A second chance is possible: Men of Valor ministry plants seeds of change for incarcerated | Opinion

Nothing can quite prepare you for entering a maximum-security prison. Surveillance is strict and cell phones are forbidden even for visitors. Self-locking doors, barbed wire, and gates keep you inside and make you forget what the world looks like outside.

As a visitor and not an inmate, I am free to walk away at any point - but I know I won’t.

This year marks five years since I first started volunteering full-time inside Tennessee’s prisons. I had no experience in the corrections environment when I first started. In fact, I had just spent 40 years in a newsroom as the sports anchor and later director for WSMV NewsChannel4 in Nashville. While our newsroom told stories of victims and families impacted by incarceration, I was there reporting the breaking news on playoff wins and championship games.

Little did I know, the Lord was preparing me and humbling my heart to serve men in prison alongside Men of Valor, CoreCivic, the Tennessee Department of Corrections and hundreds of other equally yoked partners and volunteers.

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My memories volunteering for Men of Valor

I was introduced to prison through Men of Valor, a prison ministry committed to helping the incarcerated – and formerly incarcerated - reconcile with their loved ones, society, and their Creator.

Over the last 5 years in prison with Men of Valor, I have sat face to face with men convicted of some truly heinous crimes, but I've also witnessed baptisms, ministered to men on death row, and advocated or petitioned for stays of execution. I’ve learned to become a good listener and ask the right questions. I’ve learned that one selfish crime or 5 seconds of anger affects countless people across several generations. I’ve learned that there are too many men in prison dying for hope, forgiveness, and wanting to believe that someone out there still loves them.

In my first days volunteering at Men of Valor, I also learned that you can’t con a con. They see right through you and know if you are holding back, unsure of yourself, and weak in your convictions.

Inmates require authenticity and boldness in communication, and when it’s sincere and heartfelt, it becomes contagious. Men ease into our meetings, starting to sit around the edge of the circle and just listen.

They hear about a God who loves them despite all they may have done. It’s a powerful and foreign concept for them. Hardened men slowly allow themselves to be vulnerable and after weeks or months of faithfully ministering to these incarcerated men, a bond and trust is developed.

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A second chance is possible

Research shows that ministering to the incarcerated can have a profound effect on reducing our state and our country’s recidivism rates, or defined by the rate at which an individual is re-arrested after being released. Despite making some considerable progress, our current criminal justice system still resembles a revolving door.

Over 50,000 inmates are presently incarcerated in Tennessee’s adult prisons and jails. Statistics show 97%of them will be released one day, and approximately 46% will recidivate (end up back behind bars) within three years of release.

But for men who complete the 12-month aftercare program with Men of Valor – the recidivism rate drops to 15%.

It’s not just programs like Men of Valor that are proven to reduce recidivism.

Based on research performed by the Rand Corporation, the Vera Institute of Justice recently determined that “inmates who participated in correctional education programs were

43% less likely to return to prison within three years of release than those who did not participate.”

The good news is that more and more policymakers, non-profits, businesses, and individuals are coming together to increase access to programs and opportunities that give honest second chances.

And this good work doesn’t stop with the incarcerated, we are also seeking their families. We refer to children who have an incarcerated parent as the “forgotten, innocent victims of crime,” because 1 in 9 children in Tennessee have an incarcerated parent.

Caring for those is more than a matter of living out our faith, it’s about making our communities stronger and safer. Ephesians 2:10 reads “For we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”

We all have the power to help improve public safety and reduce recidivism in Tennessee by lending a helping hand to those returning to our communities. As we celebrate Second Chance Month in April, consider how you can get involved and make a difference.

Rudy Kalis is a former Sports Director, WSMV-TV Channel 4 Nashville and currently volunteering for Men of Valor – a Tennessee prison ministry. For more information visit www.movminisry.com.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: How Men of Valor ministry plants seeds of change for incarcerated