Prison Fellowship

Remember Those in Prison

  • DONATE
    • One-Time
    • Monthly
    • Angel Tree
    • Other Ways to Give
  • GET INVOLVED
    • Volunteer
    • Subscribe
    • Angel Tree Christmas
    • Pray With Us
    • Justice Action Center
    • Share on Social
  • STORIES
    • Stories
    • Blog
    • Videos
    • The Restoration Series [Videos]
  • WHAT WE DO
    • Why Help Prisoners?
    • What We Do
    • In-Prison
      • Prison Fellowship Academy
      • In-Prison Programs
      • Hope Events
      • Inside Journal
      • Women’s Ministry
      • Create: New Beginnings
    • Angel Tree
      • Register your church or group for Angel Tree
      • Prison Fellowship Angel Tree
      • Angel Tree Christmas
      • Angel Tree Camping
      • Angel Tree Sports Camps
    • Justice Reform
      • Second Chance Month
      • Sign the Justice Declaration
      • Get a Copy of Outrageous Justice
    • Warden Exchange
    • Church Partners
    • Corporate Partnerships
    • Preparing Prisoners for Reentry
  • RESOURCES
    • Subscribe to Our Email
    • Support for Friends and Family of Prisoners
      • Coping with Incarceration
      • Resources for Prisoners
      • Resources for Children of Prisoners
      • Supporting Successful Prisoner Reentry
    • Resources for Churches and Volunteers
      • In-Prison Ministry
      • Reentry Ministry
      • Family Ministry
      • Justice Reform
      • Mentoring Ministry
    • Resources for Angel Tree® Church Coordinators
    • Resources for Chaplains
    • Resources for D.O.C.
    • Justice Reform Resources
    • Share on Social
    • For Media Outlets
  • ABOUT US
    • Leadership
    • Chuck Colson
      • The Charles Colson Hope Awards
    • Our Beliefs
    • Financials
      • 2021 Annual Report
    • Employment
    • Contact Us
    • In The News

Join Us Virtually for the Third Annual Second Chance Month Gala!

April 8, 2021 by Emily Harris Greene

Celebrate Second Chance Month with Prison Fellowship and Our Partners at Our Virtual Gala!

It started with a simple idea: to raise awareness of the barriers returning citizens face upon their release from prison. That simple idea became Second Chance® Month, a nationwide campaign led by Prison Fellowship® to unlock second chances for the 70 million Americans with a criminal record who have paid their debt to society.

Four years later, nearly 500 organizations, churches, and businesses across the country have partnered with us as official Second Chance Month partners. This diverse group works together to unlock brighter futures for the men and women who are seeking to make good on their second chance.

This April, as we celebrate our fifth annual Second Chance Month, we ask you to join us for a very special night: The Second Chance Month Virtual Gala!

THE THIRD ANNUAL SECOND CHANCE MONTH GALA

Hosted by Prison Fellowship, the Second Chance Month Gala is a virtual event for our partners and supporters to celebrate second chances and encourage one another as we work toward a better future. In light of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, this year's gala will go on as a virtual event out of respect for public health and safety.

Hosted by James J. Ackerman, president and CEO of Prison Fellowship, and Heather Rice-Minus, senior vice president of advocacy and church mobilization, the event will be held on Thursday, April 29, at 7p.m. EST. Attendees will hear powerful second chances stories from special guests, and there will be a performance by Christian hip-hop recording artist Lecrae. Bryan Stevenson, founder and executive director of the Equal Justice Initiative (EJI), will deliver the keynote address.

Additional speakers include Matthew Charles, one of the first people to be released under the bipartisan FIRST STEP Act, and Justice Action Network, our Second Chance Month Champion.

rapper lecrae

MUSICAL GUEST: LECRAE

Recording artist, songwriter, producer, and entrepreneur, Lecrae has been a powerhouse presence in both Christian and secular music since the early 2000s. Together, Lecrae and Prison Fellowship have partnered to bring the Gospel behind bars to America's prisoners.

Lecrae has a heart for the marginalized and forgotten of society. On second chances, he says,

"Restoration is the idea that something that has been stripped of its worth, meaning, and purpose is returned to its original value. The worst chapters of your life do not define your entire story. You were made in the image of God and for a purpose. A second chance means you have the opportunity to determine how it ends. There is nothing so broken that God can't restore or redeem it."

In 2020, Lecrae released his 10th studio album Restoration, a vulnerable yet empowering collection of music that focuses on brokenness and healing. His memoir I Am Restored: How I Lost My Religion But Found My Faith focuses on his personal experiences and practices in living a restored life with God.

Prison Fellowship thanks Lecrae for his continued support to remember those in prison.

bryan stevenson at eji

KEYNOTE SPEAKER: BRYAN STEVENSON

Lawyer, activist, professor, and author, Bryan Stevenson has dedicated his career to help the often-overlooked individuals in our society—the poor, incarcerated, and condemned.

As the founder and executive director of EJI, Stevenson has fought for fair sentencing and has won relief for hundreds of prisoners wrongfully convicted or unfairly sentenced. He has advocated for the exoneration of innocent death row prisoners, including 135 wrongly condemned prisoners who have won reversals, relief, or release from prison because of his and his team’s work.

On second chances, Stevenson says,

"Hope is essential for life—the belief that each of us is more than the worst thing we’ve ever done is central to how we recover when we make mistakes. The concept that people who have offended have worth, resilience, and potential must be embraced for a healthy community. When we celebrate Second Chance Month and recognize the humanity of everyone touched by the justice system, we can move toward compassion and real social transformation."

Prison Fellowship thanks Bryan Stevenson and the heroes at EJI for their hard work and their support and partnership with Second Chance Month.

YOU'RE INVITED!

Join us on Thursday, April 29 as we celebrate Second Chance Month with Bryan Stevenson, Lecrae, and many others.

WHO: Prison Fellowship, Second Chance Month Partners, Advocates, Supporters

WHAT: Second Chance Month Gala, via Zoom

WHEN: Thursday, April 29, 2021, from 7:00 p.m. (EST)

WHERE: REGISTER HERE

DID YOU ENJOY THIS ARTICLE?

Make sure you don' t miss out on any of our helpful articles and incredible transformation stories! Sign up to receive our weekly newsletter, and you' ll get great content delivered directly to your inbox.

Your privacy is safe with us. We will never sell, trade, or share your personal information.

Filed Under: Advocacy & Reentry, Prison Fellowship News & Updates Tagged With: COVID-19, COVID-19 News, Equal Justice Initiative, Lecrae, Second Chance

SELECT A TOPIC

  • Advocacy & Reentry
  • Angel Tree
  • Families of Prisoners
  • Feature Stories
  • From the CEO
  • Hope Events
  • Inside Journal
  • Press Releases
  • Prison & Prisoners
  • Prison Fellowship Academy
  • Prison Fellowship International
  • Prison Fellowship News & Updates
  • Reentry
  • Second Chance Month
  • Uncategorized
  • Video
  • Warden Exchange

MOST POPULAR

Second Chance Hiring: The Benefits of Employing Returning Citizens

April 13, 2022

Fifteen Minutes with Chuck Colson

April 12, 2022

An Unlikely Friendship Behind Bars [Video]

April 7, 2022

LATEST VIDEOS

WATCH ALL VIDEOS

JOIN OUR ONLINE COMMUNITY

FACEBOOK
TWITTER
INSTAGRAM
YOUTUBE
LINKEDIN
PF®
PFM®

RECOMMENDED LINKS

  • Ways to Donate
  • Inspirational Stories
  • Angel Tree Program
  • Prison Fellowship Academy
  • Justice Reform

RESOURCES

  • For Families & Friends of Prisoners
  • For Churches & Angel Tree Volunteers
  • For Media Outlets
  • For Wardens & Prison Officials

JOIN RESTORATION PARTNERS AND WITNESS GOD RESTORE LIVES

Restoration Partners give monthly to bring life-changing prison ministry programs to incarcerated men and women across the country.

 

JOIN NOW
  • CONTACT US
  • EMPLOYMENT
  • PRIVACY
  • FINANCIALS
© 2022 PRISON FELLOWSHIP®

Angel Tree®, Angel Tree Camping®, Angel Tree Sports ClinicTM, Angel Tree Sports CampsTM, and Warden Exchange® are programs of Prison Fellowship®.