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700 Attend CAPA Conference in Baltimore printer-friendly

By Joseph Williams, Christian Association for Prison Aftercare

Creating Hope for a Second Chance, was the theme for CAPA's eight national prisoner reentry conference held in Baltimore, MD, October 15-18, 2009. It is obvious that the theme for the conference honored the recently passed Second Chance Act that was submitted to the House of Representatives (H.R. 1593) by Danny K. Davis (D-IL) and received bipartisan support from an additional 91 cosponsors including Stephanie Tubbs Jones (D-OH), Randy Forbes (R-VA), and James Sensenbrenner (R-WI). The bill was signed into law by President George W. Bush at the White House on April 9, 2008. President Obama's administration has embraced the Second Chance Act by appropriating significant funding for this historic legislation even in the light of a strained national economy.

Approximately 700 people attended what turned out to be one of the most exciting and successful conferences CAPA has ever hosted. CAPA leaders decided to host the conference in the Baltimore/Washington area so that government officials with expertise on the Second Chance Act could easily attend. Conference attendees received very useful information on how to access resources and funding related to the Second Chance Act.

The purpose of the CAPA conference is to provide inspiration, instruction and opportunities for networking, along with the identification of resources for those who serve men and women throughout their transition from prison to the community. This purpose was accomplished through general sessions at which time attendees were treated to inspirational keynote addresses, special music, testimonies and videos that featured successful reentry programs around the country. In addition, specialized workshops taught by committed and gifted reentry professionals were offered during the conference.

The National Women's Prison Project (NWPP) served as the local host organization for the 2009 conference. Local conference hosts provided scholarships, local volunteers and other logistical assistance. They also helped to identify resource people such as keynote speakers, workshop leaders, musicians and those with inspiring testimonies. NWPP did an outstanding job in mobilizing a tremendous army of volunteers including a special team of prayer warriors that surrounded the conference with prayer from start to finish. An elaborate prayer room was established for those conference attendees that desired intercessory prayer. Those who had the opportunity to visit the prayer room commented on how strongly they sensed the presence of the Lord. I personally received a great deal of feedback from conference attendees stating that they felt inspired, encouraged and loved.

We are grateful to the Annie E. Casey Foundation (AECF) for being our sponsor for the conference the second year. Through our partnership with AECF we sponsored a pastors and church leaders' event on the evening of Thursday, October 15th. The purpose of the event was to provide information to local churches from the Baltimore, Princes George's County and Washington, DC regarding their need to get involved or to strengthen their involvement in ministry to the incarcerated, formerly incarcerated and their families. This event was very successful. Approximately 200 pastors and church leaders from the local area attended the meeting. One hundred ministry leaders attended the meeting from other places around the country. AECF also provided 25 scholarships to local pastors and church leaders to attend the full CAPA conference.

The local host organization, NWPP, sponsored a special event that was held Thursday during the day for returning citizens who had recently been released from incarceration. This event was attended by nearly 150 local men and women. Returning citizens were treated to inspiring presentations by nationally recognized speakers. Special workshops were presented that focused on the skill and attitudes needed to make a successful transition from prison.

Attendees had the opportunity to participate in four general sessions, featuring such speakers as Bishop Bart Peirce, senior pastor of Rock City Church in Baltimore; Vicki Lopez Lukis, Statewide Expansion Director for the Girls Advocacy Project (GAP), Inc. and a community volunteer focused on working with women in prison and formerly incarcerated people in Lee County, Florida; Dr. Harold Dean Trulear, president of Globe Community Ministries, in Philadelphia, PA, Associate Professor of Applied Theology at Howard University and consultant for the Annie E. Casey Foundation; and Pastor Joseph Wingo, CEO of Angel Food Ministries which is located near Atlanta, GA.

Nearly 40 workshops were offered at the conference led by the countries leading prisoner reentry professionals. Some of the workshops covered subjects such as experiencing incarceration; strengthening the family; understanding the impact of trauma; understanding the population; what about the children; taming the technology beast; effective leadership; impacting youth; creating jobs and funding through social enterprise; addressing addiction and relapse prevent; effective case management; and ministry to female offenders and others.

If you are on the CAPA mailing list you will receive information regarding the location and date of the 2010 conference. You may also check the CAPA website (www.capaassociation.org) for this information. We hope to greet you at next year's conference as we seek to work together to strengthen organizations that serve the incarcerated, formerly incarcerated and their families.

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