After finding faith in prison, former inmate returns to help others

Karl Schlenker believes people serving prison sentences can change, even those facing life behind bars. He says the love of Jesus Christ helped transform his own life.

Once a churchgoing husband and father of three, Schlenker ended up in an Ohio prison. He became aggressive, partly to protect himself and partly because of years of depression and unresolved trauma, including PTSD.

Volunteers with Kairos Prison Ministry helped him begin to change. The nonprofit, which recently marked its 50th anniversary, works in nearly 500 prisons and communities across 37 states and 13 countries. Schlenker is now a volunteer himself, sharing his story with people who are incarcerated in New Hampshire.

Meeting the volunteers

Schlenker says people in prison should be seen as human beings, not reduced to their worst choices. He remembers watching 28 Kairos volunteers arrive at the Ohio prison, bringing cookies and a willingness to listen.

Some of the volunteers seemed frightened, he recalls. They were new to the prison setting and unsure how the men would respond. Schlenker struck up a conversation with an Ohio State professor who was volunteering for the first time. The professor’s warmth helped him feel more at ease, though Schlenker still wasn’t sure what to expect. He had a reputation for being difficult.

It took time for him to open up. Over the course of a long weekend of conversation, listening, and prayer, he began to let the volunteers in. Today, he tries to offer that same kind of welcome to others.

Learning to choose a different path

Kairos helped Schlenker understand forgiveness and the possibility of starting over. His own experience in prison also gives him a connection with the people he now meets. Many are surprised to hear that he once served time himself.

While still in the Ohio prison, Schlenker borrowed a phone from a gang member and angered several inmates. Three men confronted him in a bathroom. He told them he would not fight, but they beat him badly. He was left with lasting scars and said he urinated blood for days.

Schlenker says he never struck back in anger. Two of the men later apologized. One, who was serving a life sentence, eventually left his gang and encouraged other inmates to make more constructive choices.

Schlenker remembers the man’s change as striking: someone physically imposing became gentle and caring.

Faith behind bars

Kairos CEO Evelyn Lemly says the ministry’s work reflects how present faith can feel, even in difficult circumstances. She often hears from people who had felt unworthy or unloved before volunteers arrived and showed them what Christian love meant to them.

The organization works across Christian denominations, Lemly says, focusing on faith in Christ rather than representing one particular church. Still, Kairos is not able to enter every prison. Some facilities lack the time or space, while others do not offer programs of this kind.

When Schlenker meets a group, he introduces himself and points out that he once had a prison number, too. He tells the men he understands how they may be feeling because he was once in their position.

He says his own experience changed him, and that others may also find change if they are willing to take part.