Serving inside youth correctional facilities through Kairos Torch is a deeply rewarding ministry. Many of us form strong bonds with the young people we mentor, walking alongside them as they take steps toward healing and transformation. It is only natural to feel called to continue those relationships once a youth is released. However, correctional systems, both state and federal, have clear policies that prohibit or limit contact between volunteers and formerly incarcerated youth outside of the facility. These policies are not designed to discourage ministry, but rather to ensure safety, maintain ethical boundaries, and protect both volunteers and the youth we serve.

These restrictions exist for several important reasons. First, they protect young people from exploitation or unhealthy dependence. Volunteers serve in positions of authority, and unsupervised relationships after release can unintentionally create power imbalances or harm. Boundaries help ensure safety for vulnerable youth. Second, the policies reduce liability for facilities, ministries, and volunteers, shielding all involved from legal risks or misunderstandings. Third, they promote fairness, preventing favoritism and jealousy among residents by ensuring that all youth are treated equally. Fourth, they help maintain volunteer roles, keeping the focus on in-facility ministry rather than post-release supervision, which is a responsibility handled by trained reentry professionals. Finally, these rules support reentry oversight, allowing probation officers and reentry staff to guide youth through the difficult transition from incarceration to freedom.

While direct contact with youth after release may be limited, Kairos Torch volunteers can play a powerful role in ministry by equipping families to receive their loved ones well. This is where Kairos Outside, our sister ministry, plays an essential role. Kairos Outside ministers to the mothers, guardians, and female loved ones of those who are incarcerated. By surrounding these women with a supportive, Christ-centered community, we help create a foundation of stability and healing that extends to the entire family. When a young person returns home, they step into an environment that is already being transformed by God’s grace.

While direct contact with youth after release may be limited, Kairos Torch volunteers can play a powerful role in ministry by equipping families to receive their loved ones well. This is where Kairos Outside, our sister ministry, plays an essential role. Kairos Outside ministers to the mothers, guardians, and female loved ones of those who are incarcerated. By surrounding these women with a supportive, Christ-centered community, we help create a foundation of stability and healing that extends to the entire family. When a young person returns home, they step into an environment that is already being transformed by God’s grace.

Similar restrictions also exist in adult correctional facilities. In most states, the Department of Corrections prevents Kairos Inside volunteers from having personal contact with incarcerated men or women outside the approved ministry setting. Just as with youth, these policies are in place to protect healthy boundaries, avoid misunderstandings, and ensure the safety of everyone involved. In many cases, correspondence, visits, or personal relationships with Kairos Inside participants after their release, particularly while they are on probation or parole, are not permitted. It is important for all volunteers to be mindful of this rule, not as a limitation, but as a safeguard that allows us to minister with integrity and in partnership with correctional authorities.

Connecting female loved ones to Kairos Outside as early as possible is vital because of the difference it makes in the entire reentry journey. Kairos Outside provides immediate support for caregivers, offering emotional, spiritual, and practical encouragement to women often carrying heavy burdens alone. It facilitates a holistic ministry journey, helping women heal from shame, grief, and brokenness so that they can create a healthier home environment. Families are equipped to welcome their youth back with understanding, grace, and healthy boundaries, and the ministry doesn’t end after one Weekend Retreat. Kairos Outside provides ongoing connection through reunions, SWAP groups, and fellowship, ensuring that the work God begins in these families continues.

By walking alongside mothers and guardians, Kairos Outside becomes an extension of the mentoring work of Kairos Torch. When we minister to the entire family, transformation does not stop at the prison gate, it multiplies, touching every heart in the household and strengthening the entire ministry.

Be aware that some states prohibit volunteers who are serving inside from having direct contact with residents’ families. Female Kairos volunteers should be especially aware of this restriction if they are also serving with Kairos Outside. They must ensure that their involvement with both programs does not conflict with Department of Corrections regulations in their state.

Though these rules about contact may feel restrictive, they ultimately safeguard youth and strengthen the mission of Kairos. By respecting boundaries, supporting families through Kairos Outside, and working within approved programs, we bring lasting hope not only to the youth we serve but to their entire families.

Let’s provide a lasting impact on each of the youth we serve and encouraging them to gift their female loved ones and caregivers to attend a Kairos Outside Weekend and commit to pray for these families as they prepare to welcome their loved one’s home.