Louis Dooley is a former prisoner with 2 Life sentences + 100 years. He now strives to plant Bible studies in Cook County Jail helping detainees learn how to study God’s Word. He also goes into Chicagoland youth prisons where he works to introduce and further their knowledge of Jesus Christ. When he is not in jail or prison he mentors the young men living at Philemon House.
The goal of Philemon House is to disciple people who have been touched by incarceration. Philemon House is a Christ-centered ministry that supports current and former inmates in finding and living a Christ-pleasing life. We offer Bible study through in-person and correspondence courses in jails and prisons. Additionally, we provide a Discipleship House for young men, where they live with our Executive Director and his wife and receive training in spiritual growth, behavior, finances, education, and job skills.
Q. What do you see as Philemon House’s unique contribution to the space of juvenile justice advocacy in your community?
A: Philemon House’s unique contribution is its “life on life” approach within a home environment, operating from a single-family house rather than a traditional facility, creating a comfortable atmosphere where staff act as a “cool aunt or cool uncle”. The program focuses on teaching practical life skills and etiquette (e.g., how such as using a knife and fork, personal hygiene, and appropriate dress), emphasizing the reason for the behavior Education is prioritized above securing a job to reduce recidivism, utilizing assessments like Enneagram and Myers-Briggs to align youth with suitable career paths. In addition, the house is intentionally located in a low-crime area, 25–30 miles from Chicago, to minimize exposure to gang-related violence. Furthermore, the organization teaches financial literacy (budgeting, investing, giving, and saving) and uses an honor system with mandatory reading and real-world consequences to foster coping and planning skills.
Q: Philemon House is an official after-care placement with the state of Illinois. What was the process of establishing this partnership, and what strategies were most successful?
A: To become an official aftercare placement with the state of Illinois, Philemon House first had to secure licensure as foster parents through an external, non-governmental DCFS (Division of Child and Family Services) agency. This process was rigorous, requiring CPR training, months of online courses, meetings, and implementing extensive safety measures for the house, such as fire extinguishers and securing the backyard pond. Achieving foster parent status “checked all the boxes” for state placement. Key strategies for success involved maintaining quality over quantity by limiting residents to a maximum of three to ensure privacy and their own room. The most effective strategy was the unique, neighborhood-based facility itself. Correctional and probation officers visited the home and were highly impressed by the single-family home environment, leading Philemon House to be “bumped to the top of the list” for referrals. Additionally, pre-existing trust built with facility personnel over years of institutional visits helped expedite the official licensing process.
Q: What is one piece of advice you would give to an organization just beginning engagement in juvenile justice advocacy?
A: The most valuable piece of advice for a new organization is to create a healthy environment that adequately addresses the social needs of the young men. Based on his experience, Louis strongly advises organizations to never have only one person in the house at a time. The youth, often feeling like a “fish out of water” due to culture shock in the affluent, non-minority neighborhood, lacked sufficient social bandwidth with peers and would go “stir crazy” when housed alone. Although they were “street-mature,” they struggled to connect with local peers who had not shared their experiences. Bringing multiple young men with similar backgrounds together provides crucial, instant peer-to-peer relationships. This shared-experience bond is essential for their well-being, as times with more than one person in the house were consistently the “best times” for the program.