PRISON FELLOWSHIP BLOG: Families of Prisoners

Even in a regular non-pandemic year, the separation from family can impact the mental health of men and women behind bars during the holidays.

Prison could have been the end of Roderick’s story—and his relationship with his son. After years of missed birthdays and milestones, he discovered a chance to be a better dad.

Running the streets felt like freedom to Rafael, but he was running toward destruction. In prison, he spotted a flyer for the Angel Tree program. He had no idea his life was about to change.

When your mom goes to prison, it upends your whole life. But that didn’t stop Isis from pressing on toward success.

Incarcerated father Chris looked forward to seeing his family, but prison visits were usually awkward. Angel Tree helped to change that.

Prison Fellowship hosted another successful bowling clinic in Las Vegas, welcoming local youth to have fun, build perseverance, and hear the Gospel.

"I couldn’t let these kids grow up without support." Amid a pandemic, American youth raise money for the Angel Tree Christmas program.

Slam dunk legend Kenny Dobbs has made a name for himself in basketball, but his passion is helping at-risk kids get on the right track.

Zackarie didn’t want to go to camp at first, but he’s so glad he did. More than a decade later, he remembers his weeks at camp as some of the best—and most transformative—of his life.

Before she ever saw the lush beauty of an Oregon campground, Lucy had seen things no child should experience. Angel Tree Camping showed her she wasn’t alone. Her mom says, “She walked out of there a totally different person.”

Parents play a unique and irreplaceable role in their children’s lives. So how can incarcerated parents still actively fill that role from behind bars?

A group of men inside an Oregon prison hosted a barbeque, a walkathon, and fundraising booths to raise money for Angel Tree.

Legal troubles were part of Michelle’s family legacy, so when her boss asked for her “help” with the company’s taxes, it just seemed par for the course.

Because Marcus Bullock was given a second chance, his business Flikshop is connecting families separated by prison walls and the COVID-19 pandemic.

In the world of COVID-19, concerns of prisoners’ families are heavy. Practicing social distance can be difficult behind bars—if not impossible. The threat of illness is high for people living and working within the prison system. Angel Tree’s Michelle Payette says, “When you can't control things, you’ve got to learn to pray.”