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.

Sen. Portman urges SBA not to penalize business owners with criminal records during pandemic.

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.

When Cassie was incarcerated for four years, her children were just 4 years and 11 months old. Knowing their pain from experiencing her own father’s incarceration made it almost too much for Cassie to bear. But she made the most of their time apart. Now she’s reunited with her children and making up for lost time.

From an abusive childhood to a life in and out of prison. Serena Steenholdt felt like her life was spiraling out of control until she found God and reconnected with her children... “God is so much bigger than I ever thought.”

How Second-Chance Hiring Benefits a Company and Its Community