PRISON FELLOWSHIP BLOG: Reentry

Murder led to decades behind bars. Danny thought his life was over, but prison ministry volunteers showed him how a new life was possible.

Prison Fellowship celebrates Second Chance Month every April to help unlock second chances for tens of millions of Americans with a criminal record. The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted our plans, as it did for most Americans. But it didn’t derail the second chance movement.

The 4 in 10 Texans with a criminal record face significant barriers to employment because of restrictions on occupational licensing in the state. But Prison Fellowship’s advocacy efforts helped to change that—and to open up second chances for meaningful employment to thousands.

Returning citizens face numerous barriers to education. Karen Swanson, director of the Billy Graham Center’s Institute for Prison Ministries at Wheaton College, has five tips for colleges and universities that want to welcome former prisoners.

Second Chance Month continues to build momentum, and April 2019 was the best one yet! From changing individual lives to changing our national conversation, here are some of the highlights.

  Chad found wealth and success after prison, but he didn't have the character he needed to keep it. Which is why one day he found himself once again dressed in a prison jumpsuit on his way to Angola.

How Second-Chance Hiring Benefits a Company and Its Community

On April 25 Geoff Ables and others will start off on the first-ever Second Chance Ride—a motorcycle ride to raise awareness about obstacles faced by the 1 in 3 American adults with a criminal record.

God is patient in giving us second chances—and not just one, but continual second chances.

  'Through God's faithfulness in our lives, we're allowed to serve Him out here.'