IN MEMORIAM

REVEREND EDWIN M. MULLER

Our Beloved, Rev, passed away May 7, 2024.

He was approximately 90 years old. He had been living with one of his daughters in Florida and was hoping to go back to Poughkeepsie, NY for the summer. I spoke to him within the last month, as always, he exuded wisdom, experience, and brotherhood. He was my mentor, colleague, and friend for 27 years.

His affect on each of us is deep and hard to measure. His affect on the world, like ripples in the water, will continue for a long, long, time.

“We will create a human world by deciding to live the life we have for the sake of humanity.”

Gordon W. Brown
Exodus Facilitator

THE EXODUS:
A United Methodist Chaplain Designed A Program To Help Prisoners Prepare For Life On The Outside

by Robert Maurer (The Interpreter, April 1982)

A maximum security prison known as Green Haven features the Exodus program ministering both to Muslims and Christians. The founder of the program is the Rev. Edwin M. Muller, a United Methodist chaplain.
Mr. Muller has wandered the corridors of Green Haven for the past 13 years. He is that rare combination of a theologian who bases his program squarely on biblical themes and a tough politician doing what he can for the constituents in his ward…he focuses on a prime need of inmates’ preparation to re-enter society. His ministries are attempts to keep inmates from succumbing to destructive dependency patterns fostered by the walls which surround them

REV. EDWIN M. MULLER FOUNDER OF EXODUS:
A BRIEF CHRONICLE OF HIS WORK AND HIS LEGACY

Affectionally known to all as, simply, Rev.

In the later 1960’s Rev. Edwin M Muller began discussions with some prisoners at Green Haven; primarily William Stephenson “Bama” Battle, Larry “Lukman” White, Charlie Acker, and Napolean Harris.  By 1967 The Cadre had been formed.  The founders and many others accepted the task of coming to terms with their lot.  From 1967 to 1969 they began to build models to deal with the problems they had identified. The Cadre continued its innovative meetings. After the 1973 Attica Riot the need for humane programming became even more evident. Rev Muller and Bama Battle recognised the power of the story of The Exodus of the Hebrew Nation from Egypt, through the Wilderness, to the Promised Land, and how effectively that metaphor aligned and informed the plight of the incarcerated. In 1975 the Cadre became Exodus.

The desire of Rev. Muller to assist those who possessed a “criminal mentality” or those who made one unfortunate mistake that led to incarceration, fuelled his passion to assist the “outcasts of society” to transform their mentality from criminal to social. The success of his ambition and work can be seen in the Empire State, and across the nation.
The vision of Rev. Muller was to create beneficial programs that are life-giving. Programs that have proven to be successful in assisting with the transition of the incarcerated back into society as productive human beings. For those individuals from Exodus who were released and followed their Exodus Contracts, and were attentive to the concepts and influence of Rev. Muller, the success is over 97%. Moreover, Rev’s helping hand has reached every level of humanity.

Rev was the Executive Director of the South Forty Corporation, a non-profit organization that provided services in the 1960’s and 1970’s to the Cadre (and later Exodus), helped develop the first higher education programs, and managed programs to house and support persons released from prison including: transitional residences, stipends for food and living expenses, job placement assistance, etc.
(The South Forty Corporation is no longer associated with Exodus.)

Rev Muller is sometimes referred to as the Father of College Programs in NY Prisons. He didn’t know if prisoners could handle college until those early classes. It was immediately revealed that prisoners possessed the concentration and desire to achieve the first college credits conferred on the incarcerated. Statistics prove that education is the best way to prevent recidivism.

Rev was instrumental in establishing the Rising Hope Program and served on their board for many years.  Rising Hope continues to operate in several NYS prisons offering a 1 year, college credit program and a Certificate in Ministry and Human Services upon completion.

Rev. Muller along with Rev. Bill Weber helped to establish the NYTS (New York Theological Seminary) Masters in Theological Studies program conducted at Sing Sing.

Rev is credited with helping to develop and being the first director of FRP (Family Reunion Program) which allows for wives, husbands, children and immediate family to have private 2 and 3 day visits with their incarcerated loved ones. FRP has assisted in maintaining family ties, help children stay in school, and on the correct path in society.

Rev along with Exodus groups have studied a variety of issues over the years and developed many initiatives including: The Exodus Contract; The Parole Success Prediction Index, A Guide to Success on Parole; Avenues to Understanding, A dialogue Between Parents and Teenagers; Critical Analysis, with a twelve week curriculum; Hope Lives for Lifers (spearheaded by Larry “Lukman” White), The New Life Agenda, and many other initiatives developed by our members in and out of prison.

Exodus Transitional Community was initiated by Rev. Dr. Lonnie McLeod, Jr. who was a participant in Exodus at Green Haven, and Julio Medina.  Exodus Transitional Community adopted some of the principals of Exodus in their programming, but was not directly affiliated with Exodus. ETC has become one of the premier re-entry programs for returning citizens in New York State.

The Exodus Program pioneered by Rev. Muller and the men at Green Haven continues to exist and improve the quality of life for men in prison. There were programs at Eastern, Woodbourne, Shawangunk, and Fishkill. These groups fostered the concepts of creating the life-giver, the intentional human being, the new man, and supporting each other with life changing dialogue, development of personal contracts, and community service. Since the onset of the covid epidemic Exodus has been maintained within prisons by this email program