PRISON FELLOWSHIP BLOG: Uncategorized

Tony Davis never thought he would appear on a panel about employing ex-offenders at an Out4Life Reentry Summit for coalition members, but he’s well-qualified.

On most days Tony, 32, works outdoors with his five-man auto maintenance crew in the sweltering heat of Sulphur, Louisiana.

Shipyard training manager Sterling Dolese was skeptical about taking part in a work-release program from a local correctional institution.  The results have exceeded all expectations.

From the shipyard at Avondale, just outside of New Orleans, ring the steel-on-steel sounds of progress.

Joan Fabian has served in county and state corrections for 45 years, the last seven as Commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Corrections. In May the Minnesota DOC joined with Prison Fellowship in co-sponsoring an Out4Life Conference in Minneapolis as a springboard to establishing coalitions throughout the state to assist prisoners returning to their communities.

The House of Representatives may have an opportunity to address the unfairness of the current 100-to-1 disparity between crack- and powder-cocaine sentencing. I hope the House joins the Senate in passing S. 1789, which would dramatically reduce the disparity in punishments between crack- and powder-cocaine offenses.

One of the greatest issues currently facing America’s communities is the reintegration of 650,000 former prisoners over the next year. The most hopeful response that I have seen to this dilemma has been the movement around the nation that engages communities to work together through coalitions that serve the needs of these returning men and women.

It is a sunny, pleasant day in Charlotte, North Carolina, and almost all the inmates held at the minimum-security prison have eagerly congregated on the green hillside for one reason: the opportunity to meet former Washington Redskins coach and NASCAR racing team owner Joe Gibbs.

Tony Chantaca, 16, jumped from the stolen car in the wash of flashing blue lights. Mind clouded with inhalants, legs pumping against the asphalt, he ran. A policeman, hot behind him, sprang and tackled the teenager to the ground. Tony fought to pry the officer’s gun from its holster.

Not long ago, New York Times editorialist Anthony Thompson asked an interesting question: “When do communities want prisoners in their backyard?”

The answer: when it’s census-taking time.

The reason for this sudden reversal of the commonplace NIMBY (not in my backyard) position has to do with money—a lot of it.

On Father’s Day in America, the tangy smoke of barbecue will float over countless backyards. Young daughters and sons will present their fathers with hugs, homemade cards, and breakfast in bed. But for over one million children of incarcerated men, one thing will be missing: Dad.

Ever wonder if your efforts as a volunteer really make a difference? Bruce Hood’s story should remove all doubt.

“Volunteering for Prison Fellowship brings love and encouragement to people sitting in dark jail and prison cells,” says Pastor Bruce Hood of Fresno, California.

No rational parent would toss the car keys to a teenager who has never driven before and expect him to drive through traffic without causing casualties. Likewise, pushing prisoners back into our communities without the right preparation and resources and expecting them to stay out of trouble is foolhardy.

For many of the 700,000 prisoners released to American neighborhoods each year, the return to society looks bleak. After months or years in an environment prone to eroding decision-making skills, many will take their bus fare and the clothes on their backs and head straight back to familiar territory: addictions, broken relationships, and crime.

She thought it was a good deed; the law said otherwise, and 67-year-old Sandra McFeeley learned she could face two years in prison and a $10,000 fine. For pruning.

Deputy Police Chief Rick Watson said his officers had grounds to make the arrest because the parks department filed a report of damage.

For the vast majority of inmates, prison cells are not their permanent address. Most prisoners will serve their sentences and then return back into our communities. What kind of neighbors will they be?

If current trends continue, over half of them will be rearrested and back in prison within three years.

In prison ministry, one issue that consistently arises is the need for accountability—helping prisoners or ex-prisoners take responsibility for their thoughts, choices, and actions. Ultimately, we want to help them bring everything into trusting submission to Christ and increasingly show evidence of the fruit of the Spirit in their lives.