: About Me

Rev. John Leonardson
Executive Director of MentorCare Ministries

Rev. Leonardson has worked in various prison-related ministries since 1980 and John now serves as the Executive Director for MentorCare Ministries. MentorCare serves aftercare centers around Texas and is working toward opening a home for women coming out of prison. Prior to this he served as the Executive Director for Exodus Ministries (www.exodusministriesinc.com) which has served the families of inmates coming out of prison for 17 years. John formerly was the Executive Director for COPE (Coalition of Prison Evangelists) - a twenty-year old organization with hundreds of members involved in prison-related ministries around the world. Before this, he worked as the North Texas Area Director for Prison Fellowship for five years.

John also serves as Volunteer Assistant Chaplain in the Hutchins Unit, where he has served in various capacities since the prison opening. Through Chaplain McAlister's encouragement, John developed the course Preparing for Success on the Outside. This four-month course is designed to help inmates face the real issues they will encounter after release and is now available for others to teach. In 2003, this program earned the Texas Governor's award for Most Innovative Program.

Beginning April 2000, John started MentorCare Ministries - mentoring and caring for ex-offenders. MCM also recruits and trains mentors to serve the thousands of people coming out of prison. MentorCare offers a mentoring manual and Rev. Leonardson travels around the country training groups in aftercare mentoring.

Recently, John has produced his third manual, Starting and Operating a Post Prison Aftercare Facility. It features about 80 pages of practical information and a CD containing about 1300 pages of additional resource material. He has also served on the board of Restorative Justice Ministries Network of Texas.

My passion is ...

Helping people adapt after getting out of prison.

I know too much about ...

crime.

My parents always told me ...

be a good boy.

My childhood ambition ...

to be a chemist.

My favorite memory ...

Europe vacation for 8 weeks.

Why I write ...

I have something to contribute.

What I am reading/watching/listening to ...

Bill Johnson.

My first job ...

janitor.

My best moment ...

getting married 35 years ago.

My inspiration ...

Jesus Christ and the Bible.

Politics, News & Issues > Police & Prisons Crisis builds over America's prison system

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Let's pretend you're a banker reviewing a loan application. A large business comes to you with the need for money to build other locations. This business has been around for years, but it only meets its objective about 30% of the time. In other words, it fails to fulfill its mission with 70% of its customers. This is the scenario in the USA prison system. National statistics show about 70% of inmates will return to prison. That, my friend, is what I would call a proven failure. Yet we are driven by politicians and ignorance to build more and more prisons. It's easy to be incensed by crime ...

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