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The Freedom Dreamers First Contact Policy
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All MDOC Volunteers and Returning Citizens 

MDOC volunteers are not permitted to share direct contact information with incarcerated men or women, such as personal phone numbers, addresses, or email addresses.  

DO NOT SHARE INDIVIDUAL CONTACT INFORMATION ON THE INSIDE OF AN MDOC FACILITY UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES. 

Volunteers are not permitted to make first contact with a paroled returning citizen.  A volunteer making first contact with a parolee could jeopardize their future volunteer status in the MDOC and endanger the entire Keryx program for that particular facility or even throughout the State of Michigan. It could also undermine a returning citizen’s Parole. 

A returning citizen is the one who must initiate first contact on the outside. There are several ways a paroled individual can attempt to make first contact with the Freedom Dreamers organization or an individual involved with the ministry:

They can leave their contact information on the Freedom Dreamers Website at TheFreedomDreamers.org  on our Contact Us form or call us directly. There is contact information on our Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/FreedomDreamersChapel/.

They can share their contact information with a non-MDOC volunteer or employee or pass it on to a church member or a Freedom Dreamers volunteer.

IMPORTANT! Designated permission from a Parole Officer to attend Freedom Dreamers events is crucial! While on Parole with the MDOC, an individual is not permitted to attend a Freedom Dreamers event without designated permission from their parole officer. This part of our policy is crucial to partnering with parole officers, as other paroled individuals will likely be present at our events. The general rule of thumb is that paroled individuals are not permitted to make initial contact with others on Parole. In many cases, this applies to ongoing contact with others on Parole. A paroled individual can only make contact with another paroled individual per permission from their parole officer.

Designated permission must be confirmed by a Freedom Dreamers representative from the Executive Team or Board of Delegates via written letter, email, or text from the Parole Officer to the Freedom Dreamers representative or the paroled individual to share with a Freedom Dreamers representative. Sometimes, the parole officer may need to speak to a Freedom Dreamers representative who can answer specific questions about the ministry or event. Every situation is different. When in doubt, check with parole officers.

The Freedom Dreamer’s Relationship to Parole Officers

As our First Contact Policy states above, we strive to partner with Parole Officers whenever needed or appropriate. For example, if our events are scheduled at churches or local parks, a Limited Access Agreement might need to be signed by a returning citizen on Parole to attend such an event. 

Building relationships with Parolees

  1. Build a transparent, trusting relationship first.
  2. Be honest. Do not proselytize. Relationships with Freedom Dreamers are not contingent on participants accepting Christ as Lord and Savior.
  3. Do not allow parolees to use your email or phone number to set up accounts.
  4. Do not over-function or allow a parolee to under-function. Develop clear goals in the relationship. Define your boundaries. Exactly what kind of help can you provide? For example, stick to that agreement if you can only offer one weekly ride to work. What meetings and locations are appropriate?
  5. Define the difference between “fixing” and “” You are not there to “fix” a parolee’s problems. 
  6. Set immediate goals for housing, job, or community connections. Discuss which obstacles prevent parolees from getting housing, employment, or community connections. 
  7. Isolation is the enemy’s spiritual warfare of the parolee. Define how and why continued contact is essential in the relationship. 
  8. Listen, listen, love, love.
  9. Be careful not to enable bad behavior. Particularly true with addictions.
  10. Be professional. Under any circumstances, do not even complain about other ministry participants or leaders in the ministry. 
  11. Conflict resolution: Discern if one of our anger management coaches could advise you or the participant.  Put the responsibility on the parolee to resolve issues, not blame others. Do not referee relationships. Above all, pray together for the Holy Spirit for courage, direction, and healing. Expect setbacks and failures. Return to the initial goals and model that “freedom in Christ” is always possible.
  12. About entitlement: None of us are entitled to what the Lord gifts. Having a spirit of “entitlement” can harm all of us. Job searches, housing, church relationships, etc., take a long time. Encourage all returning citizens to be patient and to practice gratitude whenever benevolence and grace are shared.  Above all, give God the glory. 

Ministry Profiles

The Board of Delegates (BOD) keeps an updated brief file of all returning citizens and non-returning citizen volunteers who participate in the ministry.
There are currently about 70 people listed in our ministry profiles, half returning citizens and half non-returning citizens, who volunteer and support the ministry.
Personal addresses are not included in profiles; there are only references to the town where participants live to assist the BOD in planning events according to demographics.
Profiles also reflect the level of involvement to support the ministry. Except for Parole Officers who may request ministry profiles to protect our returning citizens, ministry profiles are not shared abroad. Records of crimes of Returning Citizens are not included in ministry profiles. 

Benevolence Requests

Requests can be submitted by a returning citizen or on behalf of a returning citizen by filling out the required information on our benevolence request form. We encourage you to talk with your small group leader so we can help you come up with solutions before things become an emergency. The online Benevolence Request Forms are emailed to the Treasurer. The Treasurer will forward the proposal to our three-person benevolence team. 
You should receive a response within 48 hours. Under no circumstances should Freedom Dreamers participants offer cash for benevolence. Currently, The Freedom Dreamers provides limited gift cards for food and gas.