Many years ago, a man booked an appointment to come and see me. When he arrived, I could tell he was troubled. He shared that he had just gotten out of jail. He asked for help in getting re-established into the community. I was brand new in the ministry. I had hardly any experience. So I asked him what he specifically needed. I think he shared about 4 primary needs. He needed a reference to get a place to live. He currently stayed in a motel and no landlord would take him because of his criminal record. He needed help getting a job but so far, no employer would take him because of his criminal record. He needed help emotionally because hard things happened to him in prison. He needed help spiritually because He didn’t know how to reconnect with God. I did not know what to do except pray for him. I think I connected him with a colleague who had much greater knowledge about resources available to transition from prison to society.
