Local stage play shining a light on redemption during Second Chance Month

UPPER MARLBORO, Md. — April is Second Chance Awareness Month and this weekend, a Maryland writer and director is putting on a play he hopes will help those re-entering society from prison. 

The Christian-based play "Poor Man Rich Soul" is a story of redemption and how a person can turn their life around. Prince George's County native and writer/director Jimmy Jenkins is hoping it will resonate with the community. 

“The United States is figuring out that you can’t just lock people up and throw away the key,” said Rev. Jonathan Queen, associate pastor at First Baptist Church of Glenarden and head of the Redeemed and Restored Reentry ministry. 

Second Chance Month is all about helping people who were formerly incarcerated find their path in society. Rev. Queen says without resources, it’s easy to make the same mistakes.  

“Millions of men and women are coming home from prison and if they come back to a community that doesn’t have anything for them, they’re going to go back to doing what they did that led to them going to prison," Queen said.  

According to the Maryland Reentry Resource Center around 40% of people who were incarcerated in the state re-offend and return to jail or prison within three years of their release. 

Queen spent over 10 years in prison.

“At one time I answered to inmate Queen...and it was because I made some poor choices” he told WUSA9. 

"Everybody makes mistakes and you aren’t your mistake. You can always rebound if you still have breath in your lungs," Jenkins said. 

Jenkins is bringing his play "Poor Man, Rich Soul" to the stage at First Baptist Church of Glenarden for free this weekend. It touches on serious topics like incarceration, self worth, and redemption when a world champion boxer finds himself on death row. 

“People in prison need God, too, and those are the people that God wants us to reach out to. If one person is impacted, if one person feels like they got a shot, they got a chance to do something with their life — I’m really happy with that,” Jenkins said.  

You can see "Poor man, Rich Soul" this weekend at First Baptist Church of Glenarden or stream it online. It’s completely free and you don’t need a ticket. There is a show Friday, April 21 at 7 p.m. and Saturday, April 22 at 1 p.m. 

There will also be tables set up in the lobby with resources for returning citizens.