Prison Primers
Learn about prison culture from those who have been there.
Reads Born Again (1976), Chuck Colson How former Watergate crook found Christ and founded Prison Fellowship.From Addict to Disciple (2005), David Hain A short book about shaking addiction God’s way.
With Ears to Hear
It was a few weeks after Christmas 2007, and 28-year-old Josh Coover sat in his 1995 Subaru outside the Navy Yard Metrorail stop in southeast Washington, D.C. The rain pounded against his windshield.
6:00 p.m.
They’re not going to remember, Josh told himself.
Last month we heard from Carol Kent about her remarkable journey to find hope and joy after relinquishing her son to the Florida prison system. This month we journey with novelist Kathi Macias, who, in poignant rawness, explores another mother’s pilgrimage to come to grips with the inextricable link between her mother’s murder and her son’s incarceration.
You’ve been mentoring a prisoner, with good results. And then your worst fear happens—you hear he’s committed another offense. What do you do now? How do you balance confrontation and support?
Pat Dugan has eight grandchildren: seven by way of her family tree, and one through Angel Tree®.
If you’re not “in the know,” you could get off on the wrong foot with prisoners or prison officials. Following these do’s and don’ts will help extend your welcome in prison.
Entering a prison as a volunteer can be an intimidating experience.
Speaking as the mother of a convicted murderer, Carol Kent gives volunteers specific tips to help prisoners’ families. For example, three things you can do to help a prisoner’s wife and how you can become a better listener.
At 12:35 a.m.
Most of the men and women behind bars have a history of drug or alcohol abuse. This means that the family members they left behind—and will likely return to—have also been hammered by their loved one’s addiction. If you minister to prisoners’ families, here’s an outstanding resource to help them in their own recovery as they seek to help their loved one.
Drawing upon his decades of experience, we asked Prison Fellowship volunteer Ashton Hardy the top three characteristics he believes are most important for volunteers who want to work effectively with prisoners. He gave us seven!
Unlike most Prison Fellowship volunteers (or staff!),
Prison Fellowship says the U.S. has done a great job of getting criminals off the street. What we haven’t done a good job of, says the ministry, is getting criminals ready to come back onto the street. The president of Prison Fellowship shares with Phil Fleischman about a program that challenges the Church to help former inmates transition back into society.
For all the advantages the Internet age provides, it doesn’t come close to replacing the core need of the Church to shine the light of the Gospel in the lives of prisoners. That means “life on life”: Getting up close and personal, dealing with the messiness of broken lives, and letting God’s grace and power go to work.
If you have an interest in assisting the families of prisoners, then the following two articles may help point you toward your next step. The first piece provides updated trends on the problems incarceration inflicts on families and the second is a tool to help children deal with the fallout of separation.
These words of praise and appreciation were written by Jill Colon, an ex-prisoner in Florida who was mentored by PF volunteers Ginger Martin and Esther Martinez. However, they echo the sentiments of many prisoners and former prisoners whose lives have been touched by caring and consistent volunteers like you.
Before joining the staff of Prison Fellowship in 2007, Patti Tasa was a vibrant volunteer—serving inside prison for three years, then another three years as county coordinator for one of Prison Fellowship’s Aftercare Teams. Her long-standing mentoring relationship with ex-prisoner Tina Huber has given her valuable experience and insights to share with other mentors.
