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Posted January 12, 2011
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.
Emily*, a slender prisoner with rusty-black hair, sports a tattoo of a panther curled over her left hand. On a Monday morning, she sits at a
Posted January 12, 2011
Amber has been volunteering for Angel Tree® for many years. She coordinates the program in her local church, purchases gifts, and delivers the gifts to families in her area. The single mother of four children admits that it’s not always easy. Gifts can be expensive, families can be unresponsive, and they often live in very remote areas that are hard to find and have limited cell phone reception. But, in the end, Amber is always
Posted January 12, 2011
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.
Emily*, a slender, 27-year-old prisoner, sports a tattoo of a panther curled over her left hand. On a Monday morning, she sits at a cafeteria-style table
Posted December 14, 2010
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. O Holy Night Live—The Prison Show was recorded entirely inside Illinois’s Lincoln Correctional Center.
Recently Groves took time to chat with
Posted October 29, 2010
Angel Tree is life-changing for prisoners and their families.
Chris Cleveland smoked his first joint at age 12, the initial step on a 30-year journey with drugs. He remembers his age because that year his father, a Marine, and his mother, president of the New Mexico Broadcasters' Association, finally divorced. Even before the divorce, his parents worked long hours.
"I had the freedom to do whatever I wanted," he recalls, "And it wasn't a good thing."
By 16, his high
Posted September 18, 2010
Although people with loving, Christian parents do make choices that lead to prison, unhealthy home environments are more closely linked to criminal behavior. But why do abuse and neglect predispose children toward deviancy as adults? A major research paper sheds light on how human beings are biologically designed to seek nurturing relationships and spiritual purpose, and how the absence of these beneficial influences adversely affects brain development.
A prisoner sits down with a volunteer, recounting tearfully
Posted September 18, 2010
When fresh from prison, Sarah Montoya-Lewis attended church with her school-age daughter on the day of an Angel Tree backpack giveaway. She asked for a backpack for her daughter, and though none remained, Sarah left with much more—an instant friend in Angel Tree coordinator Barb Steward.
“She’s like my adopted daughter,” Barb says of Sarah. Mutual devotion to prison ministry has cemented their friendship. Barb has coordinated Angel Tree efforts at Shiloh Christian Ministries Church in
Posted June 27, 2010
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. “People in prison have little hope; when you lead a life of crime and do nothing positive, it makes you believe you are nothing. But we tell them, You are somebody; you can
Posted January 2, 2010
Prison Primers
Learn about prison culture from those who have been there.
Reads
Born Again (1976), Chuck Colson
How former Watergate crook found Christ and founded Prison Fellowship.
From Addict to Disciple (2005), David Hain
A short book about shaking addiction God’s way.
Inside the Miami Drug Cartel (1996), Manuel Baerga
Manuel’s compelling autobiography of his transformation from drug lord to leader in the Kingdom of God.
Lessons from San Quentin (2009), Bill Dallas
Bill Dallas burst into the San Francisco real estate business
Posted January 2, 2010
With Ears to Hear
It was a few weeks after Christmas 2007, and 28-year-old Josh Coover sat in his 1995 Subaru outside the Navy Yard Metrorail stop in southeast Washington, D.C. The rain pounded against his windshield.
6:00 p.m.
They’re not going to remember, Josh told himself.
But at 6:05 two black teenage boys emerged from the metro escalator onto the wet sidewalk. Darren McIntyre’s long dreadlocks hung around his face.
And thus began their weekly trips to Five Guys:
Posted March 1, 2024
WHAT IS SECOND CHANCE MONTH?
Join Prison Fellowship and our partners nationwide as we observe Second Chance Month in April to break down barriers and unlock brighter futures for approximately 70 million American adults.
by Emily Andrews
What Is Second Chance Month? | Timeline | In the News
Stories | We Believe in Second Chances
In the United States, 1 in 3 adults has a criminal record, which limits their access to education, jobs, housing, voting, and other things
Posted September 28, 2023
Want to know more about the prison system?
For many, encountering the prison system can come with a feeling of culture shock. It’s a world that has its own culture, language, and customs. Walking alongside a loved one who has been arrested—or even volunteering at a prison—can seem daunting. Just understanding the terminology can feel like a difficult task.
Here are some of the most commonly asked questions and answers about terms used in the prison system:
Note:
Posted September 22, 2023
by Emily Andrews
How does our faith impact the way we face a broken world?
Sometimes it seems like violent crime is everywhere. From doom-scrolling social media to scanning daily news, we often confront more discouraging information than we know how to handle. Bold headlines invite us to tap our phone screens for the next story or “hot take.”
How do followers of Christ apply a biblical lens to difficult issues like violent crime? We are curious. We
Posted July 12, 2023
THE POWER OF ONE VOICE
He spent 23 hours a day locked in a cell. Now, he knows what true freedom is.
By Emily Andrews
In 1983, Melvin approached the doors of a Christian revival, looking to ask the “church people” for money. A large church service at a Tulsa, Oklahoma, campground was not the young man’s usual scene. When he wasn’t working odd jobs in welding and construction, he often spent his afternoons at a local bar,
Posted March 29, 2023
EDDIE GETS A SECOND CHANCE AT LIFE, LOVE, AND LIBERTY
Once on death row, Eddie got a second chance at life, love, and liberty. Would he find redemption?
By Cherise Bopape
Eddie McLoughlin grew up in Long Island, New York, when times were simpler. He and his brothers spent summers along the Atlantic Ocean—swimming, fishing, and boating. They played touch football in the street, rode their bicycles, and knew to return home before the streetlights came on.
As young