(203) 405-6249 — jeffgrant@familyreentry.org

white-collar crime

Prisonist.org Holiday Appeal

By

Dear Friends,
With the holiday season upon us, Lynn and I have been reflecting on the blessing we have been given of having each one of you in our lives. Together, we have risen from the ashes of loneliness and despair to form a great new community that is still in its infancy.  Together, we have had many successes to be proud of:
– We have formed a great new community founded on empathy, compassion, care, hope and faith. 
– We have served over 300 individuals and families with white-collar and other nonviolent incarceration issues. 
– We have had over 100 participants on our weekly online support group. 
– We celebrated our 100th online support group meeting in April, and our 125th in October. 
– We have held in-person reunions, retreats, lunches, presentations, religious services, sermons, ordinations, and holidays parties. 
– We have formed deep, intimate friendships and rely upon one another every single day. 
– We have shared resources and introduced one another to valuable opportunities. 
– We now have important positions in major criminal justice organizations, sit on boards, and are actively involved in the larger criminal justice reform movement. 
– We have launched our new prisonist.org website. 
– We have updated our prisonist criminal justice blog (prisonist.org/prisonist-the-blog) that has 5 1/2 years of important content, with new blogs posted regularly.
– We wrap our first year of Criminal Justice Insider radio on Dec. 7th with special guest Glenn E. Martin, Founder of G.E.M. Trainers and Founder & Past-President of JustLeadershipUSA.
– We are available for each other at all hours of the day, night, weekends, holidays and whenever anyone of us is in need. 
– We have helped families to reunify in new and unexpected ways, parents to re-establish relationships with estranged children. 
– We have helped each other make sense of the greatest challenges of our lives. 
In the coming year, we intend to do even more, and to grow our community into a movement – one that gives us a new dignity, respect and place in the world. To this end, we have invested (and reinvested) our own time, resources and finances. We have received some contributions from sympathetic and empathetic donors both within our community and without. 
Now, we need your help! 
In this holiday season, would you please make a contribution to keep our ministry and movement going and growing?  Any donation, large or small, would not only be of immense help, but would also let us know that our ministry has impacted you and the loved ones in your lives. 
Please make your donations online at PayPal.me/ppminc or send your check to “Progressive Prison Ministries, Inc.,” P.O. Box 1, Woodbury, CT 06798. As a 501(c)(3), all donations are deductible to the extent permitted by law. 
On behalf of all of us, and of all those who are suffering who have not yet found us, thank you! 
Blessings to you and yours for a happy & healthy holiday season, l’שלום
Jeff & Lynn
PS To read our Fall/Winter ’18 Newsletter, please click here. We would appreciate your feedback! 
Rev. Jeff Grant, J.D., M.Div.
Co-founder, Progressive Prison Ministries, Inc., Greenwich CT & Nationwide
Co-host, Criminal Justice Insider Radio, The Voice of CT Criminal Justice

PO Box 1, Woodbury, CT 06798

Prisonist.org Fall/Winter '18 Newsletter

By

Prisonist.org Fall/Winter ’18 Newsletter

The First Confidential White Collar/Nonviolent

Online Support Group in the Country

Celebrates It’s 125th Meeting!

Meets Online on Monday Evenings

7 ET, 6 CT, 5 MT, 4 PT

This is a huge step in forming a community of individuals and families with white-collar and nonviolent incarceration issues. Our experience shows us that many of us are suffering in silence with shame, remorse, and deep regret. Many of us have been stigmatized by our own families, friends and communities, and the business community. Our goal is to learn and evolve into a new spiritual way of life centered on hope, care, compassion, tolerance and empathy, and then to reach out to offer all those suffering from these issues. In so doing, we will share our experiences, feelings and resources to help make the quality of each other’s lives more manageable. This is an important thing we are doing! 

  

_____________________________________________
 

Thank you for your generous donation!

Your contribution helps us support individuals and families with white-collar and other nonviolent incarceration issues.

Progressive Prison Ministries, Inc.  
501(c)(3)
Your donation is tax deductible  
to the extent permitted by law.  
_____________________________________________
 

 

Career: Your Second Life Begins When YOU Realize You Only Have One!

“As we experience a huge life transformation due to accusations and convictions of our crimes, the immediate response is how did we get there?  Who are we?  Why me? One of the exercises in this book that I mention to you asks to take an inventory of all the things that you are grateful for.  I made a list from A-Z and placed it in my planner.  I read it every morning as a reminder of what I am grateful for and that THIS DOES define me.  Who am I?  Who are you? – we are not the events that we took part of because these events DO NOT define us.  Once we get past that awareness we are capable of being strong enough to look at ourselves in the mirror – this is where your job interview begins….” 
 
____________________________________________
 

Criminal Justice Insider Radio with

    Babz Rawls Ivy & Jeff Grant

Criminal Justice Insider with Babz Rawls Ivy and Jeff Grant – The Voice of CT Criminal Justice – is broadcast live at 9 am (ET) on the first and third Friday of each month from the WNHH 103.5 FM studios in New Haven, live-streamed everywhere at newhavenindependent.org. It is also on live on Facebook Live (video) at https://www.facebook.com/wnhhradio. It is rebroadcast on WNHH at 5 pm the same day. Find all of our shows archived on SoundCloud at https://soundcloud.com/new-haven-independent/sets/criminal-justice-insider. An article about each show is published a few days later in the New Haven Independent (newhavenindependent.org).
______________________________________________________

“Giving back is the key to a second chance! I am grateful to the Woodbury Fire Department for the opportunity to serve as their volunteer Staff Chaplain.”

From Waterbury Republican-American: An ordained minister has joined the ranks of the Woodbury Volunteer Fire Department as the company’s staff chaplain who will bring spiritual support and guidance to emergency responders, department officials said. Chief Janet Morgan issued the Rev. Jeff Grant his fire department ID this month, and said his role will be an important one…
 

________________________________________________________

“Breaking the Code”

Sermon

St. George’s Episcopal Church

Arlington, Virginia

“Good morning. I am proud and honored to be here this morning as the Capstone presenter to St. George’s month of Opioids and Addiction learning and reflection.  A word of warning: if you came here this morning to hear a sermon you might be sorely disappointed.  Disappointed because I don’t do sermons. Instead, I give witness.  I give witness and testimony to how I overcame great life obstacles to find a new life of faith, purpose and happiness.  And to share with you some thoughts about how you, and everyone, can do so too….”
 
________________________________________________________

Thank You for Your Donation!    

 
Please make your check payable to  
“Progressive Prison Ministries, Inc.”
or donate online: 
________________________________________________________
 
P.O. Box 1, Woodbury, Connecticut 06798
________________________________________________________ 

Guest Blog: Rise Up! By R.E. Searcher, Member of Our White-Collar Support Group

By

 

Rise Up! By R.E. Searcher, Ghost Blogger

& Member of Our White-Collar Support Group

Rise Up!  It’s a wonderful song from the “Hamilton” Broadway play.  The lyrics “When you’re living on your knees, you rise up.”   The song goes into this not being a moment, but a movement.  Each day we rise up and we have movement.  When we break an arm or a leg, we no longer are told to lay down and wait to heal.  Instead, the doctor encourages movement so that the break can heal.  Another great song, “Wait For It” from Hamilton shares the beautiful lyrics of “love doesn’t discriminate between the sinners and the saints.  It takes and it takes and it takes.  And we keep loving anyway.  We laugh and we cry and we break.  And we make mistakes.  And if there’s a reason I’m by her side when so many have tried then I’m willing to wait for it I’m willing to wait for it.”

In life’s great moments of adversity, we take pause and we wait and then we move.  We need to rise up and listen to our internal voices inside and love no matter what in order to break through and survive.  Love helps us heal and love allows us to move, laugh, smile and open our hearts.  One day we will wake up and there won’t be time to do the things we’ve always wanted.  Do it now – step up, move, make someone laugh, smile and start a movement.

R.E. Searcher (pen name), is a member of our online white-collar/nonviolent support group that meets on Monday evenings, 7 pm Eastern, 6 pm Central, 5 pm Mountain, 4 pm Pacific.  For more information, click here.

Significant Outcomes: We have Served Over 250 Individuals, Families and Organizations in 27 States

By

We have served white-collar/nonviolent individuals, families and organizations in twenty-seven states, including: Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Missouri, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Texas, Virginia, and Washington. We typically communicate with these individuals and families before, during and upon reentry from prison in person or by phone, email, Skype, FaceTime, GoToMeeting or, if in a Federal prison, via CorrLinks. Please click here contact us for an initial consultation in person, by phone or video chat. 

Hopefulness: My Ooh-La-La Moment, by R.E. Searcher, Ghost Blogger & Member of Our White-Collar Support Group

By

I’d like to share a story of a complete stranger I met.  He’s the guy I met for an interview for networking the day after I was arrested.  The news didn’t hit all the papers yet so I decided to go meet with him anyways.  He was very nice and gave some really great advice.  He said that at every interview you want the person you are interviewing with to know three keys points about you.  You want to reintroduce those three characteristics throughout the whole meeting and then you will leave a really great impression.  He said that I was driven, passionate and a builder.  Leaving that meeting made me feel like who I was just not too long ago.  I felt like what happened to me the day before was all a bad nightmare.  How did this complete stranger assess my characteristics that I’ve been working so hard for all in one seating?  He clearly must have not seen the news or read the paper…  I was right…. BUT
 
The next morning I receive an email.  It starts with ‘I’m startled….could this possibly be you?…. and then a link….  My heart sunk and I knew this encounter was too good to be true.  How do I respond?  I had no idea what came over me, and I said, in reference to the article, it is written about me, but it is NOT me.  If you would like to meet further in person to assess my characteristics, I would be happy to do.  I clicked sent.  I figured this guy would just delete and think that I’m out of my freaking mind to even propose such a crazy idea.  The response was not immediate, but I received a response back.  He said he would be delighted to.
 
We met over lunch and I know the uncomfortableness was clearly there.  I started out with a joke by saying I’m sure you can add this experience to your bucket list and you may have an added word associated to the characteristics you shared with me the other day.  I got a smile out of him and this slightly broke the ice.  We began to talk more and I could tell by his body posture he began to get comfortable with me again.  He was not looking at me as a potential felon, but that same person who met him over coffee at Starbucks.  The same person who shared their vision, passion, dreams and zest for life.  The same person who has built an indispensable portfolio of accomplishments and initiatives that help serve the community.  Our one hour lunch became a two hour lunch.  It was the best conversation I had in a while since I really don’t get out that much these days.  We decided to keep in touch.  He was leaving for an international trip and said he would follow up upon his return.  When I heard this, I thought it would be too good to be true – he was probably just being polite.
 
This time I was wrong!  This stranger became a new friend to me.  Someone completely out of the blue who has been a very successful business man.  He shared his loss and grief in life and in a way through these experiences he could only imagine what I am currently going through.  He followed up upon his return and he shared a really beautiful story with me that I think anyone regardless of the situation they may be in or anyone else is in should know.  His grandfather passed away when he was a young boy.  His grandfather left a great impression on him.  He was a very well respected lawyer.  His nickname was “Lala” as he didn’t want to be called grandfather.  He would often repeat the phrase “remember, in life, it’s easy to take the easy cases, but anyone can do this.  What’s important is to always go for the difficult ones and bring light to them. This is the true measurement of success and value.”
 
He said that when he met me, he felt like his Lala was whispering in his ear. We all have moments where we would rather take the easier route and just go on with our day.  It takes a person with great courage and strength to work a little harder and extend their hand to someone who is completely austercized and not given much hope at the present time.  I don’t know where he came from, but I am certainly blessed for his confidence in me.  I asked why did he even consider giving me a second chance.  He said because if I were in your shoes, I would be praying for the same.  He said the best way you can show someone your gratitude is to pay it forward and do the same.  So my challenge to you today and tomorrow and so on….make it an “Ooh-LaLa” moment.  Do something out of the ordinary for someone you may or may not know.  Maybe in your mind forgive the people that may have hurt you or are persecuting you.  Go the extra step as this step will provide the extra strength and foundation and hope a person needs in that present moment.  They will never forget and most likely will compound the same effort.  
R.E. Searcher (pen name), is a member of our online white-collar/nonviolent support group that meets on Monday evenings, 7 pm Eastern, 6 pm Central, 5 pm Mountain, 4 pm Pacific.  For more information, click here.
image.png

Spirituality: On Human Derailment…

By

On Human Derailment…

By Steve Bonenberger, Guest Blogger &

Member of Our Online White-Collar Support Group

 

Reprinted from: Thought Pros: Wednesday, April 25, 2018

Today’s Topic: Living with Human Derailment.
Imagine you are driving along on a sun-swept road. There are no potholes. There are no other cars. There are no stop signs. Just open road.
You have a full tank of gas. Your engine hums along. The radio soothes you with quiet tunes that suit your mood. When out of nowhere…and I mean nowhere…WHAM!!! You strike a pylon.
A pylon that appeared to be a part of the road itself. A pylon that should not have been in this place at this time. A pylon that hurls your car into a cartwheeling and careening mass of tumbling steel. Tumbling steel that triggers massive and unexpected injuries.
When your car stops its Ferris Wheel, you sit for a few moments. You assess your personal damage. You exit the car. You look at the crumpled steel. You try and regain your bearings.
Living With Human Derailment:
While the above scene seems unlikely, as we all know, life is like that. You are spooling along. Your days are filled with mirth and a sense of predictive care. Your relationships and reputation are intact and seemingly bullet-proof.
Then, the pylon appears. And out of nowhere, and in an instant or two, your life is dramatically altered. Sometimes the alteration is for a season. Many times, the alteration is life-long. What to do when the pylon appears…that is the question. Or, how do you live with human derailment?
* Indignity: where before dignity and its cousin of honor were your companions, get used to dealing with indignation. Become accustomed to people judging you…and casting lots of aspersions. Count on it: indignity is your new friend.
* Insolvency: where before cash-flow and positive economic outcomes were once the adornments on your life’s pastries, cast these aside now. For you are going to know economic hardship.
* Inconsistencies: where before you could rely upon certain things in your life, now, bob-and-weave are your defense mechanisms.
* Immobilization: where before you could adjust easily and make sharp-turns on the fly, now, you find yourself almost catatonic. Agility and nimbleness are no longer your strong suits.
You get the picture. “Human Derailment” upends casualness. “Human Derailment” engages the callous–haters–in this world. “Human Derailment” is 100 % real and noticeable.
For those of you living the upended and suspended life, remember: you are strong. You are powerful. You are capable. And you will make it!
Cherish This Day!
Steve Bonenberger
Steve Bonenberger is a member of our online white-collar/nonviolent support group that meets on Monday evenings, 7 pm Eastern, 6 pm Central, 5 pm Mountain, 4 pm Pacific.  For more information, click here.