The Prison Rabbi

[upbeat music] Jewish audio on chabad.org

Less than 10% of the people I see are gonna be there for life.

90% are getting out.

They're returning to the community.

So the challenges are, A, will God forgive them? I tell them yes.

Do they change? They do change.

Uh, most of them change.

The people that I see, in America there's something called recidivism.

The prison system is failing.

Over 50% of the people within five years recommit the same crime and go back in.

The people that I see and that I mentor and come out and I stick with for the rest of their life, less than 1% go back.

[upbeat music]

Welcome to Ordinary People with Extraordinary Stories.

I'm Chana Weisberg, host of this podcast.

Joining me today, we have an incredible guest.

His name is Rabbi Binyomin Scheiman.

He is the rabbi of Chabad of Free and Niles, and he is also a director of the Hinza Institute, which is a prison outreach organization, and he also has the unique distinction of being the longest serving shliach in Ill- State of Illinois.

Welcome, and thank y- for joining us, Rabbi Scheiman.

My pleasure, my pleasure.

Happy Adar.

[laughs] Thank you.

Okay.