Prison Fellowship seeks to restore those affected by crime and incarceration to make communities safer and healthier. Seek justice. Love mercy. Restore hope.
We are thrilled to announce that thanks to the Come and See Foundation
@thechosentv
is now streaming into more than 300 prisons.
This means that tens of thousands of incarcerated men and women can now experience “The Chosen” though Prison Fellowship’s Floodlight platform.
“More than 600k people return home & rejoin their communities each yr. They face a myriad of challenges, from acquiring proper identification to finding a job to securing housing & building a supportive network…”
@AliceMarieFree
#MarkHolden
#FirstSTEPAct
Just announced!
@lecrae
will perform at our Sept 11 St. Clair Prison Hope Event in
#Alabama
. “Prison Fellowship &I have the same mission, to restore a sense of value, worth, meaning, & purpose to the lives of those who feel hopeless.”
#Lecrae
#restoration
Thanks to all the speakers, sponsors, partners, volunteers, and participants who came out to the Families for Justice Reform Now Rally in D.C. yesterday! Your voices are being heard.
#JusticeReformNOW
#CANTWAIT
“... don’t waste your prison sentence. ...Use it to become a better version of yourself. ...To learn more about things that you didn’t know about. To write more letters than you’ve ever written to people that you love & express your love for them.”
@Lecrae
We join
@AndCampaign
in calling on Christians to be “political peacemakers--to pray for our nation’s election, the candidates, & our leaders; to be informed & vote; to serve your community; & be civil in our tone both in personal conversation & on social media.”
#BeThePeacemakers
“There is nothing so broken that God can’t restore or redeem it.” – Lecrae. Join us for The
#SecondChanceMonth
Virtual Gala on April 29! Hear second chances stories from special guests, plus a performance by
@lecrae
& keynote by Bryan Stevenson
@eji_org
!
We mourn the passing of Patty Colson, who was married to our founder, Charles “Chuck” Colson. Patty walked side by side with Chuck through his incarceration, the ups and downs of founding of Prison Fellowship, and decades of outreach to men and women in prison and their families.
.
@lyft
just announced their Jobs Access Program, providing free/discounted rides to job interviews & jobs within the first 3 wks of employment. They are partnering w/ org. including
@UnitedWay
@the_USO
@GoodwillIntl
and
@cut_50
. Via
@cnn
Today our Board of Directors named
@RiceMinus
as the next president & CEO, eff. July 1, 2024. "Heather is uniquely positioned to move the ministry into its next era of transforming lives and redeeming broken systems, both behind bars and in the community.”
More than 90% of prisoners are eventually released. Only 22% of state prisoners have any postsecondary education, which is required by a majority of jobs. Formerly incarcerated people aren't able to find decent jobs, which increases the cycle of crime.
“My morning devotions are how God dials me in every morning. I meet God every day for coffee and devotions, and He has blessed me. Mark 1:35 says that while it was still dark, Jesus woke, left the house, and went to a quiet place and prayed.”
#prayer
#incarceration
#restoration
What an exciting night! We are thrilled that the
#FirstStepAct
just passed by an overwhelming 87-12 vote in the Senate. This bill will make America safer and help transform the lives of people affected by incarceration. Prison Fellowship is honored to have played a part in this!
“When someone is incarcerated ... they can feel stripped of their humanity. But education is something that nobody can take from you.”
#education
#prison
#SanQuentin
“Yes, people are sent to prison to serve out a sentence, but let’s make these prisons places of restoration and rehabilitation.” James Ackerman, President and CEO, Prison Fellowship.
#restoration
#rehabilitation
#transformation
#hope
This summer, Green Bay
@packers
'
@KCBoutThatLife
partnered with
@prisonfellowshp
Angel Tree to host a football clinic for 260 kids. “At my camp we put God first in everything. Everything that we do in front of the kids, we do for a reason."
#SecondChanceMonth
is a nationwide campaign to unlock
#secondchances
for Americans with a criminal record who have paid their debt. We know this is an unprecedented time, yet advocacy for a more restorative justice system for all continues. Learn more:
“Shake off that stigma of incarceration, of unworthiness. You're a new creation in Christ Jesus. You are not the man that went into prison. … don't be ashamed of how far you have come, and the plan Christ has for you.”
#hope
#incarceration
#newcreation
#prisonfellowship
“It is so amazing to see volunteers remember us prisoners in Jesus’ name. ... I was reminded that my past does not define me and that moving forward with Jesus my future will be transformational. I am encouraged to stay the path Jesus would have for me.”
#hope
#incarceration
Joining a nonprofit
#reentry
program after three stints in
#prison
spurred Antwoin Gutierrez to start his own business,
@bakedbyfresh
. “If I could tell teenage me that I’d be baking the dopest cupcakes, I would’ve said you’re crazy.”
Happy Birthday Chuck Colson, on what would have been his 88th birthday! Thank you for obeying God's call on your life and for founding the ministry of Prison Fellowship!
#chuckcolson
#rememberthoseinprison
Jermaine Wilson spent his youth in and out of prison, but his faith in God led him to turn his life. This January, he did something he could never dreamed of doing. He was sworn in as mayor of his hometown in
#Kansas
.
#redemption
#hope
“Most prosecutors have never stepped foot in the buildings that they sentence people to spend years in.” The state’s attorney of Chittenden Co.
#Vermont
asks all staff &
#prosecutors
that work in her office to visit
#prison
.
#cjreform
Please
#pray
with us for incarcerated men and women and for our Hope Events, including
#FathersDay
Hope Events, this month at prisons in OK, MI, TX, VA, NC, CA, CO, MO, KY, and Hawaii! Join our Prayer Team here:
#prison
#hope
“In Matthew 25, Jesus says ‘I was in prison, and you visited me.’ He calls upon His Followers to minister to those who are behind bars. In other words, we will be judged in part by the way we treat those who are in prison. …”
#ChuckColson
#Matthew25
“There are a lot of people who deserve a second chance, but many do not have the resources to make it happen. I want to help elevate these cases to a national level.”
@KimKardashian
’s new documentary focuses on her
#criminaljustice
advocacy efforts.
It's time to celebrate! We've reached 10,000
#Twitter
Followers! Thank you for supporting us, and for helping us serve all those affected by crime and incarceration!
#rememberthoseinprison
#thankyou
“The [Prison Fellowship] Academy was a training ground for me, because God had something better for my life, and I couldn't see it until I got there. When I got there, He painted the picture for me so beautiful, I had to take it.”
#incarceration
#transformation
BREAKING NEWS: The bipartisan
#FirstStepAct
passes the House with a vote of 360-49. We are thrilled by this major step taken towards impacting the well-being of families and communities throughout the nation! MORE >
“Christians, who are specifically called to care for the bruised and broken of society, can bring hope. This means caring for offenders, both during and after their incarceration, as well as their families.” – Chuck Colson.
#incarceration
#hope
#prisonfellowship
#chuckcolson
“My long journey, that has kept me hostile, no longer impacts who I am today. Every tear I've dropped I now count as blessings. ... If it was not for the Lord, my life would be lost, this is my journey and I am thankful.” – Mikell.
#incarceration
#transformation
#journey
"The Michigan Department of Corrections announced today that Ojibway Correctional Facility in Gogebic County will close in December as the prisoner population continues to decline statewide."
“Christians, who are specifically called to care for the bruised and broken of society, can bring hope. This means caring for offenders, both during and after their incarceration, as well as their families.”
#ChuckColson
#incarceration
#hope
#prisonfellowship
"A lot of our guys have done things to give their families and friends a lot of bad news.'' Dustin only dreamed about getting a college degree before enrolling in the Calvin Prison Initiative program.
"Tonight … was beautiful. [We all came] together as one and [shared] something that we all love, and that's God. God is so good. … It's like He picks up the pieces that we drop and puts it together for us."
#hope
#restoration
#secondchances
Watch this thank you from
@asyadanielle
,
@MissUSA
2020, to our donors and supporters. Thank you for your words, Asya, and thanks to you all for supporting Prison Fellowship and
@PFAngelTree
! Learn more about Angel Tree here:
"My own story stands as a testament to the fact that... a person who once sold illegal drugs on the street could become tomorrow’s medical doctor. But this can only happen if such a person, & the many others in similar situations, are given the chance."
“To reform prisoners we need to reform our philosophy to include reentry,” says Robert Hood, who has held four wardenships over the course of his 42-year career in corrections. Read more >>
“If we can train them ... so that they can get out and get a job, and never come back and be able to not only support themselves, but support their families and their communities — that’s a win all-around.”
@NRAEF
#reentry
#incarceration
“The goal of effective re-entry needs to be employment for those folks who can work, because the dignity of work itself cannot be overstated.”
@JGKoufos
@RightOnCrime
Via
@WTOP
#reentry
Sixteen incarcerated men at
#Kentucky
McCracken Co. jail are entering a new HVAC training program. "First time I ever felt good about myself."
#reentry
#recidivism
Please join us in RETWEETING to help Kenny Clark win the Walter Payton Man of the Year Charity Challenge. Your retweet could help provide an additional $25,000 to support the children of prisoners through Angel Tree!
Shon Hopwood served a twelve year sentence for armed bank robbery. While he was in prison he discovered he had a passion for law. Now, he teaches a law professor at Georgetown University. Read his story here >>
First Church in
#Indiana
recently started a jail
#ministry
that has seen nine prisoners become
#baptized
. Forty percent of male prisoners and 90 percent of female prisoners have been attending the worship services.
We were honored to have
@lauren_daigle
join us at Folsom Prison last week, bringing light and hope to incarcerated women. They loved Lauren's performance, and sitting and chatting with her — they felt heard, and they felt loved. Thank you, Lauren!
#lookupchild
#laurendaigle
“I meet God every day for coffee and devotions, and He has blessed me. Mark 1:35 says that while it was still dark, Jesus woke, left the house, and went to a quiet place and prayed. So, I feel like I'm following in His footsteps every morning.”
#prayer
#hope
#prison
Our experience indicates that it takes about three years for former prisoners to re-establish themselves. This guide for the first three hours, days, months, & years of freedom offers a plan to help make the most of
#secondchances
.
#reentry
#incarceration
A new program in
#Ohio
is making it possible for formerly incarcerated individuals with a felony conviction to get their commercial driver’s license (CDL).
#reentry
#recidivism
#incarceration
“I was running from God because I was just scared of Him seeing what I was doing. I learned that He was not only waiting for me but running towards me. He knows everything I did, everything I'm going to do. But He sent His Son to take care of all of that.”
#transformation
#hope
Today we honor the anniversary of Chuck Colson’s passing 8 yrs ago. He thought being labeled a “convict” would kill his chances of doing anything meaningful with his life. “Was I ever wrong! God used my greatest defeat for His glory!”
#ChuckColson
#prison
More than a dozen
#Michigan
women prisoners recently received
#college
degrees. "I kept looking for a role model. This [college] program came so I decided I could be that role model I was looking for."
Several
#Indiana
agencies have been nationally recognized for a recent virtual
#job
fair for prisoners, “believed to be the first of its kind in the nation.”
#reentry
It's our 46th anniversary! On this day in 1976, Chuck Colson founded Prison Fellowship. "I found myself increasingly drawn to the idea that God had put me in prison for a purpose and that I should do something for those I had left behind."
#chuckcolson
#incarceration
#hope
“Everybody needs a
#secondchance
and that's what Jesus Christ is, a second chance to turn your life to God. [People in prison] need to know that they're loved, they're valuable, they’re important, and they have something to give to the world for God."
#grace
#incarceration
The demand for the Word of God in prisons continues to be at an all-time high! In September alone, we shipped 20,000+ Life Recovery
#Bibles
to
#prisons
, chaplains, & incarcerated individuals. We are grateful that while we cannot go in, God’s Word is being delivered!
#hope
"I feel like God wants me here. If I had kept doing the lifestyle I was living, I would have probably ended up dead by now, or serving a life sentence. But he blessed me with opening my eyes."
#secondchances
#hope
#prison
“Before you quickly judge someone who was previously incarcerated, keep in mind that many of us have likely made some poor decisions in our past. They did not define us nor does incarceration define someone who has completed their sentence.”
#secondchances
Many incarcerated men and women deal with issues of rage. But there are ways for prisoners—and all of us—to reframe our responses to situations that trigger our
#anger
. Here are 7 tips >>
“... you enter these prison rooms and hear men talk about their changed lives. It reminded me that the words I read in the Bible are real. They're not just words on paper. Volunteering in prison is a faith-building experience.”
#volunteer
#prisonministry
#incarceration
#hope
"I stepped out in faith, and I started getting into the Word… [I] left my friends and my old lifestyle behind… I was a baby in Christ—[I wanted] to tell everybody what God [was] doing … God was pruning me and shaping me."
#incarceration
#transformation
#restoration
#hope
The incarcerated are at high risk for the
#coronavirus
. Join with us as we
#pray
for prisoners, their families, and their correctional officers.
#incarceration
“America is a country of second chances…I have no bitterness concerning what happened to me because I know ultimately everything was used for a purpose.”
@alicemariefree
#secondchances
#cjreform
“So grateful to spend time with my new brothers in Christ at Alfred Hughes Prison and encouraging them in the hope that Jesus brings!”
@TimTebow
made a surprise visit to a maximum-security
#prison
in
#Waco
#Texas
.
#SecondChanceMonth
begins today, April 1st, and we’d love for you to join us in raising awareness about the barriers people with
#criminal
records face--including housing, jobs, and education. Click on the link to learn more!
#WeBelieveInSecondChances
"The Prison Fellowship Academy, through the teachings of Jesus Christ, shows each person that you're still
#worthy
. Doesn't matter what you've done. Doesn't matter who [others] say you are. You're still worthy because Christ died so that you would be worthy."
#hope
#incarceration
“[Jesus] calls upon His Followers to minister to those who are behind bars. …The fact that a man has committed a crime, and is paying the price, does not mean that he forfeits his God-given dignity.”
#chuckcolson
#matthew25
#rememberthoseinprison
Thank you to
@FL_Corrections
& everyone who volunteered, performed, spoke, & prayed for this weekend’s
#FathersDay
#HopeEvent
in
#Florida
! Lawtey is the only Faith & Character Prison in the state. 150+ men attended, 12 raised their hands to rededicate their lives to Christ.
#hope
“In Matthew 25, Jesus says ‘I was in prison, and you visited me.’ He calls upon His Followers to minister to those who are behind bars. … The fact that a man has committed a crime, and is paying the price, does not mean that he forfeits his God-given dignity.”
#hope
#chuckcolson