Once a hell-bent prodigal, Eric is now bent on staying faithful in the small things, serving as a leader in is church, and being a consistent presence in his kids’ lives.
When Dr. James Gilligan started work as a prison psychiatrist in a medium-security facility in Massachusetts, he took with him a pre-formed perspective on the men he would be treating.
“I had been taught up to that point that violent criminals were untreatable sociopaths, that they would manipulate you,” he remembers.
“What happens after the 50th landlord tells you that you can’t rent an apartment because of your record, or the 50th employer explains that their company doesn’t hire ‘felons’?”
Christopher Poulos, executive director of Life of Purpose Treatment at the University of North Texas, asks this in a piece for The Bangor Daily News.
When applicants to one of the State University of New York’s (SUNY) 64 campuses apply for admission, they are required to answer question 20a: “Have you ever been convicted of a felony?” The question has proven to be a major hurdle for men and women with criminal records, with three of five of such applicants dropping out of the application process before reaching its conclusion.
The Book of Philemon is too often overlooked when reading through the New Testament. 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.
Zane Tankel knows what it means to have a second chance.
The now-75 year old remembers growing up in a tough neighborhood in Patterson, New Jersey. A self-described “tough guy,” Tankel regularly skipped school, learning to fight, steal, and intimidate. “I went away for a little while as a kid,” he admits.
Former prisoner Will Avila had a dream to help others in the reentry community. Will founded Clean Decisions, a professional-grade cleaning company providing work for returning citizens. His dream became a reality for people like Carlos Tyler and Charles Binion, who both had the chance to meet Will shortly after leaving prison.
Christianity Today dedicated its September issue to the topic of evangelicals and their ministry to those impacted by crime and incarceration. One excellent article–How Churches Change the Equation for Life After Prison–highlighted the fact that over the past several decades, Christians have entered the arena of prison ministry in hordes, but their focus has been largely on evangelism and discipleship–impact on an individual and heart level–while areas like reentry and criminal justice reform have been largely untouched.
Every year, the Willow Creek Association broadcasts its Global Leadership Summit to audiences across North America, encouraging and equipping participants to become better employers, instructors, and leaders.
Included with the hundreds of churches and organizations who hosted the 2016 simulcast were 43 prisons, where attendees were given the tools and support needed to become effective leaders in prison and, for those who are preparing to leave prison, productive members of their communities.
Most people know John Legend as a 10-time Grammy Award-winning singer and songwriter with a smooth, soulful delivery of R&B ballads with thoughtful lyrics and a timeless sound. But for men and women who are trapped in a cycle of crime and incarceration, Legend is more than just a musician—he is an advocate, supporter, and ally in working for change in the criminal justice system.
What is the appropriate Christian response to the challenges facing the criminal justice system in the United States? While many Christians know the biblical mandates to “seek justice” and to “remember those in prison,” they are often unsure how to live out those values in real and tangible ways.
A version of the following article originally aired as a BreakPoint commentary on August 18, 2016, and is reproduced here with permission.
Charles W. “Chuck” Colson was packing his bags to go home, having served his time for a Watergate-related offense.
Nearly every fourth Tuesday of the month, a shabby batch of bicycles arrives at the gates of Folsom State Prison.
Members of the Cameron Park Rotary Club collect the misfit bicycles from a warehouse in Diamond Springs, California, and send them off to Folsom to be repaired, repainted, and restored.
As Prison Fellowship celebrates our 40th anniversary, we are reminded how important our ministry partners are in bringing about transformation in the lives of prisoners, ex-prisoners, and their families. From in-prison volunteers, to prison officials, to local church ministries and transitional housing, there are many people that continue to “remember the prisoner” and seek to restore them to their communities.
Most of us have them in our wallets or purses right now—little laminated cards with our names and a typically bad photograph that identifies who we are and where we live. They are of vital importance to any number of routine tasks, be it cashing a check, purchasing an airline ticket, or applying for a job.
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