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.
Alone in his cell one night, Mark Downs wondered if anyone cared whether he lived or died.
The answer eventually came through a dedicated Prison Fellowship Bible study leader, who showed Mark through Scripture that Jesus loved him and would always be with him.
This year marks the 35th anniversary of the holiday season Chuck Colson spent behind bars. “Just hopelessness and despair,” he remembers of that Christmas in prison, not only for him, but also for all the men he had come to know in the months he spent incarcerated.
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.
While most teenagers are playing video games or watching TV, one courageous young man from Barrington, Illinois, dedicated his summer vacation to volunteer for Angel Tree in a unique way. Jeff Varwig spent 23 days riding his bicycle from the Canadian border to the Gulf of Mexico to raise money for the ministry, helping children of prisoners reconnect with their incarcerated parents.
If you’re new to prison ministry or have a loved one doing time, where do you turn? The average bookstore lacks a shelf devoted to “prison issues.” That’s why BreakPoint and The Chuck Colson Center for Christian Worldview have added a new section to their online bookstore, chockfull of resources devoted to the concerns of prison ministers and prisoners’ families.
Taking the step to mentor an ex-prisoner could be one of the most rewarding things you ever do. It’s also an area where many confident volunteers find themselves in uncharted waters. By watching for and recognizing these three red flags of mentoring ex-prisoners, you can better assist your mentees in successfully transitioning into society.
There are lots of ways you can make Angel Tree deliveries personalized and fun! By adding personal touches, you can make the delivery process easier, more special, and more meaningful!
The 2010 Angel Tree Christmas program is well underway, and we’re gearing up thousands of churches and volunteers for this impactful and exciting ministry opportunity!
Two-time Oscar-winner Hilary Swank visited Prison Fellowship’s Virginia headquarters in October for a special screening of her new film, Conviction. Following the sneak preview, Swank chatted with Prison Fellowship and a live audience about wrongful convictions and the role churches can play in advocating for reform.
Chris Cleveland smoked his first joint at age 12. He remembers because that year his father and mother finally divorced.
Two-time Academy Award winner and producer Hilary Swank visited Prison Fellowship to join a panel talk about the importance of faith in prisoners’ lives and the role of the local church in justice reform.
Tom Maxwell, a long-time Prison Fellowship volunteer, points to the partially constructed gazebo on the grounds of the community hospital in Boonville, Missouri, as work-release prisoners from the nearby Boonville Correctional Center move nimbly across the gazebo’s roof, adding tar paper and shingles.
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.
Over the next year, 650,000 prisoners will be released across the United States. And, unfortunately, their likelihood of returning to prison is high—unless someone steps in to help them out.
Bridge churches around the country are taking on that role. A bridge church, according to Prison Fellowship® Executive Director Mark Hubbell, is a church that’s “passionate about ministering to former prisoners.”