A man lies awake in his prison cell at night. With no light, no company, and no chance for a restful night’s sleep, he reaches for what he does have—crochet hooks and some yarn.
By morning, he has crafted a blanket.
One of the most endearing stories Chuck Colson shared is found in his book Loving God. He wrote of Myrtie Howell—a 91 year-old woman he met in an “old folks’ home” in Georgia.
Myrtie was born poor, had only one year of schooling, and was married at age 17.
At the end of the summer, Joe, long-time Angel Tree coordinator from Colorado, received a letter. It was from 17-year-old DuPree.
DuPree wrote:
“I would like to thank you again for another amazing year at camp. I actually would like to thank you for the 8 years you have sponsored me and given me the opportunity to enjoy fun activities, meet awesome, encouraging people, and become closer to Christ …”
DuPree’s father went to prison when he was a toddler.
For the last nine years, Denise Harris has served as Prison Fellowship’s field director for the Detroit metro area. In that role, Denise has been a tireless advocate for men and women behind bars in Michigan, a source of encouragement for families with an incarcerated loved ones, and a valuable resource for former prisoners as they seek to become productive members of their communities.
International human rights activists have named parental incarceration “the greatest threat to child well-being in the U.S.,” according to The Osborne Association. Today, there are 2.7 million children with a parent behind bars.
Luna Garcia has carried that burden since the day she was born.
“Justice that restores. What does that mean? Who are we restoring? Where are we restoring them to?”
Prison Fellowship President and CEO James Ackerman asks these questions to a recent gathering of volunteers in Tampa, Florida. The answer, he suggests, can be found in the words of the prophet Isaiah: “Learn to do right.
Anthony “Spice” Adams has experienced things that are the stuff of dreams for many. For nine seasons, he terrorized offenses in the National Football League as a defensive tackle the San Francisco 49ers and the Chicago Bears. After announcing his retirement (in a self-effacing, humorous YouTube video that has been viewed well over a million times), he started a second career as a television host in Chicago, covering his former team.
For moms and dads behind bars, Christmas can be a particularly difficult time of the year. Separated from their sons and daughters, these parents struggle to connect with their children—to let them know that they care for them and remember them, even when distance and iron bars keep them apart for the holidays.
At the 11th annual Angel Tree Football Clinic on Aug. 27, Prison Fellowship and the NFL Alumni of Northern California joined forces to give more than 200 at-risk kids, ages 7 to 13, an unforgettable day away from stresses and pressures.
It’s strange for most of us to think about Christmas during the summer months. But for many prisoners across the country, summer means gifts—not for themselves but for their children. It is during this time that prisons hold Angel Tree signups.
Former NFL and College Stars Join in Football Clinic for Bay Area, East Bay, Fresno, and Sacramento Boys
REDWOOD CITY, Aug. 25, 2016—With the coming of fall brings football season, but 2.7 million children in the U.S. do not have the opportunity to throw a pigskin with their dad or mom because one or both of their parents are in prison.
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.
One of the less obvious statistics about crime and incarceration is also one of the most significant.
Nationwide, there are 2.7 million children with at least one parent behind bars. These kids are forced to deal with feelings of abandonment, shame, guilt, and loneliness, and face not having their mom or dad present for the landmark moments of their young lives.
“I never knew when my father was coming home,” Ahmarr Melton told DelawareOnline.com.
For 14 years, Melton watched other boys play with their fathers and experience a unique relationship that he never had. His own father, Coley Harris, had been serving a second-degree murder sentence since Melton was two years old.
