It is not unusual for ex-prisoners to make return trips to jail. Statistics indicate that nearly two-thirds of the 700,000 prisoners released every year reoffend, with half of all released inmates returning to prison within three years.
What is unusual, however, is when a former inmate returns of his own volition.
In the days and weeks following Chuck Colson’s passing, there has been much talk about his legacy. Most articles and reflections have focused on how Chuck moved from White House “hatchet man” to the founder of a Christian outreach to prisoners and their families.
Catherine Rohr was a member of the “one percent.” An investment banker by trade, Catherine generated $32 million in equity investments while working for Summit Partners and American Securities Capital Partners. At the tender age of 26, she was earning over $200,000 annually, with a promise of much more to come.
The Don Kroah radio show in Washington, DC (105.1 in DC area) will air a tribute to Chuck Colson Friday, April 27th from 4pm until at least 6:30 pm (EDT). Prison Fellowship Ministries CEO Jim Liske, along with Shirley Dobson, Tony Perkins (Family Research Council), Dr.
A new article in World magazine examines The Urban Ministry Institute (TUMI) program in California and its expansion from five to 26 prisons in that state.
The in-prison TUMI program is a joint effort of Prison Fellowship and World Impact. TUMI seeks to produce Christian leaders by offering seminary-level courses to inmates.
As word of Chuck Colson’s passing spreads, a number of commentators are offering tribute to the man whose very life is a testament to God’s redeeming grace. Here are a few shared thoughts:
____________________
“For more than 35 years, Chuck Colson, a former prisoner himself, has had a tremendous ministry reaching into prisons and jails with the saving Gospel of Jesus Christ.
“When President Richard Nixon’s knee-capper went to prison after pleading guilty to a Watergate-related crime,” writes World magazine editor Mindy Belz, “he touched off one of the most compelling stories of conversion and a redeemed life in the modern American church.”
In today’s BreakPoint commentary, John Stonestreet offers his reflections on the life and legacy of Chuck Colson, and offers a personal word of thanks for the many lives who have been touched by him:
… Quantifying his impact would be impossible, but you know I meet those who have been impacted by him all the time – they read his books, or they listen to BreakPoint, or maybe their children were loved by Angel Tree volunteers while they were incarcerated, or they found Jesus Christ after hearing his story of redemption.
In one of what is likely to be many online tributes to Chuck Colson, Keith Fournier at Catholic Online has written a personal reflection on the life of Prison Fellowship’s founder.
Chuck Colson is one of those great men; a man of true courage.
The position of the prison chaplain is a complex one. For every hour of religious instruction or counseling, there are several hours dedicated to performing basic administrative duties, and the necessary restrictions and regulations that come with serving prisoners produce a unique set of challenges that are unknown to the traditional pastor serving outside the prison walls.
Willie Jenkins was recently named the administrator of the reentry program in Indianapolis, but his experience working with prisoners as they prepare to return to society stretches back much longer.
Before taking his current position, Jenkins served as the field director for Prison Fellowship in Indiana.
During his tenure in Congress, Sen. Jim Webb (D) has been an advocate for reforming the criminal justice system. In 2009, Webb sponsored a bill (The National Criminal Justice Commission Act) that would have established a congressional commission to examine practices and policies of the criminal justice system, and to propose changes.
Rich Lowry of National Review has written a moving portrait of Prison Fellowship founder Chuck Colson. Lowry reflects on Colson’s transformation from White House “hatchet man” to an advocate for prisoners and their families, and the path that led him to his current calling:
Colson, 80, is a giant of our time.
The department of corrections in Washington has proposed legislation that will overhaul the probation and parole practices in that state, and promises to save taxpayers as much as $15 million in the process.
According to the Seattle Times, the bill would reduce the typical sentence for minor parole or probation infractions such as failing a drug test, while making the penalties more predictable.
An article on The Atlantic magazine’s website is asking the provocative question, “what’s God got to do with drug addiction?” The story features a fairly comprehensive look at the Teen Challenge recovery program, but does little to answer the titular question.