The United States locks up too many people. Globally, the average incarceration rate is 125 prisoners per 100,000 people. The United States arrest rate is 743 per 100,000. This gives the U.S. the highest incarceration rate on Earth.
A recent article in The Christian Century says America seems to enjoy locking people in prison.
On May 9, friends and family of Chuck Colson gathered at First Baptist Church in Naples, Florida – Chuck’s home congregation – to remember the Prison Fellowship founder, and to reflect on his life and his commitment to serving prisoners and their families.
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.
Governor Nathan Deal has signed a criminal justice reform bill that will keep the public safe while cutting the costs of state prisons by reserving expensive prison beds for the most violent criminals. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports reforms from House Bill 1176 are projected to save Georgia taxpayers $264 million over the next five years.
Like many people, I am learning that — “if a little bit is good, more is better” – isn’t always true.
Wind is essential for sailing and without wind it is impossible to sail. There is almost nothing more frustrating for me than to find myself becalmed on the ocean – powerless and drifting nowhere.
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.
“…all my achievements meant nothing in God’s economy.
Evangelical Christianity lost one of its most eloquent and influential voices on Saturday, April 21, 2012 with the passing of Charles W. “Chuck” Colson. After a brief illness, Colson passed away at a Northern Virginia hospital with his wife and family at his bedside.
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:
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“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.