The Criminal Justice Task Force has had an exciting year and the future
of this ministry looks bright also.
We now have a coordinator for activities involving mothers in prison
and their families. We continued our interaction with the East Tennessee
Council on Children and Youth, with participation in workshops on juvenile
justice and ongoing educational programs. We provided leadership for
volunteer activities with the Tenn. Dept. of Children's Services. We
still serve on advisory boards and committees for the Tenn. Dept. of
Correction and the Tenn. Board of Probation and Parole.
New activities include participation in a committee to establish a
faith-based transitional residence (halfway house) for ex-offenders,
with a strong mentoring program. Another exciting action is the blossoming
of Kairos Prison Ministry in East Tennessee at two adult and one juvenile
facility (Kairos is similar to Cursillo in a prison setting). These
programs
are highly ecumenical.
Lastly, we would welcome assistance with these programs, so give us
a call. If you are engaged in a local criminal justice ministry, please
let us know so that we may pray for you and your activity by name.
Respectfully submitted by Jim Muir