Oklahoma has long been among the worst in the nation for statistics of mass incarceration and recidivism, fueled in part by its notoriously harsh “tough on crime” policies. In recognition of the failures and collateral damage of this approach, the state is embarking on an era of reforms, providing hope for more effective and balanced criminal justice systems in deep red states.

Helping to fill the gaps as the state shifts slowly toward a more rehabilitative mindset are community and faith-based reentry service providers, such as the Criminal Justice and Mercy Ministries in Oklahoma City.

“I see so many miracles every single day with [formerly incarcerated] individuals who have been entrusted to our care,” said CJAMM Executive Director Keith Dobbs in a correspondence interview with SQNews.

His faith-based organization strives to “break the generational cycles of incarceration” through a comprehensive approach or pre- and post-release support with several major components. The organization also holds summer day camps for the children of soon-to-bereleased incarcerated parents. The camps provide ropes courses, water sports, singing, dancing, crafts, small group discussions, and lots of food, giving the children a chance to be in a healthy environment and receive peer support.

CJAMM also operates a transitional housing program that provides fully furnished and stocked apartments, all of which participants can take with them when they graduate to help them start their new life. In addition, participants are expected to do community service, commit to sobriety, and participate in weekly group therapy meetings and faith services, according to Dobbs.

However, these efforts have not been without challenges and setbacks. In 2019, for example, 400 incarcerated people were released from the state’s prisons in the country’s largest ever mass commutation. Less than three years, more than 200 of them had already been rearrested again.

Dobbs notes that at the time, only one correctional facility in the state had a full-time reentry specialist. He also made the distinction that recently released people who reoffend are usually the ones who don’t have access to reentry programs, or fail to participate.

“I don’t think they’ve tapped into resources that were appropriate for them, so they go back to the areas they were most familiar with and they fall back into the exact same cycle,” said Dobbs in an article with USA Today in response to the rearrests at the time.