Titles and labels serve an important role in modern society. It is unlikely anyone would submit to surgery to someone who didn’t respond to the title “doctor,” and few of us would let anyone touch our finances if they didn’t have the initials “C.P.A.”
It is becoming harder and harder for who have never had a criminal record to think that they can isolate themselves from those that have. Even if there might have been a time when crime was restricted to certain neighborhoods or classes, the growing conviction and incarceration rates makes it increasingly rarer that an individual would not be in contact with a friend, a neighbor, or a family member who has a criminal past.
Based just outside of Washington, D.C., in Alexandria, Virginia, Together We Bake is more than a typical bakery.
In addition to producing granola, cookies, and other baked goods for grocery stores and restaurants in the metro D.C. area, Together We Bake creates something much more lasting—second chances for women, many of whom are attempting to reenter the workforce after a period of incarceration.
Prison Fellowship Director of Community Engagement Jesse Wiese and former Minnesota Governor Al Quie recently penned an editorial for the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, highlighting the challenges that hundreds of thousands of men and women face nationwide when they return to their communities from prison.
Part of New Prison Fellowship Campaign to Expose and Eliminate “Second Prison” for 65 Million Americans with Criminal Records
ST. PAUL, Minn., April 26, 2016—Hundreds of thousands of Minnesotans with a criminal record continually face significant legal, social and other barriers that inhibit them from fully contributing to society.
Searching for employment can be a frustrating and difficult experience even in the best of situations. There is always the challenge to present oneself in the most positive light, and assure the employer that you can be an asset to their business or organization.
By the time Sgt. Joseph Serna left his position in the Special Forces, he had completed four combat tours in over two decades in Afghanistan. He had nearly been killed on three separate occasions, and received three Purple Heart awards, along with several other commendations for bravery and valor.
In celebration of Prison Fellowship’s 40 years of ministering to prisoners and their families, we will be taking a look back at the early days of the ministry and remembering the people and the stories that have helped to make Prison Fellowship the nation’s largest prison outreach.
Building a new life is a real challenge for anyone returning to their communities after a period of incarceration. There is the need to find housing, employment, and support; to avoid past mistakes and old acquaintances, while making new connections to help ensure future success.
Numerous studies have indicated that prisoners have a much greater likelihood of not being re-arrested when they stay in contact with friends and family outside the prison walls. Maintaining a connection to the outside world helps to keep incarcerated men and women focused on a life to which they want to return, and keeps them from adopting a “criminal identity.”
Imagine being arrested for a crime you didn’t commit. Imagine being convicted for that crime, and serving four years in prison for it. And imagine finding out after that time served that the police officer who arrested you had admitted to falsifying evidence in order to frame you.
In 2000, Dana Bowerman was arrested for her role in a methamphetamine ring in Texas. She was sentenced to 19 years and seven months in prison—a sentence even the judge overseeing the case admitted was very harsh.
“I needed time to get my head straight,” Bowerman admits, reflecting on a life that had gone from being an honor roll student to a 15-year addiction to methamphetamine at the time of her arrest.
A diverse collection of companies is collaborating with the Obama administration in an attempt to remove hindrances for men and women seeking employment following incarceration.
The Fair Chance Business Pledge calls for employers to endorse hiring practices that provide former prisoners with an opportunity to succeed.
Merle Haggard performing in 2009 (Wikipedia Commons/whittlz).
When Merle Haggard passed away last week on his 79th birthday, country music lost one of its best storytellers.
For decades, Haggard built his legacy as a rough-and-tumble country outlaw, telling stories of his own troubled past, which involved repeated stints in both reform schools and, later, in prison.
Rhonda Bear knows the challenges that women who have been incarcerated face as they attempt to reintegrate into society.
A former prisoner herself, Bear was fortunate to have received support and encouragement from Eileen, a volunteer who encouraged her and nurtured her Christian faith while she was still in prison.