PRISON FELLOWSHIP: Freedom

In September, high schools are once again brimming with teenagers, looking through college brochures, figuring out who to ask to the homecoming dance, and worrying about exams and report cards. But that’s not the case for every young person on the edge of adulthood; too many embark on a course that leads them to prison.

I’ve only ever been a member of one prison gang. Some time ago I was made an honorary member of “God’s Gang for Change,” the faith-based dorm at a correctional facility in Alabama.

On a recent visit I had the privilege of celebrating a worship service with my fellow “gang members.”

Discover how Bridge Churches help returning prisoners navigate the road to freedom.

It was like a prison from a Hollywood film set: thick limestone walls pocked with small windows; dark, oppressive cells; and narrow corridors full of musty, unmoving air …

As I passed through many layers of security and entered the cell block, I could feel the oppression of hopelessness surrounding me.

What do concepts like “freedom” and “liberty” mean to those behind bars? In this Black History Month edition of the Frontlines video series, hear answers to these questions directly from prisoners. Prison Fellowship President and CEO Jim Liske reflects on the words of Martin Luther King, Jr.,

Sandow Birk is an artist specializing in 19th Century landscapes, particularly of his native California.  For a recent exhibition, however, Birk has turned his attention from bucolic vineyards and peaceful coastlines to a somewhat unexpected subject – the landscapes of the state’s prisons.