Second Chance Month continues to build momentum, and April 2019 was the best one yet! From changing individual lives to changing our national conversation, here are some of the highlights.
It looked like a typical 5K, the same as any you might see in cities across America. But for those who ran, the Second Chances 5K meant far more than a brisk run and a medal at the finish line.
They came from all walks of life to run for second chances. Athletes, families, and community members joined together in Denver to run the Second Chances 5K as part of Second Chance Month.
Prison Fellowship® is looking forward to an exciting year advancing justice reform. Here are the highlights and what to expect:
APRIL IS SECOND CHANCE MONTH!
"I was the guy who needed a project like this," says Dennis Avila.
By Randy Anderson, as told to Emily Andrews
Randy Anderson will be speaking at Prison Fellowship®'s annual Second Chances 5K in St. Paul, Minnesota, this spring. The 5K raises awareness for those in need of a second chance. Randy hopes his story of struggle and recovery will inspire others—in and out of prison—to believe that no life is beyond restoration.
Join Prison Fellowship® for our Second Chances 5K runs this April in Denver and St. Paul!
Every race has a finish line. But what happens when that line gets pushed farther out making it virtually unreachable?
That’s how it can feel for men and women entering society after completing their prison term. Though their “debt to society” has been paid, payday never ends since many former prisoners find themselves wading through a “second prison,” further locking them into a life with limited choices.
In some ways, the races seemed like any other 5K competitions that take place every weekend across the country. The runners laced up their shoes and stretched in preparation for the run, affixing their bib numbers and hoping for fast times.
Prison Fellowship Director of Community Engagement Jesse Wiese and former Minnesota Governor Al Quie recently penned an editorial for the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, highlighting the challenges that hundreds of thousands of men and women face nationwide when they return to their communities from prison.
The following post originally appeared on the Minneapolis Running website, and is reprinted here with permission.
Running is a communal activity. While we compete on an individual level, everyone I know agrees that running is far more enjoyable when done with others.
For many men and women with criminal convictions, the road to move beyond the past and become contributing members of their communities is filled with hurdles and potholes. In addition to the stigma associated with having a criminal record, there are numerous legal impediments that prevent these people from obtaining work licenses, voting in elections, or even advancing to job interviews.