Prison Ministry

Soapstone is in its inaugural year of starting a Prison Ministry and is partnering with two amazing organizations to support Justice Involved youth and women.

We are working with the Methodist Home for Children and their Residential Juvenile Justice Program, specifically the Crisis & Assessment facility in Butner N.C.

• Crisis Assessment centers provide urgent care and testing for youth who need a temporary out-of-home placement. Referred by juvenile court counselors, these youth generally have histories of behavioral and mental health issues, neglect,trauma, or substance abuse. Left untreated, these risk factors can lead to high rates of reoffending.
• The centers offer a safe, predictable atmosphere with comprehensive testing and observation under the supervision of a licensed psychologist and licensed clinical case managers. Highly structured programming allows for a more complete look at each youth’s strengths, areas of concern, and goals.
• At discharge, they leave with a plan of care that maps out their strengths, areas of focus, goals, and services in their community that can help.

Our goal for the year is to supply them with things they may need for the youth throughout the year as well as establish a Sunday School Class and a Meal once a quarter or 4x a year.  We are actively recruiting someone looking to do the teaching and eventually we will need help to prepare a meal we can bring.  If anyone is interested they can contact Pastor Damion. 

The other organization we are working with is Arise Collective who provide education and reentry support for women as they integrate back into society. Support Incarcerated Women | Arise Collective | Raleigh

We plan to host a reentry simulation event at Soapstone on 9/27/205 – please come back to find out more about this event as we get closer.  Here is information about what a reentry simulation event is:

• A reentry simulation is an educational activity that helps participants understand the challenges faced by individuals transitioning from incarceration back into society, often through role-playing and simulated scenarios. 
• Reentry simulations aim to foster empathy and understanding of the difficulties returning citizens encounter when re-entering society, including finding housing, employment, accessing services, and navigating legal and social barriers. 
• Reentry simulations can help professionals, community members, and others gain a better understanding of the reentry process and the needs of returning citizens, potentially leading to more effective support and advocacy efforts.