Extra help and support for inmates

Many studies indicate that the period just after release from custody is a critical time for anyone who has been incarcerated and especially for those who have been incarcerated for a long time. The returning citizen often faces a long list of things he or she needs to do or obtain (a place to live, a job, identification papers, money, etc.) and often has little idea about how to get them done and often does not have the resources to get the job done. There are two ways we try to help with this transition as follows:

• Assignment of a corresponding chaplain. A corresponding chaplain can help the returning citizen deal with the internal challenges (fear, anger, a sense of inadequacy, bewilderment, etc.) that might otherwise lead someone back to incarceration. This help is available to any returning citizen who requests it.
• Provide contact with an Embraced Fully “angel team”. Embraced Fully is the name of an organization primarily composed of Christian Scientists who are ready to help meet and support a returning citizen both with prayer and also with practical assistance in obtaining housing, job, money, telephone, transportation, and support in parole officer hearings and the like.  This service is only available to returning citizens who have proven to be sincere students of Christian Science during the last part of their incarceration. Embraced Fully is a separate nonprofit organization that is not affiliated with our Christian Science Committee on Institutional Work in California. Our committee highly values and respects the work of Embraced Fully but nothing that Embraced Fully does is under the supervision or direction of our committee and our committee is not responsible for anything that Embraced Fully does. We are happy to provide these links to the Embraced Fully website with the understanding that we have not control over or responsibility for anything Embraced Fully may do or may fail to do.