Every year more than 700,000 people return home from prison, looking for an opportunity to rebuild their lives. Though they have served their time, most are denied the opportunity for redemption and turned away from legitimate employment, which would help them become productive members of society and increase the quality of life, not only for these individuals and their families, but also for the communities to which they return. The incarceration epidemic (the U.S. is home to roughly 5 percent of the world’s population, but 25 percent of its prisoners) impacts communities of color at a disproportionate rate. Two-thirds of those behind bars are people of color.
Interested in being part of the solution to this problem? Mark your calendar for the Healing Communities Symposium New York on Friday, May 3, 2013, 8:30 a.m. – 4 p.m., at the Riverside Church of New York (490 Riverside Drive). The day-long symposium, designed for congregations, organizations and individuals active (or who want to be active) in prison ministry, will highlight a holistic approach to initiatives addressing incarceration and its aftermath. Workshops include:
- Interfaith Roundtable
- Mobilizing Communities Using the Healing Communities Action Plan
- Community Organizations (pressing needs in housing, health care, substance abuse, employment and job training)
- Economics of Re-entry
- Youth Justice
- Re-entry: A Woman’s Perspective
- Become a “Station of Hope” in Your Community
Admission is free, but participants will need to register.
