In many U.S. prisons, “lockdown” no longer describes a rare emergency response to a riot or a narrowly targeted security incident. It has become a recurring operational mode: housing units sealed, movement halted, yard and dayroom time canceled, phones restricted, visits suspended, and education, treatment, and job assignments paused—sometimes for days, weeks, or even months. Reporting in recent years has documented extended lockdowns tied not only to violence but also to chronic understaffing and overcrowding, raising a stark question: When a prison can’t run its basic schedule safely, are we still operating a rehabilitative institution or merely warehousing human beings behind steel doors?
Category: Christ, Crime and Punishment
Hurts, Hang-Ups, and Habits: An Introduction to Celebrate Recovery
While I was incarcerated one of the programs offered by the chaplain was an introductory course on Celebrate Recovery. There was an AA program at the prison, and I knew a lot of guys who attended because they always had a coffee urn, but CR was different. I had recently read Rick Warren’s Purpose Driven Life book and was looking for concrete information on healing. The old expression says “Time heals all wounds,” but mine weren’t. I was in pain; my hurt wasn’t going away. I was looking for a faith-based program that could provide me with an actionable process to systematically address my brokenness and guide me toward healing. In this post, we’ll explain what Celebrate Recovery is, what a typical meeting looks like, and why the same CR principles that help people in church communities can also bring real hope behind bars through Celebrate Recovery Inside (CRI), the prison and jail extension of the ministry.
Why “Ban the Box” Is Not Enough
“Ban the Box” laws were created to stop employers from using a checkmark on an application as a shortcut for exclusion. By delaying questions about criminal history until later in the hiring process—often after an interview or even after a conditional offer—these policies aim to ensure candidates are first evaluated on skills and experience. But delaying the question is not the same as limiting how criminal history is used. In practice, many applicants are still screened out once background checks occur, often through broad, risk-averse policies that treat any record as disqualifying. And for some people—especially those affected by ongoing civil restrictions like sex offense registration—there may be no real “fresh start” because the punishment never truly ends. In short, Ban the Box is a helpful first step, but it is not enough to stop background checks from becoming a quiet, permanent barrier to employment.
April Is Second Chance Month: Why It Matters More Than Ever
Every April, communities across the United States pause to recognize a powerful truth: no one should be defined forever by their worst mistake. April is Second Chance Month, a nationwide effort to raise awareness of the barriers facing people with criminal records and to promote policies and practices that support successful reentry, restoration, and community safety.
The Valley of Dry Bones
The blog urges the Church to support returning citizens, drawing parallels between Ezekiel's vision of the Valley of Dry Bones and the realities faced by incarcerated individuals. It emphasizes that many in prison feel abandoned and stripped of identity, akin to dry bones waiting for renewal. The author promotes the idea that transformation requires collective effort and highlights the necessity of providing hope, community, and support for reentry. Key actions for the Church include advocating for housing stability, creating employment pathways, and building mentorship programs. The message is clear: with commitment and compassion, recovery and restoration are achievable for those previously imprisoned.
OLD SCHOOL
While in prison I met a lot of men that required assistance in the form of wheelchairs, walkers or canes to get around. Most of the handicapped inmates I knew didn’t arrive in prison that way. In Prison time moves slowly but inmates age faster than on the outside. A substantial body of medical, gerontological, and social science research demonstrates that incarceration is associated with accelerated aging. Each year spent incarcerated is associated with an estimated two‑year reduction in life expectancy. Incarcerated individuals experience earlier onset of chronic disease, functional impairment, cognitive decline, and reduced life expectancy compared to the general population. As a result, people in prison are often considered physiologically 10–15 years older than their chronological age. Recent reforms move Michigan away from the most restrictive end of the spectrum, but it remains closer to “medically frail only” systems than to states that treat advanced age and lengthy incarceration itself as grounds for sentence review. Compared with these models, Michigan—like most U.S. states—places greater emphasis on managing aging within prison rather than structurally limiting long-term incarceration of older adults.
What’s in a name?
Our name is how we are identified from birth. It represents us conceptually to others. Hearing someone's name that we know often brings their face, personality, or character to mind. We can remember conversations, funny anecdotes, or life encounters that inform our opinion of who they are. When we hear a stranger’s name it is just a name until we have information to associate with it. Information may come in the form of gossip passed along from another person, social media viewed online, or news reports.
Second Chances
There has been much said about whether or not those convicted of committing a crime should be given a second chance. A wide variety of voices in our culture have made their opinions perfectly clear. "Tough On Crime" was a political approach that emphasizes strict enforcement of laws and harsher penalties for offenders, often associated … Continue reading Second Chances
Testimony
In April of 2025 I was given the opportunity to give my testimony to a group of Keryx volunteers preparing for a Keryx Weekend Spiritual Retreat at Mid-Michigan Correctional Facility. Prior to Covid they were able to conduct these retreats twice a year. After Covid it took several years to even begin having weekly groupings … Continue reading Testimony
Disquieting Solitude
I recently read an article in Rolling Stone entitled 'Right Before I Hung Myself’: Prisoners Share Tales of Solitary Confinement in Michigan by Tana Ganeva. First, I would highly recommend that you take the time to read the article because it is professionally well written and brings a national spotlight onto the dark underbelly of the Michigan Department of Corrections. Secondly it uses firsthand information obtained from correspondence directly with those who have experience serving time in solitary confinement. Like my blog the author is providing a voice for those who otherwise couldn’t speak for themselves. But it doesn’t stop with the article there is an excellent website that contains the words and artwork of those whose lives have been forever changed by a practice that is internationally recognized as inhumane and by many to constitute torture. Please check out ‘Silenced: Voices from Solitary in Michigan’ a website where prisoners tell harrowing experiences in their own words.