The National Day of Forgiveness encourages everyone to develop realistic methods for incorporating forgiveness into their lives. The Oklahoma Department of Corrections facilitates that opportunity through its Community Outreach Unit, offering resources to foster healing, understanding and second chances.
ODOC’s Community Outreach Unit is dedicated to cultivating dialogue and encouraging personal growth among inmates, their families and the broader community. By promoting the values of forgiveness and rehabilitation, ODOC helps individuals navigate the emotional and psychological challenges that come with incarceration and reintegration into society.
Toni Scheihing, administrator of Community Outreach, believes forgiveness, both of self and others, is a powerful tool in breaking the cycle of crime and facilitating long-term change. "Everyone needs forgiveness,” she said, “Forgiveness is not about forgetting but finding a way to move on."
The Community Outreach Unit offers unique approaches to forgiveness. One approach is the Victim-Inmate Dialogue Program, where staff serves as a mediator between survivors and inmates, offering sessions to help both parties seek closure. Survivors, victims or their families can request mediation, and inmates may choose to participate. Mediators guide these conversations to ensure productive dialogue and emotional resolution for survivors. This process helps inmates confront their past actions, take responsibility and develop empathy.
Families of incarcerated individuals also benefit from these programs, finding a space to process their emotions and build healthier relationships. The unit provides daily support to families, helping them navigate ODOC policies and procedures. Scheihing aims to hold seminars for family members in the future.
The unit also collaborates with faith-based organizations, mental health professionals, and community advocates like the YWCA, Palomar and ReMerge Oklahoma to ensure survivors and previously incarcerated individuals re-entering society are aware of resources available to them and create spaces for dialogue on forgiveness. These collaborative efforts highlight the role forgiveness plays in reducing recidivism and enhancing public safety.
Victim service advocates also work in the Community Outreach Unit. They oversee the Apology Bank, a restorative justice initiative that allows incarcerated individuals to express remorse for their past actions. The Apology Bank provides an opportunity for those in custody to write sincere letters of apology to victims, survivors, families and others affected by their crime. While the letters are not delivered directly unless requested by the recipient, the process encourages personal accountability and emotional growth. Survivors and families can also access the Apology Bank when they feel ready, promoting healing on their own terms.
On this National Day of Forgiveness, ODOC encourages those impacted by a crime who are considering forgiveness to explore their options by contacting a victim service advocate. More information can be found at https://oklahoma.gov/doc/victim-services.html or by calling 405-425-2607.