HISTORY OF KAIROS

In 1975, Tom Johnson, a lawyer and Catholic Cursillista from Miami, Florida,
attended an ecumenical Cursillo gathering in Atlanta, Georgia. Though delegates
came from several denominations doing Cursillo weekends, this Atlanta gathering
was heavily Lutheran.

Tom Johnson had been imagining a Cursillo program in prison for some months.
When he heard some of the delegates actually planning a prison weekend in Iowa,
Tom approached the Iowa delegate, Pastor Gene Hermeier and sought permission
to attend. One week later, Tom was observing a Cursillo weekend in an Iowa prison
and knew that he found a calling. He returned to Miami determined to begin
weekends in Florida prisons. The first weekend was held at Union Correctional
Institution at Raiford, Florida in the fall of 1976. It was called Cursillo.

By 1978, six or seven states were doing Cursillo in prison. The national Cursillo
office in Dallas, Texas surveyed these prison Cursillos and determined that they
should be ecumenical, they should be under a central authority and that the format
should be significantly altered to better meet the needs of those in prison. Cursillo
asked the Florida group to design a program for that particular application.

After the first Kairos was presented in 1979, Cursillo requested those who were
doing Cursillo in prison to quit the practice. Most of those districts became
associated with Kairos.

Kairos dates its history back to that first weekend at UCI at Raiford, Florida. Kairos
is now active in 25 states, England and Australia. The ministry is active in 165
prisons and has 11 Kairos Outside ministries for wives and mothers. More than
95,000 incarcerated men and women have been introduced to the Christian
community that is Kairos and the current rate of introduction exceeds 10,000 per
year.

WHY PRISON MINISTRY?

Dr. Peter P. Legins, Professor Emeritus at the University of Maryland, Institute of
Criminal Justice and Criminology, is considered by most people to be the dean of
American criminologists. In a meeting with a group of men who were the founders of
Kairos, he said: "I have known for many years, as have most of the leading
criminologists in this country, that the greatest hope for an inmate to avoid the
revolving doors of our prisons is to undergo a religious conversion experience
during his incarceration."

WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF KAIROS?

The purpose of Kairos is the building of strong Christian communities within the
environment of correctional institutions. That is done through the impact of small,
share and prayer groups of residents in the institutions. These groups meet weekly
to share their lives on a very deep spiritual level and to pray for one and other and
for the residents and the staff.

HOW DOES KAIROS BEGIN IN AN INSTITUTION?

Kairos is a continuing prison ministry launched with the presentation of a 3-day
short course in Christianity in a correctional institution. Beginning with a spiritual
introduction on Thursday evening, the course runs from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday,
Saturday, and Sunday.

WHO BEGINS IT?

The short course is offered, in cooperation with the Chaplain, by an
inter-denominational team of some 50-55 men (or women in a women's institution)
made up of both clergy and lay persons drawn from the area surrounding the
institution. It is attended by 42 carefully selected leaders chosen by the Chaplain
from the residents of the institution.

HOW DO THE RESIDENTS RESPOND?

Usually all 42 residents attending a Kairos weekend will have a major conversion
experience during the weekend. For some, its effect with last only a day or two, for
some a week or two, for some a month or two. For most, however, it will prove to
have a life-changing experience of permanent impact.

HOW DOES KAIROS "CONTINUE"?

The primary continuing ministry of Kairos is from resident to resident and occurs in
small share and prayer groups which meet weekly.

Team members who work a Kairos team make a commitment to return to that prison
once a month for a reunion with the residents. It is a time of sharing, of instruction,
of worship, of fellowship, of renewal and strengthening... for both outmates and
inmates.

HOW DOES THE CHRISTIAN COMMUNITY SPREAD THROUGHOUT THE
INSTITUTION?

Kairos weekends, with their subsequent 2-day retreats, take place every six months
once the ministry is launched in an institution. After these small groups have been
meeting regularly and participating in the ongoing worship and activities of the
institution's chaplaincy program for about 12 months, members of the group
suddenly find their peers in the "negative" subculture, in which they have been
leaders, coming up to them and saying, "Man, I don't know what it is you've got, but
I want it!"... and they then introduce their friend to Christ and the Christian
community work of Kairos.

WHAT IS THE IMPACT OF THE MINISTRY?

Even though prison sentences in the United States are long in comparison with
other countries, most inmates will return to society in less than three years.
Ninety-six percent of them will eventually be walking the same streets which we walk.

For a variety of reasons, from 30 to 70 percent of those released will return to
prison again. Continuing studies being carried out in South Carolina, Texas,
Colorado and California indicate dramatic reductions in the recidivism rate among
those residents who have experienced Kairos.

Kairos files are full of letters from prison superintendents, wardens, correctional
officers and other members of the criminal justice system detailing the extremely
favorable impact the Kairos ministry has had on the quality of life in prisons across
the country and in Canada.

The first Kairos at F.C.I. Terminal Island was held on October 5-8, 1990. It was the
first Kairos weekend held in Southern California. Since that time there have been
37 other weekends.
About Kairos Prison Ministry
Links to California Kairos sites
Links to National Kairos sites
Recommended Websites
3 Day Movements
Links to Videos
FCI-TI Kairos Affiliated Churches
in Southern California
Catholic
Lutheran
Episcopal
The mission of the Kairos Prison Ministry is to share the transforming love and
forgiveness of Jesus Christ to impact the hearts and lives of incarcerated men,
women and youth, as well as their families, to become loving and productive citizens
of their communities.

Kairos Prison Ministry International, Inc. (KPMI) is a Christian faith based ministry
which addresses the spiritual needs of incarcerated men, women, youth and, their
families. By sharing the love and forgiveness of Jesus Christ, Kairos hopes to
change hearts, transform lives and impact the world. KPMI sprang from the Cursillo
movement and is supported by volunteers from the 4th Day movements such as
Cursillo, National Episcopal Cursillo, Presbyterian Cursillo, Lutheran Via de Cristo,
The Upper Room's Walk To Emmaus, and independently ecumenical Tres Dias as
well as volunteers from independent and non-denominational churches. As a
ministry, Kairos embraces a diverse group of volunteers working together to fulfill
Christ's call to action in Matthew 25:36.

KPMI is a ministry of the church ... a ministry of the apostles whom Jesus, the Christ,
has called into community and sent forth into the environment of the correctional
institution. KPMI has been called the best example of the early church in existence
today.

The Kairos program incorporates curriculum designed to build and encourage
pro-social character and behavior. Society spends over $60 billion/yr. to keep 2.3
million inmates incarcerated, whereas the Kairos program is offered at no cost to
State and Federal Institutions. It's been said that it cost the government $1 million to
keep "me" locked up and a $100 program from Kairos set "me" free.

KPMI is a 501(C)(3) not-for-profit corporation chartered in the State of Florida. The
word, Kairos, is a Greek word meaning in God's Special Time or in the Fullness of
Time indicating an opportunity for our participants and guests to re-consider their
life choices - as hearts are changed, inmates begin to take responsibility for their
actions - it's like a front row seat at a miracle - transforming lives and impacting the
world.
=
Ecumenical

Kairos
Inside


Kairos Inside is composed of
well-organized and well-trained
volunteer teams of men and women
from the communities surrounding an
institution present an introductory
3-day weekend, described as a short
course in Christianity. This
inter-denominational team of
volunteers - both clergy and
laypersons - works in cooperation
with the Chaplain who carefully
selects up to 42 inmate leaders to
attend. Well organized follow-up is
part of this program.


Kairos
Outside


Kairos Outside is a special weekend
retreat designed to support the
female loved ones of men and women
who are or have been incarcerated.
Families of the incarcerated "do time"
right along with their loved ones. In a
safe environment with loving people,
women interact with other women who
are in similar situations and learn to
form small support groups to give
them strength for the challenges they
face.


Kairos
Torch

Kairos Torch offers
unconditional love
and acceptance,
encouraging young
men and women to
share their life journey through
participation in a long term mentoring
process. The program begins with a
weekend retreat inside the prison.
Torch team members commit to a
weekly mentoring process with the
youthful offenders for six months after
the weekend.