After Release Programs

What happens after Kairos Brothers are released?

Kairos is not an after-release program, although an after release program is being studied.  Currently, our mission is to the prison and men and women who will be incarcerated for some extended period of time.

In fact Kairos rules state that we are not get involved with our brothers outside of Kairos.  This includes going on their visitation list, sending money, any contact of any kind with anyone connected to the Resident either in the prison or outside.  It also means that we can not be involved with them after their release.  There are many practical reasons for this policy. Obviously it is for the protection of the team member, but it is also for the protection of the Resident.  Many of the Residents are experts in manipulation and have a long history of using that expertise.  In fact it may be the reason they are in prison.  Because their need is so great even the best are tempted to use that talent to meet those needs.  We do not want to place that temptation in front of them, and the easiest way to do it is make certain that there is no opportunity for it to happen.

However the most important reasons for limiting our contact with Residents  to Kairos are spiritual, if we have to use our discernment to evaluate the Spiritual progress of the men at the end of a Kairos, something Scripture warns us against, then we can not be completely accepting of them.  We have to constantly evaluate the truthfulness of what we are told.  If we take no action on what we are told then the truthfulness is not important.  By making certain that our involvement with the Residents is only through Kairos we do no have to be restrained in showing Christ's love for them, or worry that they will get in trouble by breaking any TDC rules.

Thus most of the people involved with Kairos are not active in after-care programs.  This does not mean that we don't appreciate the need or the benefit of those programs, it is just not the focus of this ministry.  One does not have to be involved in Prison Ministry for very long before you encounter Brothers or Sisters needing help to find after care facilities to present to parole boards or for their release.  Listed here are some of the facilities that are engaged in that mission.