PRISON FELLOWSHIP: Reentry

It is breathtaking to see the lengths followers of Christ will go to serve Him. We got a fresh reminder of this recently in Spokane.

With an emotionally gripping end, Do You Believe? will have you rejoicing at the boundless power of the Cross.

A program in six eastern Tennessee counties is helping to prepare men behind bars to become better fathers for their children.

Team Dad, a project funded by the U. S. Department of Health and Human Services and sponsored by the Douglas-Cherokee Economic Authority, is equipping these men to be the parents their children need when they are released.

Earlier this month, Liz coordinated with the DOC and Women of Faith to take 43 prisoners to Lincoln for Women of Faith's "From Survival to Revival," a conference about making it through the hard times in life.

For the last 20 years, the Willow Creek Association has presented the Global Leadership Summit, a two-day event that brings together leaders from both the business and church spheres.  This year the event was broadcast via satellite to over 300 venues around the world – including three locations not often considered for their leadership potential.

A few weeks ago I was in a Florida prison, visiting the residents of a faith-based dorm there. As soon as he saw me, one man named Richard came up to me and gave me a bear hug, even though the prison regulations discourage physical contact between visitors and prisoners.

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

Use this practical tool to help ex-prisoners become responsible employees.

A young woman I met recently was 22 years old. Her adult life had barely begun, but she had already done quite a bit of hard living. She was one of several children born to an overburdened mom. Her dad was not around to help.

This resource provides the biblical foundation to guide you in the development of a reentry ministry in your church and community. We pray that the Lord will use His living and active Word to build your vision for this important ministry.

Park Avenue.  Soho.  Chelsea.  Midtown.

Rikers Island?

When one thinks of exclusive addresses in New York City, the first thing that likely comes to mind is a penthouse overlooking Central Park, or perhaps an historic brownstone in a trendy part of town. 

My father lived through the Great Depression. Like many men and women who experienced that period of want, he has a hard time throwing things away. He has sheds full of things he has saved, because “someone might need it someday.”

Cynthia Tilley has a black-and-white photograph of her, her brother, and her father. She doesn’t remember the occasion, but she believes it must have been taken at their Texas home around Christmastime. Wrapped gift boxes surround the father and his two tiny children.

A current practice in the federal prison system is to allow inmates to accrue “good time” credit for model behavior during their incarceration.  Prisoners can receive up to 54 days* a year for avoiding disciplinary issues during their time behind bars, which can then be removed from the end of their sentence. 

“It’s not going to last very long.”

That’s what everyone said about Prison Fellowship’s InnerChange Freedom Initiative (IFI) – a values-based prisoner reentry program drawn from the life and teachings of Christ – when it started in Lino Lakes, Minn. The inmates who signed up met in the basement.