. We can provide college catalogs and informational materials about short-term certificate programs. It is our hope that one day we can provide grant monies for deserving parolees to cover incidental educational costs.
Family Support- In working with offenders, we often learn their Christian faith is not shared by the rest of their family. The men are anxious for their loved ones to hear the Good News. It is our desire to minister to the needs of the offender’s family. This would take the form of locating Celebrate Recovery programs where they live, offering encouragement in their new-found faith, and providing resources for food, clothing, parenting classes, etc.
Powerpoint slide show from our Aftercare workshop: Aftercare Training