PRISON FELLOWSHIP BLOG: Advocacy & Reentry

The Book of Philemon is too often overlooked when reading through the New Testament. At a mere 25 verses long, the short letter by the Apostle Paul to a wealthy leader of the Church in Colossae is easy to flip past when searching for Hebrews, James, or Revelation. Those who do take the time to read the epistle, however, will be treated to a valuable lesson about Christian love, forgiveness, and the importance of restoration.

The sixth amendment to the U.S. Constitution states that those accused of a crime have the right to a lawyer. However, as noted in Shared Justice's article "The Legal Representation Gap" by Mackenzie Harmon, this right does not extend to civil law.

"I try to do everything right and be on time ... And you think everything's going to go great, and then the next thing you know, boom."

Did you know that in Arkansas it is against the law to mispronounce “Arkansas,” or that in New Jersey it is illegal for a man to knit during fishing season?

In a back room at Denver Women's Correctional Facility (DWCF), five jet-black robes slip over prison uniforms.

Prison Fellowship® is looking forward to an exciting year advancing justice reform. Here are the highlights and what to expect:

"I was the guy who needed a project like this," says Dennis Avila.

By Randy Anderson, as told to Emily Andrews

Randy Anderson will be speaking at Prison Fellowship®'s annual Second Chances 5K in St. Paul, Minnesota, this spring. The 5K raises awareness for those in need of a second chance. Randy hopes his story of struggle and recovery will inspire others—in and out of prison—to believe that no life is beyond restoration.

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Part II in Prison Fellowship's Mentoring Prisoners series: Check out these 3 important questions for mentors. Would you make a good mentor?

Do you want to help prisoners and former prisoners thrive? Read Part One of our Mentoring Prisoners series to learn how to be a good mentor to prisoners.