Alyson R. Quinn

Due to prison overcrowding in his native Hawaii, Shane is serving his time in Arizona—3,000 miles away from his daughter and son.

For years now, Louisiana State Penitentiary at Angola has defied stereotypes for a maximum-security prison, whether it’s by holding a bi-annual rodeo for the public or enrolling prisoners in a Baptist seminary. What’s next? A play about the life of Jesus featuring 70 prisoner cast members.

Jamais is less than four feet tall, but he can dunk on a regulation-height basketball hoop! At least, he can when he gets lifted into the air by Brandon Burrows, an inside linebacker for the University of Georgia Bulldogs, who, conveniently for Jamais, stands six-foot-three.

Interacting with the criminal justice system can be confusing and frightening, especially for a prisoner's child.

Alcatraz is never far from the mind of San Franciscans. Behind Coit Tower and the TransAmerica building, it is one of the most recognizable silhouettes of the City by the Bay. A craggy, wind-swept rock jutting up from the cold Pacific currents, it lords over the bay on clear summer days.

Prisons aren’t just places for punishment and rehabilitation. They are also a major industry employing thousands upon thousands of workers. In recent decades, most prison construction has happened far from urban centers, and the economies of many rural communities have become dependent on policies that maintain America’s sky-high incarceration rate.

According to a report recently released by the Bureau of Justice Statistics, the overall US prison population has dropped year over year for the first time in four decades. That’s good news for families, communities and overburdened correctional systems, but we still have a long way to go.

A recent article in the Charlotte Observer profiles Mary Fraley, an Angel Tree church coordinator who doesn’t just distribute gifts. Her ministry has grown to include year-round support of Angel Tree families and regular correspondence with 74 different inmates.

Fraley said the people she encounters and the letters she receives from the prisoners provide her just as much encouragement as she tries to give.

There’s a funny thing about prisons. The more people we put behind prison walls, the harder it gets to contain the consequences of incarceration practiced on such a massive scale. Since I started writing for Prison Fellowship, I’ve become more aware of those consequences, and I seem to stumble across them everywhere I turn.

Inside Journal is Prison Fellowship’s newspaper for America’s prisoners. Chockfull of biblical advice articles, interesting profiles, and a presentation of the Gospel that prisoners can relate to, Inside Journal is a valuable, cost-effective prison ministry resource. It currently circulates to 47 states.

At Prison Fellowship, one big thing gets us out of bed in the morning: witnessing the transformation of prisoners, ex-prisoners and their families through the saving love, truth and power of Jesus Christ. And for 35 years, we’ve consistently found that this transformation takes places most powerfully when the local Church is equipped and excited to make disciples behind bars.

Inside Journal®, Prison Fellowship’s newspaper for America’s prisoners, is a powerful tool to reach inmates who might never cross paths with a Christian volunteer. Today, I got a letter from a federal inmate named José. His words put tears in my eyes and reminded me why we invest time, energy, and resources into this publication; I couldn’t resist sharing them with you.

On June 6 Prison Fellowship® announced the appointment of James Liske as the ministry’s new CEO.  Liske, who currently serves as senior pastor at Ridge Point Community Church in Holland, Michigan, will begin his term with Prison Fellowship in late July. 

Sexual abuse is an uncomfortable topic, but it is a terrible reality for many men and woman inside and out of prison. 

Since founding Prison Fellowship 35 years ago, Chuck has visited hundreds of prisons. But his recent return to Maxwell struck him with particular force. As he walked the grounds where he was once incarcerated, he remembered the loneliness that prisoners experience.