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Summary of The Islas Marķas Jesuit Project
(where Oscar Raynal S.J.“55 is working)
This new project is intended to further extend the evangelization efforts made daily by the Jesuit Fathers, Francisco Ornelas (Superior of the Jesuit Community) and Oscar Raynal, in the prison system within the Islas Marias in Nayarit, Mexico.
The project was created by a non-profit organization with the objective of providing the tools needed to help the prisoners at the Islas Marias Prison make changes in their lives that will give them a new opportunity to be re-inserted into society and become valuable persons after they are released from jail. (Note: there are both male and female inmates in Islas Marias.)
Unfortunately, most of these released ex-convicts have little to no opportunity in life when they return to society. They are usually rejected, in some cases even from their own families. The result is that many of them are lured back into organized crime and return to a twisted way of life.
This project will create a center in Guadalajara, Mexico, which would offer these ex-convicts meals, a bed to sleep, and a shower, but more importantly, offer love and respect without judgment, as strong motivation to start a new, clean life.
Also planned is a well-equipped woodworking shop in Guadalajara. (The machinery partly has been donated.) A similar shop will also be established within the prison, in order to offer training that would give the prisoners some preparation before they are freed and are accepted into the Guadalajara center.
The next step, for those who show a real commitment, will be to help them get a micro-credit to start their own small business. This could be in the woodworking field or in a taco stand where their family can work and earn a good income to survive. (We expect that most of these micro-credits will be paid back and thus create a revolving fund to keep the program going long term).
We understand that frustration can come from the bad decisions that some of these people will make, that will take them back to a bad life, but this is a natural risk that we are willing to take.
We feel sure that if we can offer these ex-prisoners a job in our own center or help them to get a job in their own towns according to their talents it will give them a solid step into real rehabilitation.
With patience and love we will work to contribute to this process so these newly-freed men and women can find a dignified life after a difficult experience in prison. They will be treated with respect regardless if guilty in their earlier behavior. We hope that those who are willing to work with us, step-by-step, will be helped in the long run to start their own businesses where they will get a much better income than the poorly-paid jobs as most of the current salaries in Mexico are.
We also know how difficult is to get donations for ex-prisoners, and for that reason we need to be creative to get the funds that will be needed to succeed in this cause.
We are planning to generate extra income by creating a TV mini-series. This will be in the form of documentary programs beginning (when possible) with an interview in prison before release. It will include their own descriptions of their previous crime life, as well as their experience in jail.
We will also visit and film interviews with their families and the effect on them before and during prison. These will, in most cases, be difficult stories, but we expect to turn many of those stories into a much happier ending.
We will record their arrival as free citizens at their homes, or to our own center in Guadalajara, and also record the period of their getting back to a life in which they can regain the pride and respect of free men and women.
Hopefully, most of these stories will achieve the goal that we envision: they will be content and successfully operating their own small businesses. We plan to have a mini-documentary for each one that is willing to be part of the program.
We are also planning to create a TV series about this work. (We have volunteers with movie production and execution expertise willing to help with this matter.) We hope this TV series, if well executed, will be another asset to our overall plan. Funds will be needed for that part of the project as investment.
Beyond all these efforts now getting underway, we hope that the very real stories about the eventual success of these ex-prisoners can be presented directly to the prisoners at Islas Marias. This will be a very effective way to motivate and show them that it is possible, after jail, to make a real change in their lives.
We believe that these prisoners, many of them, are seriously in need of love and forgiveness. In reality, they are very fragile and deeply injured much like a child. We should see in all of them the opportunity to bring home a 'prodigal son or daughter.' To show them this love and respect will make the difference. We invite everyone who receives this message to participate in any form you can. Share with us your ideas, time, or money, and anything you believe could help succeed in this great project of love and forgiveness.
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