Prison Ministry
Yokefellow Prison Ministry works in correctional institutions across the state of North Carolina. For a complete list of locations please go to Who We Serve. Meetings are held on a weekly basis, as directed by Chaplains and correctional facility administration.
Yokefellow Meetings are not worship services, Bible studies, or preaching/ teaching/ proselytizing opportunities. Yokefellow Prison Ministry meetings are founded on the concept of active listening which means that the objective is for the participants to talk more than our volunteers. Yokefellow Meetings are opportunities for those experiencing incarceration to have a forum where they can talk with dedicated, trained volunteers as well as with their peers about whatever is of concern to them and to know that they are seen, heard, valued, and that there is someone who believes in them that their potential to lead changed lives. Yokefellow Prison Ministry believes that reentry begins on Day 1 of incarceration and it is out goal that every individual who participates in the Yokefellow Prison Ministry program emerges from incarceration more fully able to participate in their own lives, in their families, and in society at large.
Residential Re-entry
Residential Re-entry is a period of time that each incarcerated person serves under conditional release in a residential facility/ group home prior to being fully released from incarceration back into society. In these facilities, Yokefellow Meetings follow the same model of ministry as the traditional prison facility meetings, only the topic of conversation is more tailored to making the steps needed to be ready for that re-entry and for participants to be ready to live a changed life from what they lived before their incarceration. During Residential Re-entry, participants have a number of resources for housing, employment/education, and access to food/ healthcare. We want to ensure that participants have tools to care for their spiritual needs and a community of faith to connect with upon their return to society.
In-Person and Virtual Aftercare
Aftercare is Yokefellow Prison Ministry’s model geared toward those who have previously been incarcerated and have been fully released back into society. Whether a person participated in Yokefellow during their incarceration, re-entry phase, or simply gets connected after their release, Yokefellow Prison Ministry is there to continue to provide active listening support group services to those still adjusting to being back in the community and those who want to stay connected with a group who believes in them and their ability to be successful, productive participants in their own lives, their families, and society at large.
For information about Virtual Aftercare please go to Virtual Aftercare Information
Aftercare services are also available to family members and loved ones of those experiencing incarceration or those who have been released.