PRISON FELLOWSHIP BLOG: Uncategorized

When Lydia Ruano’s first husband was imprisoned for eight years, her three children were sustained by their local church and by Angel Tree®. But when Lydia’s second husband, Luis, was also locked up, she blamed God for putting her through the same trial all over again.

As Americans face the prospect of continued divided government and partisan gridlock, a Washington Monthly article offers hope for bi-partisan cooperation on a surprising issue: crime.

In “The Conservative War on Prisons” David Dagan and Steven Teles report that serious criminal justice reform efforts are in high gear in several states these days, with conservatives taking the lead.

On a recent trip I found myself in the ornate office of a state governor. This leader and I didn’t see eye-to-eye on a lot of things – in fact, he didn’t even believe God existed, but he had invited me to come talk with him about the work of Prison Fellowship Ministries (PFM).

Every November, Prison Fellowship’s Angel Tree recruits thousands of churches across the United States to join us in serving children and families. But, the need is great. Blogging about children with a parent in prison can be a simple but powerful way to raise awareness on behalf of the more than 2.7 million vulnerable and needy children in America with a parent in prison.

For inmates’ families in western Pennsylvania, Christmas is a little brighter because of God’s work through South Hills Assembly, a congregation that has been doing Angel Tree ministry for 20 years.

The Angel Tree program as South Hills Assembly started with Clarence McMillan, an elderly member who “really had a heart for prisoners,” according to Pastor Rick Kardell, who coordinates the Angel Tree program there.

Meaningful communication is foundational to society. Almost always, talk precedes, and then motivates action. It can bring understanding and foster trust. It keeps us sane, as it is the foundational component in all relationships.

Positive and ongoing contact with loved ones helps prisoners throughout their incarceration, and as they face reentry challenges once they are released.

Due to prison overcrowding in his native Hawaii, Shane is serving his time in Arizona—3,000 miles away from his daughter and son.

It was Christmas 2011 – my dad’s last Angel Tree, though we didn’t know it at the time. Max and my dad and I shopped together for gifts – the little girl on the angel wanted a razor scooter and a pair of sneakers.

In July, the Board of General Superintendent of the Church of the Nazarene announced a partnership with Prison Fellowship in an effort to increase the number of congregations participating in the Angel Tree Christmas program.  A recent press release from the denomination reveals just how successful the campaign has been.

In prison ministry it’s easy to focus our attention on the most hardened cases. When a lifelong criminal (like the subject of this week’s feature story) turns to Jesus, it’s a real cause for celebration! But it’s also a miracle when God intervenes to turn a young person away from a hopeless lifestyle.

At a recent staff briefing on Capitol Hill sponsored by Justice Fellowship and Families Against Mandatory Minimums (FAMM), religious leaders and representatives from various faith traditions gathered to discuss how Christians should regard issues of crime, punishment, and incarceration.

Despite the differences in theologies and practices, there were a great number of points on which the participants could agree.

As Christmas approaches, Prison Fellowship will continue to update our list of the counties with the most underserved Angel Tree children.  The following 50 counties are those with the largest number of children signed-up for the Angel Tree program that have not yet been assigned to a church (as of 10/23/12).

No Prison Fellowship program touches more lives than Angel Tree. Every gift presented with love to a prisoner’s child blesses not just that child, but also the caregiver, the incarcerated parent, and every volunteer who steps forward to make a phone call, take an Angel Tree tag, wrap a present, host a party, or make a delivery.

Live in southern California? Want a professional photographer to capture your family’s unique personality? Enter to win our CONTEST!

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The Justice Roundtable honored Pat Nolan for his work on the Second Chance Act and the Fair Sentencing Act at their 10-year anniversary awards banquet on October 4. Legislative staff joined advocates from a myriad of organizations that support criminal justice efforts around the country gathered to applaud the eight Justice Roundtable Advocacy and Legislative Champions.