On Wednesday, January 10, 2007 nationally recognized recording artist, Kate White performed at Hiland Mountain Correctional Facility. For more information about Katie White, please visit her website at www.katewhitemusic.com.

Six residents of the Transformational Living Community graduated from the program in a ceremony at the chapel at Palmer (Medium) Correctional Center on January 22. The event included Superintendent Cindy Betts, PCC staff members, all TLC residents and community mentors. Some of the residents performed an assortment of worship music and several shared their personal story of change. After the ceremony cake and ice cream was served.

"Each resident had successfully completed 18 months of rigorous work in the program focusing on significant behavioral change through God's empowerment," explained Chaplain Mike Ensch.

PCC's TLC is a faith-based residential therapeutic program occupying one housing unit with 34 beds. All residents volunteer for the program. During the program the residents live together in a positive and supportive environment embracing high levels of accountability and personal responsibility for their behaviors. During the program the residents attend many classes focused on core issues in their lives and participate in many peer groups and individual counseling with staff. The TLC program is funded from private sector resources.

"Of those who have completed the program and returned to the community, only 11% have committed new crimes and a mere 11% have been returned to custody for probation/parole revocations," Ensch said.

WILDWOOD HOSTS KAIROS PRISON MINISTRY CONFERENCE

After about a year of planning and coordinating through the Chaplaincy office, the first Kairos Weekend was conducted at the Wildwood Correctional Center January 18-21.

Kairos Prison Ministry is an international program which conducts a highly structured lay program designed specifically for correctional institutions. Their mission is to bring Christ's love and forgiveness to incarcerated individuals and their families, and to assist the incarcerated in their transition to becoming a productive citizen.

The Kairos program starts with a 40 hour intensive weekend event which allows the participants to witness Christ's love through the servitude of Kairos volunteers. During the event, participants are given the opportunity to experience a religious renewal accepting God's call to a life of Christian witness and service to one another during their stay in the institution and beyond. After the weekend, participants are encouraged to establish strong Christian communities within their institution.

Close to 42 prisoners participated in the Wildwood event along with just over 50 volunteers from Alaska, Texas, and Oklahoma. All the meals for the prisoner participants, staff, and volunteers during the event were prepared by outside volunteers in the community along with 700 dozen homemade cookies. Volunteer Karolann Whetsell from Kenai served as the Ad Hoc Chairperson, coordinating the entire event.

"I want to personally thank the Wildwood staff for their outstanding cooperation and support of the Kairos event. The scope of this program will likely have a positive effect on the entire facility for months. It was a great success," said Chaplain Mike Ensch.

The Chaplaincy office usually schedules two Kairos weekends per year at the CCA facility in Arizona and Hiland Mountain Correctional Center. There has been one weekend so far at Palmer Correctional Center. The Kairos organization generates its own funding for these weekend events.

By Will Morrow

After 40 hours of an intensive ministry, participants were asked three questions: In what spiritual condition did you arrive?; What did you find here?; and, What are you taking away with you?

Though the answers varied among the 42 participants, they followed similar themes, from arriving in the program spiritually lost and confused, finding fellowship and forgiveness, and leaving with hope and a new sense of purpose.

That the setting for the ministry was the gymnasium at Wildwood Correctional Complex in Kenai, or that the participants had "prisoner" or "WCC" stenciled on the back of their shirts, did little to stifle to powerful emotions and palpable change taking place over the weekend. Click Here to Read the Complete Article.