Spiritual regression. The faith that burned brightly behind bars—fueled by desperation, sustained by the absence of alternatives—may dim when comfort and distraction return. The man who prayed ceaselessly in his cell may find that he barely prays in his rented room or apartment. The man who reads his Bible for hours may find that he reads it for minutes. This is not apostasy. It is the natural tendency of the human heart toward complacency or just dealing with the business of life and trying to survive on one’s own, and it must be fought with the same discipline that sustained faith in prison.

Continued Mentoring and Accountability

The returning citizen needs a mentor—not a useless and sometimes dodgy probation officer, not a social worker, not a counselor—a godly man who will walk beside him, hold him accountable, and love him enough to speak hard truths. This mentor should be:

Spiritually mature. Not a new believer, not a casual churchgoer, but a man who has walked with God long enough, at least a year or more, to have weathered his own storms and who can minister from experience rather than theory.

Available. Not merely willing to meet once a month, but available for phone calls, text messages, and unscheduled conversations. The crises of reentry do not occur on a predictable schedule. The mentor must be reachable when the crisis hits.

Honest. Not a flatterer, not a people-pleaser, but a brother who will say, “That’s not right, and here’s why,” when the returning citizen is making a destructive choice. “Faithful are the wounds of a friend; but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful” (Proverbs 27:6).

Committed for the long-term. Not a six-week project, but a relationship that lasts at least a year, ideally longer. The patterns of institutional thinking and behavior that were ingrained over years of imprisonment do not disappear in weeks. The mentor who commits for the long haul will see the fruit; the mentor who quits early will not.

When Reentry Fails

Most truly Christian prisoners will find a way back into life and will not fall into serious sin, particularly those who were falsely condemned by the state. However, not every reentry succeeds. Some men recidivate—returning to crime, returning to drugs, returning to prison. Some men relapse into the behaviors that led to their original incarceration. Some men, despite every effort by the church and by the individual himself, fail to make the transition to free-world living. When this happens—and it will happen—the church must not give up.

The church’s instinct, when a returning member fails, is to withdraw. “We tried. We invested. He let us down.” This instinct is natural, understandable, and wrong. The shepherd who leaves the ninety-nine to search for the one lost sheep (Luke 15:4) does not stop searching when the sheep runs away a second time. The grace of God is not a one-time offer. It is an inexhaustible fountain, and the church’s ministry must reflect that inexhaustibility. That is one reason the church must get Christian ex-cons committed to the church body immediately. There, the ex-prisoner will have support, business, and responsibilities that will lead him to a new or renewed way of living that encourages diligence, honesty, efficiency, and avoidance of sinful behavior.

This scenario does not facilitate enabling destructive behavior. It does not mean ignoring sin. It does not mean continuing to provide financial support to a man who is using it to buy drugs. It means never closing the door. It means never writing someone off. It means receiving the fallen brother in the spirit of meekness when he is willing to come home, as Paul commanded: “Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted” (Galatians 6:1). It means going after the wanderer when he can be reached, knowing what is at stake: “Brethren, if any of you do err from the truth, and one convert him; Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins” (James 5:19-20). And it means doing the work with the disposition Paul prescribed for every servant of the Lord: “And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient, In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth; And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will” (2 Timothy 2:24-26). It means saying to every brother who has stumbled, “When you are ready to come back, we are here”—and meaning it. “A just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again” (Proverbs 24:16). The church’s job is to be standing there, hand extended, every time he rises—gentle, patient, praying that God will grant the repentance only He can give.

Action Steps

Develop a reentry plan before the inmate is released. Identify housing, employment, and transportation options in advance. Assign a mentor. Schedule the first week’s appointments and meetings. If possible, try to get his family members involved in online or in-person church services with him.

Provide immediate practical support during the first year, especially the first 90 days: housing, clothing, food, transportation, documentation assistance, and medical and dental care. Do not wait for the person to ask. Anticipate the needs and meet them proactively.

Assign a mentor from the congregation—a more mature, available, honest, committed brother who will meet with the returning person weekly for at least one year.

Address bitterness directly. Do not ignore it. Do not minimize it. Help the returning person process his anger through Scripture, prayer, and honest conversation. Bitterness is a spiritual cancer that will destroy him if left untreated.

Do not give up on those who fail. Maintain contact with men who recidivate. Write to them in prison. Visit them. Pray for them. The Gospel is for failures and sinners—and the church that only ministers to the successful has not understood the Gospel it preaches.

Discussion Questions

Why are the first 90 days after release so critical? What specific interventions during this period have the greatest impact on long-term outcomes?

How should the church balance spiritual ministry with practical support during reentry? Can they be separated, or must they go together?

What are the unique spiritual temptations that freedom presents after a period of incarceration? How does the transition from prison to freedom test a person’s faith in different ways than imprisonment itself?

Read Luke 15:4-7. How does the parable of the lost sheep inform the church’s response when a returning member relapses or recidivates?