PRISON FELLOWSHIP: Mentoring

"Prison was the last place I wanted to go. ... Taking a job with Prison Fellowship was probably the biggest step of faith I’ve ever taken in my life."

Convicted of manslaughter, Brandy served over 6 years before she got a second chance at life. Now she helps others do the same as a mentor.

Palmer appeared to be on his way to becoming another tragic statistic. He appeared to be on his way to becoming another tragic statistic—a broken life destined for destruction and possibly prison.

The Book of Philemon is too often overlooked when reading through the New Testament. At a mere 25 verses long, the short letter by the Apostle Paul to a wealthy leader of the Church in Colossae is easy to flip past when searching for Hebrews, James, or Revelation. Those who do take the time to read the epistle, however, will be treated to a valuable lesson about Christian love, forgiveness, and the importance of restoration.

The following article was originally published in Winter 2017 edition of Inside Journal. Inside Journal is a quarterly newspaper published by Prison Fellowship® just for prisoners.

This article is reprinted here with permission. 

Part II in Prison Fellowship's Mentoring Prisoners series: Check out these 3 important questions for mentors. Would you make a good mentor?

Do you want to help prisoners and former prisoners thrive? Read Part One of our Mentoring Prisoners series to learn how to be a good mentor to prisoners.

“Justice that restores. What does that mean?  Who are we restoring? Where are we restoring them to?”

Prison Fellowship President and CEO James Ackerman asks these questions to a recent gathering of volunteers in Tampa, Florida. The answer, he suggests, can be found in the words of the prophet Isaiah: “Learn to do right.

Through interviews woven into a one-hour special, the life of a young man named Tourrie Moses unfolds onscreen.

And then it unravels.

The One That Got Away aired on select PBS stations for Spotlight Education, a week of programming on today’s education system and the challenges American students face, according to PR Newswire.

Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.  – 2 Corinthians 5:17

Increasingly, the great concern of legislators and departments of correction has been finding better ways to reduce recidivism—that tendency of former prisoners to relapse into criminal behavior.

Boston’s roughest neighborhoods are hardly foreign territory to Luis Rodrigues. At 11 years old, he began roaming those streets as a crack dealer. That lifestyle continued for years, until his life was nearly taken from him.

One night in 2008, Luis was shot repeatedly at close-range.

The week of April 10-16 has been declared National Volunteer Week—a time to honor and appreciate men and women who are making a difference in the lives of others. Prison Fellowship is greatly appreciative of all those who offer their time and efforts on behalf of prisoners and their families, whether they are mentoring and training prisoners, providing support to children and family members of those behind bars, or offering prayer and encouragement to those affected by crime and incarceration.