STONES
EMPLOYMENT
& FINANCES
“GET A JOB!”
That’s what everyone in and out of incarceration has heard, over and over, for too many years.
This role is dedicated to helping your incarcerated friend not be bullied by that voice—and instead slowly work on their early’ “reentry work” as their full time job the first month. Then transitioning smoothly into a solid, quality job you’ll be scouting out ahead of time together. Then helping protect that income from common threats, so it directly fuels the new life they’ve so wanted.
START THE CONVERSATION
If this is your role, your “employment” work the next couple months is conversation with your incarcerated friend, through your letters and phone calls:
FIRST JOB: THEIR OWN REENTRY
We covered this in the last module, and it’s worth repeating with your releasing friend: that the goodness of this One Parish One Prisoner model is that they don’t have to scramble into a job right away. Rather, your team can help with the first three months’ rent—because their full-time job for the first month is their reentry.
You get to be the voice that helps them unplug from that anxiety. “First month: we got you, focus on setting up your life, getting to a dozen appointments, adjusting to life on the outside, with our help.”
ODD JOBS
Because it feels good to be productive, and have some loose cash for personal spending, we’ve found an “odd job” or two with people in the parish is gold: an elderly lady in the church who could use some wood stacked or lawn mowed or gutters cleaned. Let your friend know you’ll be putting the word out through your team and pastor to find some odd jobs where they can earn some small money but not have to lock into a full-on employment situation immediately. This is a chance to further connect with more people in your congregation and community.
Just help the odd job being brokered to be clear what the pay amount is for the task, ahead of time, ask if that sounds fair, and make sure they are paid that same day when the work is done. Feeling slighted is a terrible way to begin working together. Too many men and women have been used in the past. We want to create new experiences where they feel dignified, respected and honored.
So tell your friend about this idea of some odd jobs, to enjoy that first month as they adjust and go to all their appointments.
EMPLOYMENT INTERESTS
The main thing to discuss is what kinds of jobs interest them—for when they step into full-time employment the second or third month. You’re their support to explore this exciting horizon together.
Instead of just scrambling for anywhere that will hire, assure them you now have time to make a better plan and honor their interests.
Do they have a certificate or training from their years inside the prison that they’d like to continue using on the outside? Like plumbing, electrical, carpentry? Computer programming? Food services?
No training is ok. What are they simply interested in pursuing?
Take notes. Tell them you’ll get to work starting some new conversations in the parish and in your network.
DEPARTMENT OF CONNECTIONS
Your connections in your parish and networks in the community are your treasure. Remember, your friend is stepping out of the Department of Corrections and into something better: we are the Department of Connections.
EMPLOYERS IN YOUR PARISH
Much of your work will be reaching out to people in the church: Who are the employers in your parish? Any of them have the kinds of positions that would fit your friend coming home? This is a great opportunity to broadcast the need in a worship announcement, and follow up with people in your community.
Tell them about your friend. His interest. Show them a picture, a letter.
Show them these videos:
ONE PARISH ONE PRISONER & UNDERGROUND VISION
RESURRECTION EMPLOYMENT
You are an ambassador. You’re inviting people outside your team into this journey with you. Their company can be a vital part of local ministry, and your friend’s resurrection from the old life. Tell the employer your team is behind this prospective employee, giving them the support they need to thrive.
You can bring interested employers to part of your monthly Team Meetings. This is how we grow: opening new relationships, opening new doors.
ODD JOBS
Same with the smaller, odd jobs. When it gets closer to release, ask around and put feelers out for who might need yard maintenance or property projects. Increase time with good people, not in a company yet. Low pressure, low risk, high rate of connecting and feeling good. Warmup work. Clear payment, agreed beforehand: cash, or amount toward a month’s rent.
RESUME
One of our recent One Parish One Prisoner graduates, now home from over a decade in prison and working as an engineer with a local tiny-home manufacturer, recently advised us: “It would have been cool if your program got folks on my Team to work on a resume with me, while I was still locked up.”
So here it is: as the Employment & Finances role, have fun drafting up a resume together. We don’t have a template; there’s a thousand online.
Some suggestions, though:
emphasize “Strengths”: resilient facing setbacks, loyal to my team, determined to find solutions when facing obstacles
boldly list any in-prison jobs, with titles: ie, State of Washington, Twin Rivers Unit
strongly consider a cover letter that states you are currently incarcerated, focussed on a specific job path, briefly own your past crime and mistakes and now current preparation to build a future with the right company
UNDERGROUND EMPLOYMENT MODEL
As you talk with potential employers in your area, you may be interested in using Underground Ministries’ “Underground Employment” model. It’s a proven template that outlines three partners:
Re-entering Employee
Quality Employer
Support Organization
The Employer sees a legitimate model on the webpage, to trust and understand this opportunity. The Employer agrees to a 90-day onramp period, accommodating the Employee’s probation appointments, maybe treatment class schedule, and driver’s license tests—so they can be a solid member of the company after the 90-day onramp.
Your One Parish One Prisoner Team would be the Support Org role: sponsoring/referring this Employee, brokering the trust, and committing to ongoing reentry support for the Employee the first three months (with all the reentry challenges of appointments, probation, personal struggles that come up).
If this sounds helpful, and you’d like more help, email alvin@undergroundministries.org
CHILD SUPPORT
This is important.
Once someone finally gets a great job and their first check comes—half of it has been “garnished “by Child Support (a state institution that offers financial support to single parents but charges the other biological parent, hounding them with mountains of debt whenever they get a legitimate job). Too many reentering individuals lose heart here—their first check cut in half—and they go back to street income.
The solution is relatively easy. Child Support only takes half the income if the parent hasn’t set up a plan with them first. So you sit down with your reentering friend, call the local Child Support office together (on speakerphone, for moral support, if you want) and they say, “Hi, my name is ___________, I am fresh out of prison and just starting a new job (say where). I’d like to set up a minimum monthly payment plan to be taken out of my checks. I’m barely able to pay rent right now, but I’d like to start paying my debt at the smallest amount possible for the next six months, if that’s OK.” Oftentimes, the Child Support Enforcement Officer appreciates a father/mother taking initiative, not hiding from the system, and offers a low payment. $50-75/mo taken out of their checks is different than $950/mo!
Voila!
You’re rolling away these stones that keep millions of parents in the underground. High five, and go out to lunch again!
BANK ACCOUNT
If you haven’t set up a checking account at a bank yet, now’s the time. It might be your friend’s first time having money in a bank—where their income can grow, with a savings account, rather than just a wad of cash in their wallet that goes . . . well, we know how fast cash goes.
And now that you’ve set up a payment plan with Child Support, they won’t seize money deposited in a bank!
You might want to help your friend set up Direct Deposit between their job and their bank.
BUDGETING
This is the last part of your role! Congratulations to you, your team, and your releasing friend for getting this far.
Again, we don’t offer a template or a class on budgeting. But just sitting down and typing up a simple INCOME vs. EXPENSES grid of costs each month is a massive step towards financial literacy. The same way a calendar can profoundly help a re-entering individual take control of all the commitments in their life—so a simple budget will likely feel like a profound new tool to help them feel more in control of where they want each dollar they earn to go.
Start with Essentials: Rent, Car Insurance, Court payments, Groceries, Gas.
Then see how much is left for Other Costs: Clothes, Eating Out, Fun with Kids.
Savings Goals? Newer Car, Downpayment for Better Apartment, Trip to See Grandma, Etc.
So many men and women we’ve accompanied gain a good job with income, but feel discouraged and “broke” and unable to pay rent many months, because they haven’t gotten help learning how to budget essential costs and think hard about which costs come first. End of the month, there’s just not enough money sitting around!
Remember that letting someone look at your money with you feels very vulnerable, like parenting or sex advice. But hopefully you’ve built enough trust working on Employment and Finances together over these months, so help with budgeting feels natural.