"Prison life is exciting and terrible at the same time," begins Richard in this week's Insider. "There's violence, there's rape—[there are] things that go on that you'll never hear people talk about."
Richard committed fraud while working for a government agency. He was convicted and sent to federal prison.
"The great thing about [prison is that] you get to meet people from every walk of life," he continues. "From government officials to people from Wall Street, to doctors [and] lawyers."
While in prison, Richard was separated from his family. He wrote his children letters, but knew he needed to do something more for his kids. So he signed up for the Angel Tree® program.
"[Angel Tree] kept the relationship between me and my children … together," Richard explains.
FROM FRAUD TO FAITH
"If it's not in the Word of God, if it's not a principle of God, then I don't want any part of it."
"I've had enough experience to know what happens when you live your life outside of [God's Will]," Richard says. "I've been on both sides. I've been on the walk of faith and I've been on the walk of evil. … And one of them I want and one of them I don't."
DEFINED BY FAITH
"One of the lessons that I learned," Richard shares, "is that we don't live for ourselves. God has a plan for our life."
Today, Richard is not defined by his past crimes but by his faith in Jesus Christ. "If it's not in the Word of God, if it's not a principle of God, then I don't want any part of it," he says.
SUPPORT THE WORK OF PRISON FELLOWSHIP
At Prison Fellowship® we "remember those in prison." We believe in second chances, and that prison should be a place of rehabilitation. Through our programs, we offer incarcerated men and women hope, encouragement, and support, so that people like Richard can be transformed.