BDAI: Before, During, and After Incarceration

 

 

 “The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me; he has sent me to bring good news to the oppressed, to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and release to the prisoners.”  – Isaiah 61:1

 

 

By Zeke Fleet, CUMC Mission Committee

Mission Statement

Before, During and After Incarceration (BDAI) seeks to promote alternatives to incarceration, including restorative programming and support for those incarcerated and their families. BDAI advocates for the incarcerated by providing restorative programming, family support, and community education about alternatives to incarceration while engaging local and statewide stakeholders to improve the criminal justice system.

Tom Bousamra and Toni Stanfield, co-founders of BDAI, have a passion for jail ministry and for the support of those incarcerated and their families. They have acquired first-hand knowledge of the hardships of the lives of incarcerated men and women, and have seen the suffering, loneliness, alienation, and deep despair brought about by imprisonment. A high percentage of those jailed are dealing with complications caused by substance abuse and mental health issues. Families and loved ones associated with those incarcerated also suffer the storms of social stigma, worry, fear, and financial burden. 

Tom and Toni’s compassion and the need for restorative programing led them to launch the 501(c)3 non-profit organization in 2016. As an all-volunteer organization, the BDAI group has worked tirelessly to promote restorative justice, to help those incarcerated and their families deal with stress, grief, emotional and health issues, to help re-establish employment and find secure housing.  

 

BDAI collaborates with many area agencies and non-profit organizations to provide crisis help, housing, transportation, mental health and substance abuse recovery, health care, veteran’s assistance, food and clothing. In 2024 BDAI allocated $22,000 to support citizens who seek to be restored to community life. Each week BDAI hosts jail skill classes that are attended by 20 to 30 people.  

BDAI hosts support and fellowship meals for families and volunteers on the second Tuesday of each month at 5:30 p.m. at Central UMC’s Fellowship Hall. In June, July and August the Family Picnic support dinners are held at the Boardman Nature Center pavilion off S. Cass Rd.

 

BDAI Initiatives:

• We work to humanize the faces of the incarcerated.
• We strive to change community attitudes about incarceration through education and advocacy.
• We work to change the jail culture from punishment to a culture of recovery.
• We are an advocate for rehabilitation, and we find ways for re-entrance into the community following incarceration.
• We are training navigators to come alongside returning citizens to help them with their discharge plans and guide them to the necessary resources. Funding and volunteers are needed for this initiative.

Please support BDAI – A dynamic voice for restorative justice and legal system reform.

We encourage financial and volunteer support of BDAI through the mission ministries of Central United Methodist Church. When making donations online, please select “Central Missions” from the dropdown menu.

Give online to Central Missions now.

Interested in becoming a BDAI volunteer? Call (231) 590-6279 or email bdai.org@gmail.com