Local group encouraging ‘Second Chances’

Standing in front of a shelter near the Southern Pines nature walking track, Melisha Johnson knew that the jail was just off in the distance. It is a place she knows well.

On Thursday, April 9, the Laurens County Jail was in her past. She is now on a mission to help those leaving the prison system re-enter society to become productive members of the community.

This is where the nonprofit group The Compassionate Advocate comes in. 

“One thing I know is if they don’t have anything, they are going to go back to the one thing they know,” Johnson said.

Which is a life of crime. 

Johnson has personal experience after she spent 10 years of a 12-year prison sentence. 

“I felt lonely when I was in there,” she said. “Yes, I had my family but I felt the church was missing. One of the things I wanted to do when I came out was to make sure that other people don’t feel that way. When they come out, I wanted them to know they would have somebody who would be with them because a lot of people burned their bridges at home.”

Johnson, the executive director for The Compassionate Advocate, said they have been around for five years while serving as a nonprofit for the last year. Last week, they held their first Second Chance Prayer Walk.

“This is to help people who have come out of prison,” Johnson said. “Our goal is to give them support so that they don’t go back. I’m from Dublin and I have been locked up in the Laurens County Jail. It’s a good feeling to be here.”

The group wants to provide opportunities for those coming out of prison to have a job, housing and resources they need to have a successful re-entry back into life.

Johnson knows it is hard for a convicted felon to find a job.

“As soon as you clicked that box asking if you are a convicted felon, they throw that application into the trash,” she said. “That is disheartening.”

Johnson is a part of Prison Fellowship, which was founded by Chuck Colson who served time in a federal prison for his involvement in Watergate. She is also a Chamber of Commerce ambassador. She talks to the other members and encourages them to help convicted felons.

“I let them know the benefits of doing this,” she said. “People pray for us to change and we change, so give us a chance.” 

April is known as Second Chance Month. 

“It is a chance to say a second chance is needed,” Johnson said. “We have made it, and God is good.” 

The Compassionate Advocate teams up felons with a pastor, one like Bruce Howard, Jordan Grove Church of God in Christ in East Dublin.

“I would tell people to open their hearts and allow God to do a work in you,” Howard said. “He is a God of second chances and a God of people. He is a God who meets needs. I’m excited about this opportunity to be able to come and answer this call. We want people to know there is hope, and they can receive a second chance if they connect to the right source.” 

That source is God.

“If we connect to him, we’ll have everything we need,” Howard said.

Dublin Mayor Pro Tem Bennie Jones was on hand to say a few words of encouragement.

“I do believe that God is a God of second chances and a God of forgiveness,” Jones said. “I do believe in prayer. Today, you are getting the physical exercise of walking and with prayer you are being spiritually nurtured.”

Jones was willing to leave his contact information for participants to reach out to him if they needed a resource.

“We can point you in the right direction,” Jones said. “Stay prayed up. God is a God who will provide.” 

The toughest challenge while Johnson was in prison was missing time with her son. He went to proms, graduated and was married during that time.

“I missed a whole lot of things,” Johnson said. “I had a fear of losing a family member. I had support from the family but I did not have the support of the church.” 

According to Johnson, one out of three Americans have a criminal record. Just because they have a record, does not mean they served time in prison.

“They could have been in for a DUI,” Johnson said. “The recidivism rate in Georgia is very high. I was talking to a Department of Corrections worker the other day and they told me that we have the highest number of people who are on probation and parole.” 

She brought up the fact that background checks are done for those wanting an apartment.

“We then have a lot of homeless people because they won’t give us another chance,” Johnson said. 

People can help by giving convicted felons a job, a chance to have a place to live. They can help The Compassionate Advocate by providing assistance and donations of items. 

“We will help them find jobs, even if it is at a restaurant,” Johnson said. “That’s what we do. We’ve been forgiven and people are still bringing up something they did 20 years ago. We want to reduce the stigma as much as we can. We want to let them know they matter and that they do have support.” 

To help The Compassionate Advocate, call (478) 349-3269.

“I’m excited about this,” Howard said. 

“When you can see a need and service a need, I want to be able to connect to something like that. If you went through prison (like Johnson), you can come back and share your story with others. All of us have made mistakes. When someone has fallen, it’s our job to pick them up. That’s what the kingdom of heaven is about. We’re about helping one another.”