Joe Bruton knows how to welcome prisoners back into society. He has walked that road himself – twice. But his two experiences could not have looked more different. The first led to total failure, and the second to a whole new life.

In April 2011, the nation’s last island prison officially closed. McNeil Island Corrections Center, which many referred to as the “good cop” to Alcatraz’s “bad cop,” was located in Puget Sound just west of Steilacoom, Washington, 700 miles north of its more infamous counterpart.

Sentenced to a 15-year prison sentence for aggavated assault, Lee Miller felt as if he had let God down. Instead, God was preparing to show him another side of His grace.

Raised on the east side of Houston, Texas, in the ‘70s, Lee Miller never knew his father.

In 2008, as Hurricane Ike battered the Gulf of Mexico, inmates at the Carol Vance Unit in Houston, Texas, followed the news closely, worried about family and friends in the affected regions. Ron Zifer, a reentry program manager, arranged for them to call their families, but never realized the eye-opening revelations he’d experience soon after they dialed.

In the early 1980s, Don Disharoon struggled with alcohol and drugs, lost his family and his possessions, and faced a double life sentence in prison. He thought his life was over.

God disagreed, and through His grace Don accepted Jesus Christ, was water baptized, and agreed to a plea bargain resulting in a 24-year sentence.

This past month, the nation’s last island prison officially closed. Washington’s McNeil Island Corrections Center—widely considered “the prison without walls”—had a history of reform over retribution. It was a place where men were educated, taught trades, and developed into reputable, law abiding citizens—a testament to the power of community.

If your church has been involved in the Angel Tree® Christmas program, you may be wondering how to get your Angel Tree kids enrolled in a Christian summer camp. Frontlines spoke with Jennifer Lowrey, Angel Tree Relationships Specialist in Sheridan, Arkansas, to learn more about how this innovative program works and how churches can get more involved.

Employment is important to anyone’s success. Even more so is this true for the ex-prisoner, who faces unfamiliar, daily challenges like paying bills, finding housing, and supporting a family—often with little or no guidance.

There were an estimated 700,000 registered sex offenders in the U.S. at year-end 2009, according to state sex offender registries. But Maia Christopher of the Association for Treatment of Sexual Abusers (ATSA) is quick to point out that not all sex offenders are the same.

A star athlete attending college on an athletic scholarship, Robert Jones was on top of the world. But a lifetime of “just getting by” and a perilous decision landed him behind bars—the one place that would truly turn his life around.

In addition to the many challenges incarcerated pregnant women face, many prisons and jails shackle pregnant prisoners—with handcuffs, leg irons, or both—during transport and, most shockingly, during childbirth, adding undue trauma and difficulty.

An incarcerated pregnant woman faces many obstacles that her fellow inmates may not understand.

Being aware of the negative power of criminal networks can prepare volunteers to help the prisoners and ex-prisoners they serve. Guiding mentees to make tough choices now will help pave the way for their lasting success in life.

You may have heard this in your younger years from a parent or from a teacher in high school.

It’s no secret that housing plays a huge part in the success or failure of a returning citizen. Without a place to live, it’s extremely difficult to get one’s life back on track and to obtain necessary tools like an ID, a job, food, or transportation.

People often have “come to Jesus” moments in times of crisis, like while lying in a hospital bed with a critical illness or while holding on for dear life during an earthquake. These moments can instantly illuminate the frailty and brevity of life, causing a sudden realization of our dependence on God.

Amber has been volunteering for Angel Tree® for many years. She coordinates the program in her local church, purchases gifts, and delivers the gifts to families in her area. The single mother of four children admits that it’s not always easy.