Corrections_Today_Winter_2024-2025_Vol.86_No.4

News&Views

qualify as traumatic and will ad versely affect the healthy growth of children. The test is administered to adults and evaluated in the following manner: questions 1-3 refer to emo tional, physical, and sexual abuse, questions 4 and 5 assess emotional and physical neglect, and questions 6-10 refer to household dysfunction. Individuals selected for discipleship training should have a minimum of thirty-six months left in prison, and individuals who have twenty years remaining to life sentences. The ef fectiveness of the curriculum will be evaluated based on the behavior of the incarcerated life sentences and the desistance levels of the individu als who have re-entered society. The curriculum should be developed to last one full year allowing individu als to graduate

suggest those who experienced incarceration will remain dam aged by the experience. But God, the good news of the gospel, and the Holy Spirit have changed the most hardened of hearts and minds toward the Lord and our pews are lined with individuals whose lives are a testimony to the transforma tive power of the Gospel. CT ENDNOTES 1 Julia Cass and Connie Curry, ed., America’s Cradle to Prison Pipeline: A Report of the Children’s Defense Fund (Washington, D.C.: The Children’s Defense Fund, 2007).1. 3 Carson, E. A. (2023). Prisoners in 2022.- Statistical tables Bureau of Justice Statistics; Nellis, A. (2021). 4 Carson, E. A. (2022a). Prisoners in 2021 – Statistical tables Bureau of Justice Statistics; Carson, E. A. (2012). Prisoners in 2011 Bureau of Justice Statistics. 2 Ibid., 15

him into an agent of God, provides the prisoner with a language and framework for forgiveness, and allows a sense of control over an unknown future. 10

The challenge our churches face is to develop a spiritual, faith-based transformative curriculum specifi cally for the incarcerated individuals, to implement in prisons which will facilitate the growth of incarcer ated individuals. Many churches want to help without going into the prisons. Returning citizens coming back into society from incarceration have enormous needs. Churches and religious groups can collaborate to develop reentry programs. Correc tional chaplains are positioned to aid prison ministries in providing more than Sunday worship. Chaplains can provide insight into the curriculum that addresses the criminogenic thinking and behaviors that lead to either another prison sentence or death. Correctional chaplains know the real needs and struggles of IP and can guide churches in the devel opment of their prison ministry. The goal should be to develop a disciple ship curriculum so participants in the discipleship curriculum will transform their thinking and behav ior in prison and when they return to their communities. The curricu lum should address six critical life skills which address critical cogni tive behavior thinking. The targeted individuals should have experienced at least four of the ten adverse child hood experiences (ACE). The ten adverse childhood experiences are events that the Center for Disease Control has identified as events that

5 Michelle Alexander, (New York: The New Press, 2010) xi.

The goal should be to develop a discipleship

6 Rowe, 479.

7 Ibid. 128.

curriculum so participants in the discipleship curriculum will transform their thinking and behavior in prison and when they return to their communities.

8 Ibid., 129.

9 Joan Petersilia and Richard Rosenfeld, “Parole, Desistance from Crime and Community Integration” Committee on Law and Justice, Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education, National Research Council of the National Academies (2008): 2, https://www. nap.edu/catalog/11988/parole-desistance-from crime-and-community-integration

10 Ibid. 47.

Rev. Dr. Sylvia Moseley has over 25 years’ experience in prison ministry, chaplaincy, community organization, strategic planning, problem solving, coordinating, conducting group soft skills training, and bible studies.

Some studies demonstrate the considerable damage long-term incarceration has on the personal ity of the incarcerated and their inability to adjust to life outside of prison. Many of these studies

Corrections Today | Winter 2024-2025

12