People often have “come to Jesus” moments in times of crisis, like while lying in a hospital bed with a critical illness or while holding on for dear life during an earthquake. These moments can instantly illuminate the frailty and brevity of life, causing a sudden realization of our dependence on God.
Since 1985 the population of female prisoners has risen at nearly double the rate of males. Because women prisoners have historically been few, however, corrections policy has often not taken gender-specific needs into account. But over time, it has become increasingly obvious that female prisoners have different needs than men.
When award-winning singer-songwriter Sara Groves set out to produce a new Christmas album, she wanted to record songs that would inspire reflection on the true meaning of Christmas—that Christ left glory to take up suffering not His own. Groves wound up performing a Christmas concert for prisoners and recording the session live—from behind prison walls.
No snitching. Keep to yourself. Don’t trust people. Mind your own business. These are just some of a long list of understood rules in prison culture, according to Sam Dye, national program director for the InnerChange Freedom Initiative®(IFI), a values-based reentry program developed by and affiliated with Prison Fellowship.
His eyes concealed behind dark sunglasses, Chris Goehner walks into a restaurant in Washington, D.C., shadowed by his service dog, Pelé. When Chris sits, the large, sunny-coated retriever curls up on top of his feet. The restaurant employees notice Pelé and assume that Chris cannot see—until they spy him typing text messages on his cell phone.
When asked to describe his volunteer work at a local pre-release center, Beaver Hardy, 71, issues his usual warning: “If you come, you’re going to get hooked, and you’re going to stay.”
Beaver Hardy, 71, is savoring his share of fried flounder.
We know that to develop into the best we can be—from sports to the arts to business to the military to academics—we must embrace discipline. Except perhaps for prodigies, there is no other way.
But when it comes to our spiritual development, discipline suddenly sounds like a dirty word.
Prison Fellowship has relaunched Inside Journal, a newspaper that reaches thousands of incarcerated men and women with the hope of the Gospel. With a starting circulation of 50,000 copies, Inside Journal has a new look after a hiatus in its publication, but it retains the elements that made it a widely read and admired resource in our nation’s prisons for nearly two decades.
Aaron pulled the trigger that would tear away his freedom and change the course of his life—as well as the lives of everyone he knew, even those he hadn't yet met.
Jesus promises to make all things new. But radical transformation seldom takes place overnight. Here’s one example of how a church came alongside an ex-prisoner through his baby steps toward lasting change.
“When he said that, I settled down,” says Pastor Ball, and he launched into his new prison ministry.When
This isn’t what I signed up for. I just wanted to be a helper—with a job that sounded safe, with someone else in charge. A few months ago, when I expressed my desire to work with Prison Fellowship, I wanted to be helpful but didn’t know exactly what I’d be doing.
He screamed. He jumped up and down. And then the 11-year-old unashamedly cried as he inserted the ear buds of his new MP3 player and heard his father’s voice.
“It was like having his father right there,” says Angela* of her grandson Tony whom she cares for while his dad—her son—serves time in prison.
The Ugly Truth about Sexual Abuse of Juveniles in Detention A Call to Government to Put a Stop to It—Now
The U.S. Department of Justice recently released Sexual Victimization in Juvenile Facilities Reported by Youth, 2008-09. The report found that 12 percent of juveniles in custody had been sexually assaulted in the prior year.
Last month we heard from Carol Kent about her remarkable journey to find hope and joy after relinquishing her son to the Florida prison system. This month we journey with novelist Kathi Macias, who, in poignant rawness, explores another mother’s pilgrimage to come to grips with the inextricable link between her mother’s murder and her son’s incarceration.
If you’re not “in the know,” you could get off on the wrong foot with prisoners or prison officials. Following these do’s and don’ts will help extend your welcome in prison.
Entering a prison as a volunteer can be an intimidating experience.
