The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that juveniles cannot be sentenced to life without possibility of parole (LWOP) on June 25, with a narrow exception that a juvenile might receive an LWOP sentence if the sentencing judge makes a specific finding that such a penalty is appropriate.
A former prisoner of war had some words of advice for those preparing inmates to return to society.
“No matter what the circumstances may be, we must include in our plan for life our plan to deal with life’s realities,” Tom Moe told the over 200 social workers, probation officers, and others gathered at the Ohio Ex-Offender Reentry Coalition meeting in Akron, Ohio.
During the 11 years he spent in the Standish Correctional Facility in Michigan, DeWayne Wilkerson had a revelation. Realizing that poor decisions in his life had led him to where he was, Wilkerson committed to spreading the word that people have power over the choices they make in life.
Prison Fellowship CEO Jim Liske has written a commentary for the Fox News website. In the article, Liske highlights the care and concern Jesus displayed to children, and urges Christians to take seriously the call to serve those who are vulnerable and in need.
In addition to providing recycling services, a non-profit organization in Indianapolis is providing the community with another important service – assisting ex-inmates in their integration back into society.
Since being established in 2005, RecycleForce has hired hundreds of former inmates, providing them with transitional jobs while preparing them for more permanent employment.
A successful reentry program in Philadelphia is being discontinued, the victim of budgetary cutbacks in Pennsylvania.
Philly ReNew, a program initiated by the 224 year-old Pennsylvania Prison Society, boasts a 70 percent success rate, having helped more than 400 men in prison (all parents) obtain GED degrees and find employment.
Two years ago, Sholom Rubashkin stood in a federal district court in Iowa as a judge told him he would spend the next 27 years in prison. With a sentence like that, it would be reasonable to guess that Mr. Rubashkin was, perhaps, a second-time violent offender, a man with no moral compass who had committed some unspeakable act.
Ex-Prisoners and Their Struggle to Make Decisions
When Pat Nolan got out of prison, some friends took him to lunch at a local deli. What was meant to be a simple, pleasant outing detoured into an excruciating debacle for Pat. As he recounts:
The waiter came over to take our orders.
It would be understandable if the kids attending Prison Fellowship’s Champion Sports Camp in Pompano Beach, Florida, felt they had nothing in common with the young woman addressing them Wednesday afternoon. She was, after all, the reigning Miss America, and most of the camp participants came from at-risk families, with at least one parent behind bars.
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla., June 18, 2012—Laura Kaeppeler has overcome some difficult obstacles on the way to becoming Miss America 2012 – including the challenges of being the child of a prison inmate. Next week in Fort Lauderdale, Prison Fellowship, the nation’s largest outreach to prisoners, ex-prisoners and their families – including Kaeppeler’s family while her father was incarcerated – will present its inaugural Angel Tree Star of Victory award to Kaeppeler in recognition of her achievements.
I often pray for success ‑ not selfishly to be successful, but for the successful accomplishment of tasks and events that are part of my service to the Lord. I pray for successful training conferences, and field visits, and board meetings, and many other related ministry matters.
KCBS-TV in Los Angeles recently ran a feature story about Calicinto Ranch, a camp in southern California that caters to children of prisoners. Calicinto Ranch is a partner camp in the Angel Tree Camping program.
The video segment features interviews with six different campers of varying ages – each of whom currently has a parent behind bars.
The Supreme Court has ruled: Under the Eighth Amendment, judges can no longer be required to hand down sentences of life without parole to juveniles, even in the case of murder. While convicted minors can still face life sentences with parole, judges can now take the perpetrator’s age into account.
I don’ t think there has been a time in my life when I have been so far behind in my work as I am right now. My desk is piled high with correspondence and files that require immediate attention. The circuits of my mind are nearly burned out in sorting through an endless stream of unfinished business and new business.
It felt like Christmas in June as I entered Broward Correctional Institution’s indoor visiting park with faithful Prison Fellowship® volunteers Suzzan Volk and her mother, Johanne.
Beautiful toys, clothing, and other handmade items produced by the female inmates were displayed on the back wall of the facility.