Students can apply to Hearken House Ministry by simply walking in the door, sitting on “the bench” and asking for an interview. They need not be facing jail or prison to be accepted.
Those who are currently in jail can apply by writing us a letter asking for an interview (See How to Apply).
We work closely with judges, prosecuting and district attorneys, with public defenders, with Adult Probation and Parole, and with the sheriffs and deputies that run the jails. If you are in one of these roles and would like to learn more about The Other Side Academy, we are happy to come meet with you or present to a meeting of your peers and help you learn about this effective program.
Here are some frequently asked questions we get from the dedicated and hard-working members of the judicial and enforcement community:
ELIGIBILITY:
We are looking for men who are ready to make this 18-month commitment to change their life. We accept sex offenders; We as a ministry believe that only God can truly change a man’s heart. And unless a man truly repents from this type of sexual sin, there is very litter hope for a lifetime of victory in sexual purity. We work with the parole system and counselors to reshape their daily environment. We believe this peer-to-peer approach works best for this type of moral sin nature, those individuals who need special counseling and is proved by PA Counseling.
Since we operate a high-paced, physically demanding environment our participants must be in reasonably good health to be fully engaged in the program and be able to keep pace with the rigorous schedule.
We accept male participants ranging from 18 to 64 years of age, without regard to race, color, national origin.
CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFERRALS:
We accept participants from all facets of the judicial system including diversion and alternative sentencing, probation, and parole. We cooperate with all agencies of the criminal justice system regarding record keeping and accountability for participants referred by the courts and we will immediately notify such agencies when court-ordered participants leave Hearken House Ministry under conditions that violate the terms of their parole or probation.
VISITATION:
Participants are allowed to write select family members after 30 days and make periodic phone calls after 90 days. In-house and home visits are earned and granted on an individual basis.
COST/COMMITMENT:
There is no cost to the student. All that is required is a strong desire to change and a willingness to commit twenty-four months to the process because we believe that is how long it takes to reinvent oneself so that your new life is one you will be able to maintain. We also believe that the process begins with the initial interview. Admitting the truths about our lives is the first step to changing, so complete honesty is a must. Anyone caught lying in his or her interview may be asked to leave.
WHAT TO EXPECT:
A typical day starts at 6 AM with a morning meeting and breakfast, work until lunch and the daily bible studies, seminar, then back to work until 5 PM. After dinner there is school, bible lessons, peer group sessions called “Games” (to work out issues that arise during the day), an hour or so of downtime, then it’s lights out at 11 PM. Saturdays are a workday as well and then there is a social function in the evening. Sundays Church