Meet the Founder

Resurrection Ministries is faith-based non-profit organization founded in 2005 by Charlise Kinslow. Our mission is to provide a therapeutic community for formally incarcerated women who desire a holistic transition into society.

THE INDIVIDUAL, THE PURPOSE, THE MISSION

"While sitting at my computer writing my business plan for my salon I heard "This is not about you." It was followed by a vision of a transitional living facility and a no-cost cosmetology school for women coming out of incarceration and came with the scripture Habakkuk 2:2-3. I wrote the scripture and vision down on September 30, 2004 and never lost site of the promises of God.

Being a part of the Franklin County jail ministry allowed me to see the urgent need for housing and education for the incarcerated and newly released. The recidivism rate for women who do not have access to sober living or post-secondary education are more likely to return to jail or prison than someone who has received education and consistent support.

In 2016 I had the honor of working at the Deborah K. Johnson Rehabilitation Center in Nashville, Tennessee as the cosmetology instructor. While working for the women’s prison the Lord allowed me to experience it is possible to run a no-cost school. The women of the Deborah K. Johnson Rehabilitation Center were able to receive their cosmetology education and licensure free of charge. While the program was a blessing to many, I also witnessed so many go home with cosmetology hours from the program yet they we unable to complete the program due to the lack of funds, the inability to qualify for Pell Grants because of felony convictions, or simply not having enough wrap around services in place to help them succeed. A cosmetology education could cost between $6000- $20,000. Which is an overwhelming amount of money for an individual coming out of incarceration. This is where Resurrection Ministries enters their story."

The Problem

It’s hard to imagine building a successful life without a place to call home, but this basic necessity is often out of reach for the formerly incarcerated. Barriers to employment, combined with explicit discrimination, have created a little-discussed housing crisis.

Reports show that the formerly incarcerated are almost 10 times more likely to be homeless than the general public [1]. The transition from prison to community is rife with challenges. But before these individuals can address health problems, find stable jobs, or learn new skills, they need a place to live. People who have been to prison just once experience homelessness at a rate nearly 7 times higher than the general public. But people who have been incarcerated more than once have rates 13 times higher than the general public. In other words, people who have been incarcerated multiple times are twice as likely to be homeless as those who are returning from their first prison term [2].

Gender is an important variable of this equation. Overall, formerly incarcerated women are more likely to be homeless than formerly incarcerated men. But among homeless formerly incarcerated people, men are less likely to be sheltered than women, whether for reasons of availability or personal choice.

With over 1.8 million released each year from jails including 81,000 women from state prisons, the public sector organizations and federal and state level rehabilitation and transitional housing programs struggle to cope with these most vulnerable segments of our communities.

Our Approach

United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) identifies the importance of social integration or reintegration objectives in all countries with reference to the effectiveness of criminal justice reform and strengthening rule of law [1]. Reintegration of the formerly incarcerated population prevents recidivism and improves public safety subsequently.

“International standards and norms reaffirm that the rehabilitation

of offenders and their successful reintegration into the community

are among the basic objectives of the criminal justice process.”

Introductory Handbook on the Prevention of Recidivism and the Social Reintegration of Offenders (UNODC:2012)

But successful reintegration of these individuals is no easy task. The United States has struggled for years to provide effective support for the more than 650,000 individuals returning to society from prison every year [2]. Over 75 percent of those leaving prison are back behind bars within five years [3].

We approach the problem of reincarceration from three important perspectives: provision of a transitional housing to prevent homelessness, support services to empower formerly incarcerated women to change their lives for better future, and access to self-care products, skill improvement programs and long-term housing solutions. We strongly believe that without these integrated and collaborative support structures and services, the recidivism among women in Tennessee cannot be checked or prevented.

Objectives

Our business is driven by the pursuit of these objectives:

To reduce recidivism among the formerly incarcerated women in Tennessee.
To help these women find direction in their lives and become productive members of our communities.
To restore families and help these vulnerable women reunite with their families, and build new ones.
To help our population access educational and skill development opportunities to provide a better economic future for financial independence.
To provide long-term housing for women prepared to live a self-sufficient life.
To help build our communities.

Vision Statement

“Transforming Lives One Mind at a Time”

Keys to Success

To succeed in business, our company will need to take these important steps:

Coordination with law enforcement departments, parole officers and justice department, etc. is pivotal to our success.
Partnerships and collaborations with various support services providers in the area to provide a plethora of supportive services. Services will include, but are not limited to, life skills, therapeutic support programs, employment support, educational referrals, transportation assistance, access to self-care products, and any other services as the need arises.
Community participation and ownership of our program is a key to our future success. Through donations, volunteer memberships and need-based cooperation and participation, our community will be able to help keep their cities and neighborhoods crime free and help their fellow citizens reintegrate into society.
We are all-inclusive and do not discriminate on the basis of belief, ethnicity, or cultural differences. Our diversity is our strength and a cornerstone of our success.
With an honest approach to our clients and their problems, we will be better suited to serve them, help them and empower them to a brighter future without any judgement of prejudice.

We Need Your Support Today!

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