SESSION ONE:
JUSTICE THAT RESTORES
The Bible teaches that God is outraged by injustice and calls His people to take action to address it. But given the millions of individuals and families touched by crime and incarceration in America and the complexities of our criminal justice system, how can followers of Jesus pursue justice that restores?
SESSION ONE: ACTION STEPS
LOW INTENSITY
- Connect with Prison Fellowship on social media:
- Consider the impact of labels. Some victims of crime prefer the term “survivor,” for example. Prison Fellowship seeks to highlight the dignity of people in the justice system by opting for “men and women who are incarcerated” or “people behind bars,” rather than “inmate” or “offender.” Read Prison Fellowship’s blog titled “Hello, My Name is Felon” for deeper insight into the power of language and labels.
MEDIUM INTENSITY
- Sign the Justice Declaration to join Prison Fellowship’s Justice Advocate network. As a Justice Advocate, you will gain access to digital campaigns that enable you to contact your elected officials in a matter of minutes using model social media posts, emails, and call scripts that we provide. Your voice can be an effective tool to inspire the Church, change the culture, and advance justice that restores.
- Share your story or invite others in your congregation and community impacted by crime and incarceration to do so. Consider holding a testimony night at your church or small group that features several personal stories followed by a time of prayer.
HIGH INTENSITY
- If you’re a pastor, consider delivering a sermon that highlights the need for Christians to respond to crime and incarceration (or ask your pastor to consider doing so). April is Second Chance Month® and the perfect time to do this. Our complimentary Second Chance® Sunday Church Toolkit contains pastor’s notes, a small group discussion guide, sample bulletin inserts, and coloring pages for children—everything your church needs to host a Second Chance Sunday this April!
- Request to visit a local juvenile detention center, jail, or prison with your small group to get a better understanding of how the correctional system works.
SESSION TWO:
JUSTICE THAT RESPONDS
The Bible tells us to follow the laws of the land and to do what is right. But it also clearly calls us to not just avoid wrongdoing but to advocate for justice, to speak up against injustice, and to visit prisoners. We are called to practice a justice that responds.
SESSION TWO: ACTION STEPS
LOW INTENSITY
- Sign the Justice Declaration, a call to the Church to deploy its unique and unparalleled capacity to respond to crime and overincarceration. Use the social media toolkit to post about the Justice Declaration in your church’s newsletter and social media channels. Once we hit 25,000 signatures, we will send the Justice Declaration to the president!
- Join us in prayer. Pray daily for those impacted by crime and incarceration in your church and community. Sign up to start praying with us. If you have prayer requests, please sign up and submit them to the prayer team.
- Welcome someone who returns to or joins your church after completing their sentence in jail or prison. Ask them how they’re doing or if they want to get together to catch up.
MEDIUM INTENSITY
- Ask your lawmakers to fully implement the FIRST STEP Act. Thanks to the sentencing reforms and good-time credit opportunities made possible through this law, many families have already welcomed home their loved ones. But there’s more work to be done to fully implement the law and maximize its potential, including increasing access to transformative programs like the Prison Fellowship Academy®.
- If you learn of someone recently affected by crime, offer to bring them a meal or, better yet, offer to share it with them.
- Offer to meet the needs of a person or family whose loved one was recently incarcerated, such as yard work, changing the car oil, or cooking a meal.
HIGH INTENSITY
- Prison Fellowship’s Angel Tree® program keeps kids connected with their incarcerated mom or dad during the holidays by providing a Christmas gift on their parent’s behalf. Register your church to participate in Angel Tree.
- Volunteer to visit those in prison by applying to participate in the Prison Fellowship Academy® and other ministry opportunities available through Prison Fellowship.
- Moms or dads who are raising their children while their co-parent or child is incarcerated are pulling double duty and often feel isolated. Consider starting a support group for these caregivers.
- Plan a church mission trip to visit those in prison or assist with an event related to criminal justice. See how National Community Church did it.
SESSION THREE:
JUSTICE THAT LISTENS
To advocate for justice that restores means to be a voice for those who are affected by crime and incarceration, including victims. But before we can speak or know how to respond, we must learn to listen to—and really hear—what those harmed by crime are saying.
SESSION THREE: ACTION STEPS
LOW INTENSITY
- If a victim expresses an interest in meeting with the person who harmed them or participating in a victim impact program, refer them to local victim mediation or restorative justice program. For example, our friends at Bridges to Life offer a program that brings together unrelated victims and prisoners to discuss victim impact.
- “Mourn with those who mourn (Romans 12:15).” Simply listen to the story of those who have been harmed by crime without judgment. Offer to pray with them.
- Let someone considering reporting a crime know there are Victims Services Specialists who can help them develop a safety plan if needed.
- Don’t ignore signs that someone is being harmed. Get informed on signs of child abuse and domestic abuse.
- No matter how much time has passed since the crime, don’t forget to keep checking on how the victim is doing and if there is anything you can do. The journey to restoration can be a long one.
MEDIUM INTENSITY
- Offer to repair anything that was damaged in the survivor’s home or replace what was taken.
- Offer to attend reporting or trials as a source of support.
SESSION FOUR:
JUSTICE THAT FITS
The criminal justice system has gotten off track, but we can all help bring about change through advocacy. God cares about justice and fairness and is outraged by overincarceration and disproportional punishment. We too should be outraged by it and speak up to make sure punishment fits the crime and alternatives to incarceration are pursued when appropriate.
SESSION FOUR: ACTION STEPS
LOW INTENSITY
- Follow Prison Fellowship’s handle @JusticeReform on Twitter for updates on criminal justice and other news.
- Follow your state and federal elected representatives on social media and include their names when you post about justice reform to your Facebook or Twitter accounts to get them engaged in the conversation. Use hashtags such as #JusticethatRestores and #secondchances.
MEDIUM INTENSITY
- Visit the Justice Action Center to see Prison Fellowship’s ongoing advocacy campaigns. The letters are drafted, so all you need to do is click “SEND” to contact lawmakers in support of justice that restores.
- Tell us your story about disproportional sentencing and help put a face to why we need reform.
HIGH INTENSITY
- Our most active Justice Advocates often apply to become a Justice Ambassador. Prison Fellowship trains and equips Justice Ambassadors to build relationships with their elected officials, write letters about justice reform to the editors of their local papers, host awareness-building events at their church or campus, and more. Watch this video to learn more about the program.
- If you’re a college student, host a film screening or other awareness-building events about criminal justice on your campus. Contact our Events and Program Specialist Angela Kim for more information at Angela_Kim@pfm.org.
SESSION FIVE:
JUSTICE THAT TRANSFORMS
Jails and prisons don't have to be warehouses for human beings. Correctional facilities can be places that bring about positive change and enable people to leave as good neighbors and citizens, rather than just entrenching their criminal mindset and behavior. When God's people persistently "remember those in prison" (Hebrews 13:3), prisons become places of restoration and renewal.
SESSION FIVE: ACTION STEPS
LOW INTENSITY
- If someone you know is incarcerated, write them a letter or send a postcard (our friends at Flikshop use technology to help make sending pictures and a message to your incarcerated loved ones easier), or visit them. Remember to send a card during the holidays to let them know they are remembered on days that may be especially lonely.
- Spread the word about the needs of children with incarcerated parents using the Angel Tree social media toolkit.
- Ask your lawmaker to support the implementation of the FIRST STEP Act by ensuring the expansion of transformative programming for federal prisoners. Our advocacy tool and draft letter will make it easy to contact them.
MEDIUM INTENSITY
- Have you been transformed? Allow your story to serve as an encouragement for others. Share your story with someone who may need a word of encouragement today.
- Walk closely with someone on their journey with an incarcerated family member. Offer prayer and companionship.
HIGH INTENSITY
- Volunteer to visit those in prison by applying to participate in the Prison Fellowship Academy and other ministry opportunities available through Prison Fellowship.
SESSION SIX:
JUSTICE THAT REDEEMS
It’s one thing to tell people about a "new life" on a spiritual level, but what about a community level? Once someone has made amends for their past wrongdoing and repented, are we willing to extend a hand in practical ways? Are we, people who have been given a second chance, willing to give similar opportunities to those who have paid their debt and want to reach their full potential?
SESSION SIX: ACTION STEPS
LOW INTENSITY
- Celebrate Second Chance Month® this April! There are lots of ways to engage, including joining us on social media and inviting your church to sign up as a partner and host a Second Chance Sunday service.
MEDIUM INTENSITY
- If you know someone with a criminal history who is struggling to find a job, offer to help find job referrals, resume evaluation, or local programs that assist people with a criminal history find a job.
- Prison Fellowship does not assist with individual expungement cases, but your local Christian Legal Aid (CLA) may. If you’re an attorney, consider volunteering with CLA,or if you know someone who needs legal assistance with expungement, refer them to a local CLA clinic.
- Connect with local reentry programs and consider signing up as a volunteer.
HIGH INTENSITY
- If you own a business, consider hiring someone with a criminal record. Learn more about how employers find the same or higher value in hiring people with a criminal record compared to those who don’t have criminal history, based on a recent report by the Society for Human Resource Management and the Charles Koch Institute. And read how one company is building a culture of second chances.
- Participate in or start a Celebrate Recovery group in your church.
