Justice

The Criminal Justice Accompaniment & Reform Program supports people incarcerated and returning citizens in a variety of ways. From direct services to people currently and formerly incarcerated, to educational programming and political calls-to-action for systemic change- the A.D.R.O.P. Criminal Justice Accompaniment & Reform program aims to restore and unite our communities.

Click here to download the most recent Voices from Prison and the Edge Newsletter.

Adeodatus Ministry

THursday Night Spiritual Support

Those who have recently left prison and for those suffering from addictions are invited at 7:30 PM on Thursday nights at St. Rita of Cascia rectory, Broad and Ellsworth Streets, Philadelphia. Through biblical reading, silent meditation and conversation, the group provides spiritual support for those in attendance.

View fullsize Today we would like to highlight @teamameelio a nonprofit that is focused on making the prison and jail communication that connects inmates with their loved ones free! It was started by Yale Law and Computer Science students and they have recently re
View fullsize Repost from @rehabilitation_nation During this time when we are all seeking justice we think it is important to highlight groups that are taking action! Follow our friends @rehabilitation_nation. They are a group of students from the Baruch College
View fullsize #blackouttuesday take the time today to educate yourself, sign petitions, donate if you can, and importantly #vote
View fullsize More than 20,000 individuals living and working in U.S. prisons, jails, and detention centers have tested positive for COVID-19; hundreds have died. The Catholic Mobilizing Network and a host of national Catholic entities released a joint Statement o
View fullsize Vipassana, which means “to see things as they really are,” is one of India’s most ancient techniques of meditation and the North American Vipassana Prison Project holds Vipassana Meditation courses in prisons and other correctional
View fullsize These two art pieces are from the folks at the People’s Paper Co-op, an ongoing initiative by the Village of Arts and Humanities here in Philly that connects formerly incarcerated individuals with artists, civil rights lawyers, and many others
View fullsize Happy Easter from us at A.D.R.O.P and Youth4PrisonReform! We hope you have a blessed day and rejoice in the gift of the Lord’s resurrection. Let us remember He died so that all of our sins can be forgiven and let us pray for those whose sins ha
View fullsize Rev. Gregory Holston, former executive director of the POWER interfaith organization, joined Philadelphia’s District Attorney’s Office in a new role as senior advisor on advocacy and policy. In this role he will advise the DA’s empl

Mary Mother of Captives

Pen Pal Program

One of the main pieces of this ministry is the correspondence program between a person incarcerated and a person on the outside. Incarceration is one of the most dehumanizing experiences that a person can have and a simple letter of friendship from someone on the outside can act as a strong acknowledgment of the individual’s human dignity. All of the letters go through the A.D.R.O.P. office so that the writers’ addresses are protected. If you or someone you know would like to get involved in the Pen Pal Correspondence Program, please contact us.

Family Support Groups

Are you trying to cope with a loved one in prison, on trial or about to be sentenced to prison? Do you know anyone who has a loved one in prison? Click here for information on our family support groups.

Transition Team

The transition team works with people incarcerated who will be coming out of prison within the next six months. The team’s goal is to prepare the person for what to expect upon release and for living on the outside. They ensure the individual has access to their basic needs: food, clothing, housing and a job. Through this transitional process, the team counsels the individual and provides them help with the goal of keeping them from returning to prison.

Healing Garden

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The Healing Garden is a place of remembering, praying for, and reconciling those who have been harmed by violence in the greater Philadelphia area and beyond. It is located on the south side of St. Augustine church, the scene in 1844 of anti- immigrant riots that burned the church down. This garden is a place that invites the perpetrators and victims of violence to reconciliation and forgiveness. A shrine, housing an original icon to Mary, Mother of Captives, depicts the Mother of God clutching handcuffs over her heart--a sign of her love for those imprisoned in any way. Memorial bricks, shaped in the form of a cross, symbolize the departing prayer of Jesus that we all may be one. Come apart and pray awhile.

For more information about the garden: Read Here

This beautiful statue was handmade in the Philippines and gifted to the Criminal Justice Accompaniment & Reform program. Mary, Mother of Captives stands as a support and loving companion during gatherings.

This beautiful statue was handmade in the Philippines and gifted to the Criminal Justice Accompaniment & Reform program. Mary, Mother of Captives stands as a support and loving companion during gatherings.