PRISON FELLOWSHIP: Virginia

Every year, over 700,000 inmates are released from state and federal prisons across the United States.  The joy of their new freedom, however, is tempered by the realization that substantial roadblocks remain to successful reintegration.  The stigma of being an ex-prisoner makes it hard to find regular employment or housing, and the temptation to return to old friends and old habits is always present. 

Being a father is hard work.  Today’s dads have to be part counselor, part confidant, part disciplinarian, part encourager, part teacher, and part advocate.  A good dad has to be aware of all the things happening in his kids’ lives, and be available when those kids have questions, concerns, or fears.

It is an ongoing problem for inmates being released from prison.  As soon as they leave prison life behind, they find themselves in a difficult job market, often with a limited skill set, and with a resumé with a noticeable hole in the timeline. 

In January, Alyson Quinn wrote a story about Angela Patton and her idea of holding father-daughter dances in prison.  Such a dance was recently held at the Richmond (Virginia) City Jail, and has garnered a fair amount of media attention.

An article in the Washington Post takes a look at the event, giving a glimpse of both fathers and daughters as they prepare for the dance. 

Whether it’s the debt ceiling, gun control, or other hot topics in politics, it seems like Congress is paralyzed by partisan gridlock.  However, Justice Fellowship – the advocacy arm of Prison Fellowship Ministries – is excited to be part of fostering growing bipartisan agreement on criminal justice reform, an issue that has bitterly divided liberals and conservatives for years.

Virginia spends too much money locking up nonviolent offenders and not enough on programs to help criminals transition into life after prison, Department of Corrections director Gene Johnson said Tuesday.

Speaking at a statewide conference on prisoner re-entry, Johnson said the state should stop doling out lengthy prison sentences to nonviolent criminals and those with drug convictions and instead focus on locking away violent criminals—and then helping them successfully re-enter society when their prison sentence is over.