I have been intrigued for a while by the prison abolition movement. Wikipedia defines the movement as “a network of groups and activists that seek to reduce or eliminate prisons and the prison system, and replace them with systems of rehabilitation that do not place a focus on punishment and government institutionalization.”
It is estimated that there are more than two million people incarcerated in jails, prisons and detention centers in the United States. Dean Bucalos, NBA Mission Specialist for our Prison and Jail Ministries shares how we can advocate and support incarcerated individuals during this crisis.
Rev. Dean Bucalos says: Everyone in this work needs a confidant. Someone they can talk to and with whom they can share their greatest fears and wildest dreams. In my ministry, I have found two people. And I recommend this model to everyone involved in non-profit work.
If small non-profits expect and want their hard, foundational work to have long-range significance, thinking about future leadership is not only necessary but also critical.
I invite you to watch a powerful new film series, created and produced by The Marshall Project. “We Are Witnesses” gives voice to those whose lives are enmeshed in the criminal justice system and provides a rare 360-degree portrait of crime and punishment in America today.
For non-profits, there's always a sense that you are in a constant battle for limited funding and increased exposure. But does it have to be that way?
Working with a development coach was an important first step for Mission Behind Bars and Beyond's institutional development. She helped them to think differently about this process and gave them a great idea: a house party.
It is the ongoing, ever-present, sometimes exhausting work that seeks both to save and rescue those being hurt and harmed and to dismantle the systems that are causing such pain and brokenness.
Social entrepreneurs adopt a mission to create and sustain social value. I have come across some amazing ideas that incredibly innovative people have launched into reality.
Mission Behind Bars and Beyond has been blessed to have received a grant from the NBA Incubate Initiative to work with a development coach.
