In my time in corrections and ministry I’ve visited over 100 prisons. I recently visited three more: Coffeewood Correctional Center in Virginia, E. C. Brooks Correctional Facility in Michigan, and the Louisiana State Penitentiary at Angola. When we visit facilities to encourage the prisoners, there is a tendency to believe that we are the ones who will be a blessing to them.
In the aftermath of the terrible prison fire in Honduras that has clamed at least 359 lives (as of this writing), more and more attention is being given to the inhumane conditions in corrections facilities worldwide.
Appearing on the Christian Broadcasting Network’s News Channel Morning News, Prison Fellowship International CEO Ron Nikkel addresses these issues, and explains why it is important to proclaim the Gospel to prisoners in both word and deed:
We have to demonstrate God’s love with practical concern on issues [inmates] care about – issues affecting their lives.
Craig DeRoche, former Michigan Speaker and now Director of External Affairs at Justice Fellowship talks to Michigan Matters host Carol Cain about his issues due to alcoholism as well as the problems and remedies of America’s prison system. Click here to see the full interview.
We highlighted a report earlier this week on the effectiveness of Prison Fellowship’s InnerChange Freedom Initiative in Minnesota for reducing recidivism. The study which was based on tracking 732 offenders after their release in 2003 found that the program decreased the risk of reoffending between 26 and 40 percent.
A devastating fire ripped through a Honduran prison today killing at least 300 prisoners. Here is more from the Associated Press on what they are saying is one of the world’s deadliest fires in decades:
Some 475 people escaped from the prison in the town of Comayagua and 356 are missing and presumed dead, said Hector Ivan Mejia, a spokesman for the Honduras Security Ministry.
Lisa M. Rea, a former Prison Fellowship staff member and the founder of the Justice and Reconciliation Project, offers her thoughts on the future of restorative justice in a paper released by the Center for Christian Ethics at Baylor University.
In “Restorative Justice: The New Way Forward,” Rea urges her readers to reconsider the very nature of crime, and how we have defined it as a society.
A new report from the Minnesota Department of Corrections shows just how successful Prison Fellowship’s InnerChange Freedom Initiative (IFI) has been in reducing recidivism among former inmates in that state.
The study looks at 732 offenders released between 2003 and 2009.
Students at George Washington University’s Institute for Documentary Filmmaking have been awarded the the inaugural Washington Best Film award for their documentary Released to Life. The film follows several recently-released inmates who are seeking to reenter a society that is not inclined to help them rebuild their lives or assist them in staying out of prison.
In today’s BreakPoint commentary, Prison Fellowship CEO Jim Liske talks about some of the hurdles that ex-offenders must face, even after serving their sentences.
Certainly, conviction for certain violent crimes should serve as a bar for future employment in specific fields.
Over the last five years, photographer Richard Ross has visited over 100 juvenile detention centers in 30 states. He has produced over 1,000 photographs chronicling the state of the juvenile justice system, and telling of the story of these kids behind bars.
A story on the Right on Crime website indicates that some states are rethinking the policy of mandating minimum sentences for some offenses.
Initially, it was thought that such policies would serve as a deterrence for crime. Not only has this proven not to be the case, but states that have enacted such measures are experiencing increased costs for incarceration and crowded prisons.
A member of the Virginia House of Delegates is proposing legislation that will allow juvenile offenders who have previously pleaded guilty for crimes that would have been felonies if committed by adults to apply for a writ of innocence.
Delegate Gregory D.
Alcatraz is never far from the mind of San Franciscans. Behind Coit Tower and the TransAmerica building, it is one of the most recognizable silhouettes of the City by the Bay. A craggy, wind-swept rock jutting up from the cold Pacific currents, it lords over the bay on clear summer days.
One of the challenges that individuals face upon incarceration is learning how to communicate with the “outside world” without the modern technology most of us take for granted. Inmates must learn to adapt to life without cellphones, radio, or regular computer access.
Prison Fellowship is partnering with Joe Gibbs’ Game Plan for Life and Lifeway Men to simulcast a powerful message to incarcerated men across the nation. The event will feature Coach Joe Gibbs and Pastor Tony Evans and is scheduled for May 26th, 2012.