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CREATED FOR MORE
Jessica wasn’t looking to change. But after receiving her second sentencing, she knew things needed to be different.
By Lexi Aggen
By the time Jessica arrived at Lancaster County Jail, she already felt her life was broken.
She had gone to prison once before and now was facing a second set of charges related to theft. During her first incarceration, Jessica went to anger management but had otherwise stayed away from any form of programming. This time when the offer came to attend a Bible study, she joined. Initially, she saw it as a way to get out of her cell. But while there, a volunteer leading the study would change Jessica’s life forever.
“She just had a really good way of explaining things,” says Jessica. “And the Spirit was really strong in there.”
Through the power of the Holy Spirit and the volunteer’s words, Jessica found herself desiring a relationship with the Lord. She realized that God never leaves you—even in prison.
“[It] was comforting to me to have somebody there for me that wouldn’t go away,” she says.
MOUNTING PRESSURE
Growing up, Jessica learned fierce independence. Her parents divorced when she was 5 years old. After the divorce, she moved in with her mom. But Jessica’s behavioral issues became too much for her mother, and at 13 Jessica moved in with her dad. By then, both her parents had a significant other in their lives—and Jessica didn’t get along with either of them.
When Jessica turned 16, she made the decision to go it on her own. She moved out of her dad’s house, found a roommate and a job as a line cook, and rented her own apartment. Over the next few years, she worked hard to maintain her independence and finish her high school degree. At 21, she met her husband. The couple had three beautiful daughters.
But soon things started souring for Jessica. Her marriage ended, resulting in shared custody of her children. Then, she started getting severe migraines that made work unmanageable. Her condition led her to apply for disability.
Jessica was determined to provide for her family—by whatever means necessary. She couldn’t work and waiting for disability to start took much longer than she anticipated. The stress was building, and Jessica was eager for a way to turn things around.
A HARD HEART SOFTENED
Jessica began shoplifting as a means to support herself and justified her actions as a necessity. She stole food for her family as well as items to sell later for cash. She figured her crime wasn’t really hurting anyone, since she was stealing from stores and not people. But eventually, she stole just for the thrill of it. She enjoyed providing for her family without having to “succumb to society’s norms.”
Jessica’s first incarceration did little to change her attitudes and behaviors. After her release, she returned to shoplifting, and subsequently, she returned to prison. But before she arrived at prison, she met the Lord in the Lancaster County Jail.
This time, Jessica was determined to do things different, to be different. She took parenting classes, attended Bible studies, and signed up for the Prison Fellowship Academy®. The Academy is a yearlong journey of transformation through biblically based material, guided by compassionate coaches.
By the time Jessica applied for the Academy, she only had a year left on her sentence. She received the opportunity either to participate in a work program or stay longer and complete the Academy. She chose the Academy, knowing that long-term transformation would be essential for her living a productive life on the outside.
One aspect that appealed to Jessica about the Academy was living with other program participants. She knew it would be hard to live in community; living with people always comes with challenges. But she also knew that it was the best place for her: She would be surrounded by women living on mission and dedicated to becoming the best versions of themselves, just like she was.
Jessica was determined to do things different, to be different.
A SEED PLANTED
For Jessica, things started to “click” halfway through her time at the Academy, but she wasn’t the first to notice. The volunteers and women in the program with her noticed a shift in her demeanor, a light that wasn’t there before.
Many of the things the Academy taught, like the Values of Good Citizenship, healthy boundaries, and forgiveness, were entirely new concepts to Jessica. It took time for them to root in her heart, but once they did, she was forever changed. The lessons of the Academy helped her see her crimes through a new lens. Jessica could finally see that her actions impacted so many people—including the workers of the stores she stole from and her children.
Jessica’s second stay in prison was defined by her determination to grow. She took advantage of every opportunity she could, including attending a Hope Event® hosted on the yard by Prison Fellowship® and a local church. Hope Events are one-day events hosted behind prison walls that include speakers, music, and the hope of Jesus.
“It felt like walking into a concert on the outs,” she says. “Everyone was feeling it and dancing around. … It brought a little bit of real life into the prison.”
She was so impacted by the day that she wrote a letter to the band, thanking them for their participation. But she wasn’t the only one affected—during the concert, she remembers looking around at the women near her. Huddled together on the lawn of the yard, women from the facility stood together with arms outstretched toward the sky and faces streaked with tears of joy.
Other opportunities presented themselves to Jessica during her incarceration. Over the course of her sentence, Jessica spent much of her time drawing and creating art. Word about her art spread through the prison, and eventually she was selected to create a mural outside the sewing room.
Word about [Jessica's] art spread through the prison, and eventually she was selected to create a mural outside the sewing room.
A FAMILY IMPACT
All throughout Jessica’s incarceration, her relationship with her daughters was maintained through visits and phone calls. Still, there were many things she longed to do for them that incarceration made difficult. Even before she was imprisoned, Jessica struggled to provide gifts to her children at the holidays. During her first incarceration, Jessica discovered Prison Fellowship® Angel Tree, which enabled her to provide gifts for her daughters through the generosity of local churches.
Although she wasn’t able to be with her daughters on Christmas day, and had no money for gifts, she knew they would receive something in her name. The volunteers arrived each year with kind words and gifts in tow.
“They were used to not getting anything,” she says. “Angel Tree was fun for them because they actually got to get stuff for Christmas.”
Angel Tree wasn’t the only source of connection for Jessica and her daughters. She was able to have consistent visits with all three girls, including individual time with each one, to maintain her relationships. She remembers these moments not for the quantity of time they had together, but for the quality.
During her first incarceration, Jessica discovered Prison Fellowship Angel Tree®, which enabled her to provide gifts for her daughters through the generosity of local churches.
A DIFFERENT WAY
Jessica completed the Academy just before her release. She knew that she would need a support system after returning to society. While sitting in her parole officer’s office, she saw a flyer for a nearby Celebrate Recovery group at New Life Community Church, a local church in the Grand Island area. She already had experience with Celebrate Recovery and knew it was the right place for her. The church welcomed her with open arms and has remained her home church to this day.
She moved back to Grand Island to be close to her parents. Her relationship with her father grew tremendously, and the two of them still regularly eat meals, watch football, and enjoy life together.
This time, Jessica made sure to do things in an honest fashion. She started selling her crafts and art with her father to make an income. It allows her to work when she can and be flexible on the days her migraines make things difficult. She is thankful for the lessons she learned in the Academy, including money-management and budgeting skills, that have made her transition to outside life more manageable.
AN ARTIST’S BRUSHSTROKES
Jessica’s passion for art continued after her release. In addition to selling her art, Jessica was invited to paint a mural in downtown Grand Island.
But her art wasn’t the only thing to continue after release. Jessica returned to the very same facility where she had been incarcerated, this time as a volunteer for the Academy. To this day, she still serves alongside volunteers who led while she was incarcerated.
One of the programs Jessica leads is Create: New Beginnings®, a series of art-based workshops that help women explore core issues of identity and purpose to create new beginnings in their lives. Through this program, Jessica uses her art talent to help the women at Nebraska Correctional Center for Women paint beauty from their hurts.
Jessica also leads Prison Fellowship Pathways™, a program designed for Academy graduates. When reflecting on why she wanted to volunteer with the Academy, Jessica mentioned wanting to show others that real changes are possible, and her story of God’s grace in her own life is the perfect example of that.
“I wanted to be there for other girls who are struggling to stay with it and stick it [out],” she says, “because they’ll eventually feel the change. I wanted to volunteer so that I could bond with the girls in Prison Fellowship and help them through some of the tough parts … and then be there for those who are going to get out and be an encouragement to them about what it’s like to come out a new person.”
As she continues to make positive impacts in her community and in the prison where she was once incarcerated, she looks toward the future with hope. The broken woman who arrived all those years ago at Lancaster County Jail is no longer broken. She has been healed by the redeeming work of Christ.
“Every day I just hope to do good,” she says.
The broken woman who arrived all those years ago at Lancaster County Jail is no longer broken. She has been healed by the redeeming work of Christ.
