Earlier today, Pope Francis arrived in Washington, D.C. to begin a week-long visit to the United States. In addition to visits to the White House, the U.S. Capitol, and the 9-11 Memorial in New York City, Pope Francis will also visit the Curran-Fromhold Correctional Facility in Philadelphia.
Last Friday afternoon, Prison Fellowship’s Craig DeRoche, senior vice president of policy and advocacy, joined President Obama at the White House for a preview of HBO VICE’s upcoming special “Fixing the System,” a documentary on the current state of America’s criminal justice system and what can be done to improve it.
“The Louisiana State Penitentiary in Angola is one of America’s most unusual prisons.”
Thus begins Atlantic reporter Jeffrey Goldberg’s report on the facility once referred to as “the bloodiest prison in America.” The comment initially refers to the 18,000 acre property’s previous existence as a southern plantation purchased with slave trade proceeds, but as the video makes clear, the uniqueness of Angola goes well beyond it’s history.
Ethel Bradford teaches classes at a medium-security prison in Utah and was shocked when one of her students made the following statement: “If they ever put me out of here, within a week I’ll commit a crime that will force them to take me back.”
As concert goers were serenaded by Casting Crowns, Newsboys, Crowder, and many more Christian artists, they also got to witness a very touching moment.
As summer comes to a close, stories begin flowing in about the impact of various Angel Tree camps on specific campers. Every year, great stories come out of Camp IdRaHaJe (“I’d Rather Have Jesus”) in the Denver area.
“My name is Carlos,” the letter begins. “I am 44 years old, a husband and father who is incarcerated, and has been for going on 9 years.”
Carlos is one of thousands of men and women who have been a part of Prison Fellowship’s in-prison programs.
Saul Green was laid off after 3 ½ years at a job when employers found past criminal charges. Today, he remains unemployed, despite wanting to work and having applied for over 125 jobs over the past 18 months. His unemployment is a collateral consequence of petty crimes that he committed over 15 years ago.
The community reentry team connected Albert with Paving the Way, one of Prison Fellowship's reentry partners that helps former prisoners in their search for employment.
Bobby calls it a privilege to “lead those in prison to a life-changing encounter with the one and only living God.”
Rosita wasn’t your typical kindergartner. She had no dolls to cherish. No friends to play with. Her childhood dreams were more like nightmares. At 5 years old, she had never experienced even a single moment of freedom.
This past December, Angel Tree took gifts and the Gospel to children with a mom or dad in prison all around the county. At Prison Fellowship, we’ve been hearing amazing reports from our Angel Tree volunteers about the lives and families that were touched through the program this Christmas.
With Christmas just a few weeks away, thousands of Angel Tree children are still unassigned. This means that boys and girls in your own community may not get to unwrap a gift from their mom or dad in prison and hear the Good News of our Savior. Will you help share the joy of God's greatest gift to us this season?
The class of 2014 is so excited about what God has planned for them. The graduates know they will continue to be challenged every day, but they have gained self-confidence and discovered their God-given passion and purpose through their in-depth study of God's Word.
Rocio remembers it like it was yesterday. “One day there was a knock on our door,” she says. When she answered, a volunteer from a local church told her that he had been sent on behalf of her husband and Angel Tree. “He told me he had gifts for our kids from their daddy,” Rocio recalls.
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