PRISON FELLOWSHIP BLOG

It is a sunny, pleasant day in Charlotte, North Carolina, and almost all the inmates held at the minimum-security prison have eagerly congregated on the green hillside for one reason: the opportunity to meet former Washington Redskins coach and NASCAR racing team owner Joe Gibbs.

Tony Chantaca, 16, jumped from the stolen car in the wash of flashing blue lights. Mind clouded with inhalants, legs pumping against the asphalt, he ran. A policeman, hot behind him, sprang and tackled the teenager to the ground. Tony fought to pry the officer’s gun from its holster.

Not long ago, New York Times editorialist Anthony Thompson asked an interesting question: “When do communities want prisoners in their backyard?”

The answer: when it’s census-taking time.

The reason for this sudden reversal of the commonplace NIMBY (not in my backyard) position has to do with money—a lot of it.

On Father’s Day in America, the tangy smoke of barbecue will float over countless backyards. Young daughters and sons will present their fathers with hugs, homemade cards, and breakfast in bed. But for over one million children of incarcerated men, one thing will be missing: Dad.

Ever wonder if your efforts as a volunteer really make a difference? Bruce Hood’s story should remove all doubt.

“Volunteering for Prison Fellowship brings love and encouragement to people sitting in dark jail and prison cells,” says Pastor Bruce Hood of Fresno, California.

No rational parent would toss the car keys to a teenager who has never driven before and expect him to drive through traffic without causing casualties. Likewise, pushing prisoners back into our communities without the right preparation and resources and expecting them to stay out of trouble is foolhardy.

ROCKVILLE, MD—Goodwill Industries International and Prison Fellowship signed an agreement today to collaborate on job training and mentoring services for people who spent time in prison and at-risk youth, and to influence public policy initiatives. The partnership aims to help these populations make a successful return to their communities following incarceration, support the children of formerly incarcerated individuals and reduce the rate of criminal recidivism.

For many of the 700,000 prisoners released to American neighborhoods each year, the return to society looks bleak. After months or years in an environment prone to eroding decision-making skills, many will take their bus fare and the clothes on their backs and head straight back to familiar territory: addictions, broken relationships, and crime.

She thought it was a good deed; the law said otherwise, and 67-year-old Sandra McFeeley learned she could face two years in prison and a $10,000 fine. For pruning.

Deputy Police Chief Rick Watson said his officers had grounds to make the arrest because the parks department filed a report of damage.

For the vast majority of inmates, prison cells are not their permanent address. Most prisoners will serve their sentences and then return back into our communities. What kind of neighbors will they be?

If current trends continue, over half of them will be rearrested and back in prison within three years.

In prison ministry, one issue that consistently arises is the need for accountability—helping prisoners or ex-prisoners take responsibility for their thoughts, choices, and actions. Ultimately, we want to help them bring everything into trusting submission to Christ and increasingly show evidence of the fruit of the Spirit in their lives.

“I don’t think you and I can understand the pull of the world on these guys when they get out,” says Dan Pearson, a Prison Fellowship volunteer and a 70-year-old grandfather from Grand Rapids, Michigan. “They are like children—giddy.” But after the thrill of freedom come the challenges of reintegration.

Periodically Frontlines will feature a book recommended by Prison Fellowship staff as a resource for your ministry to prisoners, ex-prisoners, and their families. In this issue we highlight TrueFaced, written by Bill Thrall, Bruce McNicol, and John Lynch.

  Most of us have an assortment of masks we put on when we feel the need to hide our real selves.

The Supreme Court ruling on Monday barring life sentences without parole for juvenile offenders offers minors another chance at life, said a prison ministry.

In a five to four vote, the high court ruled that sentencing juvenile offenders to life imprisonment without parole for crimes other than murder violated the Constitution’s ban on cruel and unusual punishment in the Eight Amendment.

Prison Fellowship President Mark Earley discusses Out4Life, and how the program works to reduce recidivism and gives prisoners the opportunity to change their lives for the better. Click here to listen to the interview.