Book by kyra palmbush

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his is where my title will go usung some type of interesting font that relates to my subject and is interesting

Faith Behind Bars Title Page

By Kyra Palmbush

There will also be a photo or graphic design By element Kyra Palmbush

T

his is where my title will go usung some type of interesting font that relates to my subject and is interesting

Faith Behind Bars Title Page

By Kyra Palmbush

There will also be a photo or graphic design By element Kyra Palmbush

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I dedicate this book to all those who work and volunteer with convicts and ex cons and continue to hold the hope that God can transform even the most broken lives. For their hope, perserverance, love, and ability to ‘paying attention to the least of these’ I am deeply grateful.

Previous page little boy praying

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Special thanks to David Robinson, Charles Knuckles, Scott Palmbush, and Betty Gott for sharing their stories.

Previous Page Scott Palmbush (top left), David Robinson (top right), Betty Gott (bottom left), Charles Knuckles (bottom right)

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Table of Contents Preface Introduction

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Respect and Recognition Religious Transformatiom Where I am From Poems Works Cited Biography Menlo Church Saratoga

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Preface

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hen my partner, Evi, first proposed the topic of jail, I have to admit I was a little wary. I immediately thought of all the privacy and confidentiality issues and how difficult it would be to find B-roll.

But, the more I thought about the topic the more I realized how much potential it had to work.

We originally went in with the intention to interview inmates that were currently in the prison system.

Although this idea would have made for a unique documentary, we knew that ultimately it would not be possible because of all the red tape we would have to go through. In order to adjust our idea, but keep with the same theme, we made it more based on faith, rather than prison. Because my Dad is a pastor, he had many connections with jail ministries and was able to connect us with people who worked alongside the jail system. Before this experience, I had never been exposed to the harsh reality of the jail system and the trials that inmates face daily. This documentary gave me the unique experience to explore a topic I otherwise would never have had the chance to look into. Although we faced many technical challenges throughout this process, we were able to take a topic that is often ignored and shed some light on it.

Generally speaking, people have a tendency to disregard issues that do not pertain to them directly or offer them some direct benefit. This is definitely true in regard to the jail system. People would rather avoid association with jails, prisons and inmates instead of investing emotional effort into a system and a group of individuals that do not offer them value. The result of this condition is that people who are suffering and need help the most are often shunned. It took some effort to mesh two very different concepts, religion and jail, into one fluid piece of work, but the result was something even more powerful than I expected. All of the people we talked to were strong Christians; therefore, we chose to weave faith and religion into our interviews, which helped us define our approach to the topic. As a Christian myself, it was extremely enlightening and eye-opening to hear stories of spiritual transformation from these thoughtful and compassionate people of God. Previous page Bible

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Introduction

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rison: the place where we sweep people under the carpet without blinking an eye. Where deeply damaged

people are left to fend for themselves without giving them the resources they need. People who don’t know the difference between right and wrong because they were never taught the distinction and are punished for their ignorance. People who have been abandoned and discarded so many times in their lives that they no longer care about themse lves or others. The jail system in America is failing. People are returning to jail at a higher rate than ever before and are not receiving the care they need. The National Institute of Justice explains that the recidivism rate, or relapse of criminal behavior that results in rearrest, shows that “Within three years of release, about two-thirds (67.8 percent) of released prisoners were rearrested.” Criminals are constantly being told by society that they are worthless and insignificant. There is often a common thread between those who succeed outside of jail and those who don’t...religion. Religion fills the emotional holes that are left in every ex-con. It gives them a sense of purpose, self worth, and love that they could not receive from any other place: “ For God so loved the world, that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (Oxford University Press, John. 3:16). This Bible verse has been changing lives ever since it was written centuries ago and still impacts lives in powerful ways. Satisfying the longing for grace and mercy, Christianity provides light for ex-cons in a very dark place.

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Recidivism and Addiction

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ake a moment and imagine that you are a criminal being released from jail. You are stepping out of the gated confinement that you have called home for so long and you finally have the luxury of freedom. You have served your time. You have paid greatly for your crimes. You are free. Now you face the questions of “Where do you go?”, “Who do you call?”, “What is your next move?”. Most likely you have burned all of your bridges and have no friends that are not associated with drugs, crime, or violence. So, what choices do you have? You return to your old friends, old house, old life, old drugs, and then eventually find yourself in the same situation you fought so hard to leave.

This is the unfortunate reality for the vast majority of convicts across the country. David Robinson, the chaplain at Elmwood Correctional Facility in Milpitas, explains that “A good 65-70% of people come back

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into custody within three years. This has to do with the addiction issues, this has to do with the homeless issues, it has to do with the lack of resources that are out in the community for folks.” The jail system does not prepare inmates for life outside of jail; instead it actually impedes their progress and pushes them towards situations that result in relapse. In The New Jim Crow, Michelle Alexander explains how criminals are “...denied basic rights and privileges of American citizenship and are permanently regulated to an inferior status” ( 187). Once convicts are released from jail, they are not able to get jobs, proper housing, and are outcasts of society. They are set up for failure in every way and often are unable to overcome the mountain of obstacles stacked against them. Often the easiest solution is to return back to their previous living situations. As Betty Gott, a volunteer at Elmwood Correctional Facility, asks, “When they get out of jail, where are they going to go? Well, they are

going to go back to their old neighborhood. That might be gangs, that might be family that’s on drugs, and they get them back into the drugs, even though they haven’t been on drugs when they are in jail.” With no place to go and no one to help them, ex-convicts find themselves back in their old situations, right back on the track to jail. In their continued fight against the darkness that has overwhelmed them for so long, ex-cons are not easily released from their looming past.

Jail does not adequately prepare people for life outside of its confines, which is why ex-cons often return to the system they fought so hard to escape.

The article “The Inclusion of Ex Offenders within the Christian Community” explains that “Prisoners are typically severely disadvantaged with regards to educational achievement, basic skills and employment, accommodation, f inancial support and debt.” Although the odds are stacked against them in many aspects, one of the most common reasons people end up in jail is because of addictions. Charles Knuckles, the men’s director of City Team, a Christian organization with a mission to share the unconditional and redemptive

love of Christ to those who need it, explains how he came across City Team when he was struggling with his own addiction in Philadelphia. “Twenty years ago when I went through my addiction you didn’t see it as much, parents weren’t addicted. Now you see addicted parents raising addictive kids, getting high with their kids and stuff, homeless with their kids. Not doing the right thing, doing things that are illegal with their kids and so we have to turn that around and jail just doesn’t do it...” It is common that the only support that ex cons receive comes from religious associations with the intent to ease the transition into the real world and provide a sense of hope to these people who have none. The Bible supports the idea that God is able to provide material and emotional support “I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’” (Oxford University Press, Matthew 25:36) Christians believe in loving others the same way the are loved by God and they do so by going to jails, feeding the homeless, and volunteering to help the less fortunate.

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“A good 65-70% of people come back into custody within three years. This has to do with the addiction issues, this has to do with the homeless issues, it has to do with the lack of resources that are out in the community for folks.�

- David Robinson

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“When they get out of jail, where are they going to go?

Well, they are going to go back to their old neighborhood. That might be gangs, that might be family that’s on drugs, and they get them back into the drugs, even though they haven’t been on drugs when they are in jail.”

- Betty Gott

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Respect and Recognition

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o matter what walk of life, self confidence is own minds...” Criminals are constantly being told that a universal struggle for human beings. In a they are unfixable, irreparable, outcasts of society. They world that is constantly telling us to be better, have been put in a place of despair from the people

work harder, and seems to highlight our flaws, it is around them. As Scott Palmbush, Menlo Church no wonder “depression is one of the most common pastor explains, eventually they start “...to believe those mental disorders in the United States.” according to messages about yourself, that you are not worth much the National Institute of Mental Health. Confidence in that you are just somebody who does bad things, and one’s own ability to affect change and make a difference that self image and that self concept can get baked into is essential to success. Working at the prison, David Ro who you are.” inson has seen many of the personal struggles convicts

Without religion or a faith outside of one’s self,

face and explains that there are a lot “...of inmates that people’s ability to change is inhibited because they simply do not trust themselves. They have messed up have been told they are one thing and only one thing so many times they have no trust in themselves and for so long. These negative messages get ingrained in without that trust in themselves, self confidence, there people’s minds. Often the social repercussions and is really no motion. I think guys will keep going back public responses to inmates are more difficult to deal to despair or a hopeless type of situation within their with than their actual time in prison. Once released 16

from prison, ex-cons are not only faced with financial instead of assisting in helping ex-cons deal with the disadvantages, but also negative responses from the mental struggles of jail, incarceration is not properly outside social community. Michelle Alexander reveals preparing inmates for life outside of jail. Charles that “The permanence of one’s social exile is often the Knuckles explains that in jail, these “...guys are literally hardest to swallow. For many it seems inconceivable trained to be loyal to darkness.” Many of these men that, for a minor offense, you can be subjected to have been in the dark for so long that they do not even discrimination, scorn, and exclusion for the rest of your recognize light. life” ( 163). Continuing to enforce negative self image

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“...without that trust in themselves, self confidence, there is really no motion. I think guys will keep going back to despair or a hopeless type of situation within their own minds...�

-David Robinson

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“...to believe those messages about yourself, that you are not worth much that you are just somebody who does bad things, and that self image and that self concept can get baked into who you are.�

- Scott Palmbush

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Religious Transformation

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o people have the capacity for change? This is a question that has been argued over and pondered by psychologists and philosophers for centuries. Can a person charged with murder become a law-abiding, model citizen? Although this may be an extreme example, this simple question can lead to some complex themes and conversations. Ultimately, my personal opinion is that people can only experience true mind, body, and soul transformation with the help of Jesus. Faith gives people hope and a purpose. Faith allows a new voice of acceptance and hope and love into a mind riddled with self-doubt. David Robinson explains that without having a sense of hope “... why not indulge in the drugs or the gang violence or just living with no meaning? Faith gives a lot of the guys an important sense of the meaning of life and value of life.” Religious influence gives people a place to feel safe and welcome. In Isaiah 61:1 we read that “The Lord has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for

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the prisoners.” The Bible goes on to fully support the idea of visiting and caring for criminals: “Jesus said no I am going to go to those people, the prostitutes and the tax collectors and the folks who were looked down on in society and so the church is supposed to be a place where those folks feel welcome,” says Palmbush.

Stories of transformation are inevitable in the Christian community. People often come to Christ at their lowest points looking for a Savior. Not everyone can find what they are seeking for in Christ, but for some, God can be a powerful catalyst for change.

Working with ex-cons, and men in hopeless situations, Charles Knuckles has witnessed thousands of these stories. Knuckles recounts a particularly powerful story: “I just baptized a guy that was a neo-Nazi and he found Christ. He still has the tattoos on his arm but they are not in his heart anymore and we break that cycle.” The affirmation and love that a person can only receive through faith is more powerful than anything else worldly that can be offered to criminals. In one of the lessons Gott teaches the young women in prison,

she takes Monopoly money and puts several 0’s on it, making it a million dollars. She asks the girls to crinkle the bill, make it dirty, and crumple it beyond recognition. She then reveals to them, “You may get all broken up inside, you may get torn and abused, but you are still you, and you are still worth something. I think if we don’t teach them anything else we try and teach them their worthiness, because of God and what Jesus has done through his death and resurrection” (Gott). The concept that someone loved you so much that he gave his life so that your sin could be wiped away is a concept that is incredibly powerful and life changing. The reality that you are wanted, adored, and preapproved and the fact that God is present with you always is a truth that brings comfort and hope. “God is with us at all times. People are not. And so if you need that comfort you can turn to God in prayer and it can get you through another night, a really rough night. Some of these guys have had really rough nights because of the trauma that they have experienced, not only in their addictions, but sometimes in their early childhood, they experience trauma that the brain doesn’t quite get past” (Knuckles).

The idea of consistency and stability is incredibly powerful for these men and women who have mostly experienced broken human relationships and do not even have trust in themselves. “Religion plays a very vital role in the rehabilitation process as it helps to integrate the individual back into the society as he or she was before; it does no ed.” The Role of Religious Groups in Offender Reformation: A Study of the Port Harcourt Prison in Rivers State, Nigeria By Chibueze

Adindu Akunesiobike, MSc. Religion provides a sense of purpose that cannot be found in other places. People of faith receive support from an outside community that helps them return to their normal lives and end the cycle of rearrest that the jail system perpetuates. The article “Does Involvement in Religion Help Prisoners Adjust to Prison?” from the National Council on Crime and Delinquency explains a study which indicated “... two major ways that religion might help to improve adjustment to prison: dealing with the emotional strains of incarceration and dealing with the deprivations of the prison environment.” Religion provides both emotional and physical support as it connects a person to a human community that can help provide for the ex-con, while also giving people an emotional outlet that they might not otherwise receive. For centuries, Christianity has been an outlet for people in very dark places. Often in their darkest hours people turn to God for comfort and strength when all material comforts have abandoned them. “When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

(John 8:12). Providing light in the midst of a dark world, Christianity can provide salvation for those seeking the light in a dark place.

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“Jesus said no I am going to go to those people, the prostitutes and the tax collectors and the folks who were looked down on in society and so the church is supposed to be a place where those folks feel welcome,�

- Scott Palmbush

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“I just baptized a guy that was a neo-Nazi and he found Christ.

He still has the tattoos on his arm but they are not in his heart anymore and we break that cycle.�

- Charles Knuckles

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Where I am from Poems I am from cold inside a car with two brothers and only photo albums, From Barbies and grilled cheese.

I am from everywhere in California And apartments with roaches.

I am from marijuana and roses whose smell reminds me of Grammy.

I am from wheelchairs and doctor appointments I am from Rice Crispy Treats and spinach dip, And from drug addicts and from alcoholics.

I am from accepting Jesus into our hearts at 7 years old.

From peanut butter and jelly and Top Ramen.

I am from when I found my Dad dead at 19 years old And from my brother dying at 13 years.

I am from a strong mother who never gave up on us.

I am from those moments of a mother who gave us all she could, And loved us unconditionally all by herself.

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I am from all kinds of music, especially RandB From radios and mp3s.

I am from struggling, stress, and tough love, And having to grow up at a young age.

I am from blossoms or fire That made me smile and laugh or made me want to fight.

I am from a tube TV with roaches, And a picture of Jesus at the Last Supper; I am from singers and dancers, And from a family strong in heart that became broken promises; From being a loving women, mother, friend, daughter and sister‌ I am forgive and forget.

I am from Mother Stephanie and Father Vernon, From chicken ham, string cheese, sharing bread and noodles, From being raped by my Uncle when I was just a young girl, I am from remembering the good times Of family dinners and laughter.

I am from those moments when we fight, we cry, and rely on a shoulder when needed.

I am -- I love who I am as God made me 25

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Conclusion

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or centuries, people have looked for spiritual fulfillment. Every person, no matter their race, background, or personal history, desires the feeling of love and acceptance. People often find this in different ways--not all of which are healthy. People often end up in jail because they are looking for this comfort and acceptance in destructive places such as drugs, alcohol, or violence. It is easy to be susceptible to negative forces that promise fulfillment if you have been told your entire life that you are worthless. Religion, specifically Christianity, teaches a wholesome, never-ending, all-encompassing love--a love that that could not be replicated by anything else or humanly produced. As Charles Knuckles shares in his interview, people are incredibly amazed by the grace they receive by God and his people. He has heard many inmates respond incredulously, “You’re actually going to give me grace? And we get to explain to them that yes, our Heavenly Father never runs out of grace and he gave me grace.” It can often be a shocking experience for people who have never experienced grace, to be told that they are loved and forgiven. Knuckles add that such grace “…catches them off guard and then they want to know more about God and they want to know about the sacrifice of Jesus Christ and how he loved us before we knew how to love ourselves.”

Previous page sign to Elmwood Security Facility

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Works Cited Alexander, Michelle. The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness. The New Press, 2012.

Akunesiobike, and Chibueze Adindu. “The Role of Religious Groups in Offender Reformation: A Study of the Port Harcourt Prison in Rivers State, Nigeria.” Journal of Pan African Studies, Journal of Pan African Studies, 1 Dec. 2016, www.questia.com/library/journal/1G1-485671370/the-role-of-religious-groupsin-offender-reformation.

Gott, Betty. Personal interview. 28 March 2018.

Knuckles, Charles. Personal interview. 21 March 2018.

“Major Depression.” National Institute of Mental Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, www.nimh.nih.gov/health/statistics/major-depression.shtml.

Palmbush, Scott. Personal interview. 6 March 2018.

“Recidivism.” National Institute of Justice, www.nij.gov/topics/corrections/recidivism/Pages/welcome.aspx.

The Holy Bible: Containing the Old and New Testaments. Oxford University Press, 2002.

“The Inclusion of Ex Offenders within the Christian Community.” Diocese of Oxford, www.oxford.anglican.org/ mission-ministry/faith-in-action/criminal-justice/the-inclusion-of-ex-offenders-within-the-christian-community/.

Robinson, David. Personal interview. 15 March 2018

Prevous page chains holding a gate

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About the Author

Kyra Palmbush is a junior attending Mountain View High School and Freestyle Academy of Communication Arts and Technology. She lives in Mountain View, California, with her Mom, Dad, and three younger brothers, who she gets along with... most of the time. When she is not playing volleyball or basketball, Kyra enjoys spending time with her friends, reading, and going to the beach. Kyra loves to travel and wishes to continue exploring new places whenever she gets the chance.

She hopes to study education and become an elementary school teacher so she can pass on her love of learning.

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T

his is where my title will go usung some type of interesting font that relates to my subject and is interesting

Faith Behind Bars Title Page

By Kyra Palmbush

There will also be a photo or graphic design By element Kyra Palmbush