After serving a 30-year prison sentence, John Coburn has been back on the North Side, where he grew up, for a little more than two years. 

Since his release, he has recognized that while both men and women returning from incarceration need help reentering the community, their needs are different based on gender.  

In Wisconsin, roughly one-third of men are reincarcerated within three years of release, according to publicly available data from the Wisconsin Department of Corrections. This is almost 70% higher than the reincarceration rate of women. 

This is where Coburn hopes to make a difference. 

Man-to-man

Coburn, who is 60 years old, recently began serving as the program director for Men Mending Men in the Community, a nonprofit organization that, among other things, works to provide reentry support to Milwaukee men.

Coburn believes that a fundamental tragedy of incarceration – in all its forms – is that it takes a man from the role of being in and supporting his family. 

“I work to help people coming out of prison, but even just in the community. Some men are just out here that may not be physically locked, but mentally and spiritually are locked up in their minds,” Coburn said.

“I want to show men there’s a better way for them to be,” he added. 

Relating to other men in this way has a dual effect. 

“As we go about mending men, we are also mending ourselves,” said Phil Harvey, co-founder of Men Mending Men. 

Coburn believes that people need a good listener or just something to do on a Saturday morning as much as they need a job or a place to stay. 

“When you know someone that cares about you, and they show you that they care, you respond differently,” he said. “It makes you want to do better.”

Jogging and talking

In his role as program director, Coburn works to provide those more unseen, abstract resources. 

Coburn started “Jogging with John,” which is intended to be a regular, morning-time jogging session.

“Amen, let’s do it,” said Harvey, remembering when Coburn pitched the idea.

Coburn said he meets people all the time simply through running, and the exercise, combined with these spontaneous encounters, helps him feel calmer and more at peace. 

“It’s like a medication for me,” he said. 

Coburn sees a similar effect in others.  

“Some people don’t think they can do it, but when they do it, they feel different,” he said. 

Another activity that brings Coburn these same feelings is spending time simply listening to people. 

“People know when you care and when you don’t,” Coburn said. “I’ll be like, ‘Come on, let’s go get something to eat,’ and they’ll look at me like, ‘Really?’” 

“So I take them to get something to eat, and we’ll sit down to talk, and as we talk, they’ll share things with me, and I’m like, ‘Wow.’ And that’s really what it’s about,” Coburn said. 

That’s why the founders of Men Mending Men wanted him to be a part of their work. 

“John can have a conversation with anybody,” said Bryan Winters, co-founder of the organization. “You can put him in an environment where you feel that he wouldn’t be able to interact with people, and he finds a way to connect.”  

Coburn wishes he would have gotten this sort of support and connection when he was reentering.

“Everyone has a story, and everyone’s story is unique in its own way,” he said. “We never know what an individual went through to get to where they’re at. And it takes time and commitment to know an individual’s story.”

‘My brother is support’

Coburn’s inspiration for his reentry work is an obscure person mentioned in the Bible’s book of Exodus, a man named Ahisamach. 

“The name just caught my eye,” Coburn said. 

While incarcerated at Waupun Correctional Institution, Coburn learned that the Hebrew name means “my brother is support.” 

“I used to hate people. I couldn’t stand people. I was despicable. I used to always hurt everyone and everything. Before I got saved,” he said. 

“I thank God for the change that he worked in me,” Coburn said. “I love life. I’m living free.” 

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For more information

Those interested in learning more about Men Mending Men in the Community can email the organization at info@menmendingmen.org. 

 

 

 

 

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