Information on Prison Aftercare Ministry
 Videos & Guidebooks

HOW TO ORDER

The Prison Aftercare Ministry was initiated in 1993 by St. James' Episcopal Church in Potomac, Maryland. The program provides assistance to participating inmates at the Montgomery County Detention Center beginning approximately three months before an inmates release and continuing for six months or more after release. Both men and women volunteers serve in the program, with men working with men inmates and women with women.

Volunteers are required to complete a training course before they are assigned to work with inmates. The course includes training in listening skills and in drug and alcohol addiction.

St. James has recently professionally videotaped important parts of its aftercare ministry training course. Three videos have been prepared to assist churches to organize prison ministry programs and for the training of volunteers in carrying out such ministries. The videos were prepared by the St. James’ Episcopal Church, Potomac, Maryland with financial assistance from the Ruth Gregory Soper Memorial Fund of the Episcopal Diocese of Washington. These videos are now available for purchase from St. James Church.

The specific subjects covered by each video and the length of each video are as follows:

This 37-minute video explains the importance of prison aftercare ministry in helping prisoners build constructive lives rather than continuing criminal activity when released from prison. Using the experience of the Prison Aftercare Ministry at St. James’ Church, general guidance is provided on how churches can organize their own prison aftercare ministry. The story is told directly by inmates, ex-convicts, aftercare ministers, and corrections officials.

A 45 page booklet supplements the video, providing more detailed information to assist churches who wish to explore organizing a prison aftercare ministry in their church.

This video is designed for the training of volunteers for work with incarcerated men and women and particularly with men and women who will face problems with addiction upon release from prison. The total running time is 1 hour 49 minutes and is presented in four parts, as follows:

Part 1 - Introduction to Addiction 27:35

Part 2 - Causes of Addiction 25:55

Part 3 - Denial 20:52

Part 4 - Relapse and Steps to Recovery 33:40

This video was prepared to help in the training of volunteers for working with men and women who are incarcerated and those recently released from prison. The video was prepared to help train volunteers for work with men and women who are incarcerated and those recently released from prison. The video describes listening skills that can: 1) help created a relationship with the person being helped based on respect and trust; and 2) can encourage the person being helped to discuss his or her problems openly and honestly.

Part 1 - Why Listening is Valuable 35:59

Part 2 - The Role of Feelings in Listening 32:40

Part 3 - Reflective Listening 23:50

Total running time: 1 hour 33 minutes 

Video 4 - Listening: A Pathway to Good Relationships

This video has been prepared to teach listening skills that are valuable for improving personal relationships. it comes with a 25-page booklet containing the lecture outline and a list of additional reading on listening.

The video is in three parts to facilitate discussion of each part in classroom situations, as follows:

Part 1 - Introduction to Good Listening

Part 2 - The Importance of Recognizing Feelings in Listening

Part 3 - Reflective Listening 

Total running time: 1 hour 24 minutes 

HOW TO ORDER

Prison Aftercare Ministry          
       St. James' Episcopal Church
       11815 Seven Locks Road
        Potomac, Maryland 20854  

 Phone: 301-762-8040     
Email: office@stjamespotomac.org

WHAT IS PRISON AFTERCARE MINISTRY?
PARTICIPATING CHURCHES
PRISON AFTERCARE VIDEOS and GUIDEBOOKS
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