Henderson store works with inmates, hires them after release
Despite its name, Castaways resale store breathes more than just new life into its merchandise.
It also revitalizes its workers.
"We work with current inmates as volunteers and aim to hire them after they're released so they can become productive citizens," said store manager Grace Conenna. "It gives them a sense of feeling like a normal person again, because customers don't know that the person helping them is actually going back to an institution after their shift."
Conenna can relate to her workers on a personal basis; the Henderson resident was also an inmate once.
"I was a soccer mom and an executive for a home improvement company, but I also had my own skeletons and addictions that led to my incarceration," she said. "It's crazy to say, but prison saved my life."
The store, at 245 N. Stephanie St., is part of Henderson resident Jake Bodine's larger mission.
In 2009, the 26-year-old launched God Behind Bars as a way to provide inmates and their families with resources and support.
Through partnerships with non-denominational churches, the organization produces services for inmates in local correctional facilities, including the Florence McClure Women's Correctional Center Facility, Southern Nevada Correctional Center and Casa Grande Transitional Housing Facility.
"I noticed that churches in general were great about feeding the homeless, clothing the naked and caring for the sick, but they typically overlooked the incarcerated," he said. "I saw a major gap from the faith-based community when these individuals were released from prison, and my heart broke for them."
Conenna attended the church services at Florence McClure while she completed her sentence a few years ago. Although hesitant at first, she said she began to look forward to them each week because it gave her "a chance to feel normal."
"In the prison system, a lot of people disappear from your life, whether it's friends or family, but the people from God Behind Bars show up week after week," she said. "Even when you get out, these are the people that pick you up at the gate, take you to get an ID, drop you off at a 12-step program.
"It's not all talk, either. While you're on the inside, you hear a lot of, 'God loves you, and he's here for you.' That's great and all, but God isn't picking you up and taking you to parole and probation when you get out."
After her release, Conenna volunteered at Castaways before becoming an employee. She said her job serves as a constant reminder of her past.
"I don't ever want to forget that humiliating, disgusting, dehumanizing experience, because it truly made me a better person," she said. "Being successful now is part of my restitution to the community and my family, and I'd like to be an example to my children that your choices have consequences."
In addition, the nonprofit provides resources for individuals after they're released, such as addiction recovery, housing, education, job opportunities and more.
"When you're on the inside, you become part of a different community, but when you're out, that community no longer exists," Conenna said. "God Behind Bars hopes to provide these individuals with a consistent support system so they don’t end up going back to prison."
Within six years, the nonprofit has grown to 17 correctional facilities in nine states. Bodine plans to reach 40 institutions by the end of the year and has international contracts in the works for Australia, South Africa and the United Kingdom.
"On a national basis, 75 percent of all inmates will (reoffend) within three years of their release, so our goal is to cut that by 55 percent with our programs," Bodine said. "There's about 8.5 million kids that have at least one parent in prison, and 85 percent of those kids are projected to end up in prison themselves.
"The prison system costs taxpayers tens of billions of dollars, so we need to start investing in these individuals now to prevent them from going back."
Due to the nonprofit's success, Bodine plans open a women's transitional living home and additional resale store locations in the valley.
"God Behind Bars and Castaways are both strictly based on donations," he said. "We don't apply for any state or federal funding because we want to bring things to the table rather than take away from it. We want to show that we're focused on the community."
Castaways is open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday. Merchandise is rotated every Thursday, and donation pickups are available.
To donate, visit godbehindbars.com or castawaysresale.com or call 702-425-9146.
