Prison Fellowship Ministries

PRISON FELLOWSHIP'S MISSION IS TO RESTORE THOSE AFFECTED BY CRIME AND INCARCERATION.

PROGRAM MINISTRY: PRISON FELLOWSHIP STAFF AND VOLUNTEERS ARE IN PRISONS EACH DAY BUILDING COMMUNITIES OF GOOD CITIZENS THROUGH THE PRISON FELLOWSHIP ACADEMY, WHICH USES TARGETED CURRICULUM, COMPASSIONATE COACHES, AND RESTORATIVE COMMUNITY TO REPLACE PARTICIPANTS' CRIMINAL THINKING AND BEHAVIORS WITH RENEWED PURPOSE AND BIBLICALLY BASED LIFE PRINCIPLES. GRADUATES COMPLETE THE YEARLONG PROGRAM AS CHANGE AGENTS INSIDE AND OUTSIDE OF PRISON. AS A RESULT, WE ARE SEEING PRISONERS USE THEIR SENTENCES AS A TIME TO GROW, CHANGE, AND FIND A NEW, POSITIVE LIFE PATH WITH PRISON FELLOWSHIP STAFF AND VOLUNTEERS AS THEIR GUIDES.IN FISCAL YEAR 2023, 8,549 VOLUNTEERS SERVED WITH PRISON FELLOWSHIP, AND MORE THAN 6,106 INCARCERATED MEN AND WOMEN WERE IMPACTED BY PRISON FELLOWSHIP CLASSES, SEMINARS, OR INTENSIVE PROGRAMS. LONG-TERM, EVIDENCE-BASED PROGRAMMING THROUGH OUR PRISON FELLOWSHIP ACADEMY WAS DELIVERED IN 218 FACILITIES IN 41 STATES. IN FY 2023, AT CHAPTERS IN FOUR STATES, THE PRISON FELLOWSHIP PATHWAYS PROGRAM EMPOWERED INCARCERATED AND FORMERLY INCARCERATED INDIVIDUALS TO LIVE LIVES OF HUMAN FLOURISHING THROUGH THE VALUES OF GOOD CITIZENSHIP AND SERVICE TO OTHERS.THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, 123,770 BIBLES WERE DISTRIBUTED TO PRISONERS. THE MINISTRY ALSO DELIVERED MORE THAN 1,000,000 COPIES OF INSIDE JOURNAL, AN INSPIRATIONAL NEWSPAPER FOR THE PRISON POPULATION. 151 OFFICIALS FROM VARIOUS STATE DEPARTMENTS OF CORRECTIONS HAVE GRADUATED FROM THE WARDEN EXCHANGE, A PROGRAM DESIGNED TO HELP CORRECTIONAL OFFICIALS MAKE THEIR PRISONS SAFER, MORE CONSTRUCTIVE, AND MORE SUPPORTIVE OF PRISONERS' REHABILITATION. THIS YEAR, PRISON FELLOWSHIP'S RESEARCH TEAM DEVELOPED THE PRISON CULTURE ASSESSMENT, A TOOL TO EVALUATE THE HEALTH OF A PRISON FACILITY'S CULTURE AND ITS CONDUCIVENESS TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF GOOD CITIZENSHIP.PRISON FELLOWSHIP ANGEL TREE SERVES INCARCERATED PARENTS BY MOBILIZING THE CHURCH TO SERVE THEIR CHILDREN AND FAMILIES. EVERY CHRISTMAS, ANGEL TREE EQUIPS LOCAL CONGREGATIONS AND PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS TO MINISTER TO HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF CHILDREN BY DELIVERING A GIFT AND THE GOSPEL MESSAGE ON BEHALF OF THEIR INCARCERATED PARENTS. IN ADDITION, MANY OF OUR PARTNER CHURCHES MEET THE PHYSICAL, EMOTIONAL, AND SPIRITUAL NEEDS OF PRISONERS' FAMILIES THROUGH YEAR-ROUND MINISTRIES SUCH AS CAMPING, SPORTS CAMPS, AND THEIR OWN IN-CHURCH ACTIVITIES.THROUGH THESE PARTNERSHIPS, ANGEL TREE PROVIDES A PATHWAY FOR STRENGTHENING AND RESTORING PRISONERS' RELATIONSHIPS WITH THEIR CHILDREN AND FAMILIES. IN FY 2023, 127,420 PARENTS SUBMITTED APPLICATIONS FOR ANGEL TREE CHRISTMAS, AND MORE THAN 253,000 CHILDREN WERE ASSIGNED TO LOCAL ANGEL TREE PARTNERS WHO SERVE THEM AT CHRISTMAS. THROUGH A SCHOLARSHIP FROM ANGEL TREE, 4,917 CHILDREN OF PRISONERS ATTENDED CHRISTIAN SUMMER CAMP. ANGEL TREE HOSTED SPORTS CAMPS WHERE 1,559 CHILDREN OF AN INCARCERATED PARENT GAINED SKILLS IN VARIOUS SPORTS FROM SEASONED COLLEGE PLAYERS AND FORMER PROFESSIONAL ATHLETES AND LEARNED OF GOD'S LOVE. THIS YEAR, THROUGH PRISON FELLOWSHIP'S FIRST CHANCE NETWORK, A GROUP OF COMMUNITY NONPROFIT PARTNERS PROVIDING OPPORTUNITIES FOR ANGEL TREE CHILDREN, WE CONNECTED PRISONERS' FAMILIES IN FIVE FOCUS CITIES TO ORGANIZATIONS THAT HAVE THE EXPERTISE AND THE HEART TO LEND A HAND. THIS VISION IS SUPPORTED IN PART BY THE FIRST AND SECOND CHANCES PHILANTHROPY COUNCIL, COMPOSED OF CORPORATIONS AND FOUNDATIONS SEEKING TO HOLISTICALLY SUPPORT CHILDREN WITH INCARCERATED PARENTS AND UNLOCK SECOND CHANCES FOR PEOPLE WITH A CRIMINAL RECORD.THROUGH OUR EVANGELISM EVENTS, WE INTRODUCE INCARCERATED MEN AND WOMEN TO A NEW FUTURE IN CHRIST AND NURTURE THEIR SPIRITUAL GROWTH, REACHING NEARLY 35,000 PRISONERS AT 313 HOPE EVENTS THIS YEAR.FLOODLIGHT, OUR ONLINE RESOURCE PLATFORM THAT MAKES AVAILABLE FREE, ENCOURAGING, AND INSPIRING FAITH-BASED CONTENT FOR USE ON PRISON TELEVISIONS AND TABLETS, IS AVAILABLE IN 436 FACILITIES ACROSS 49 STATES, PROVIDING MORE THAN 570,000 INCARCERATED VIEWERS ACCESS IN THEIR CELLS AND DORMS TO THIS HIGH-QUALITY PROGRAMMING.THROUGH INDIVIDUAL AND COLLABORATIVE ARTWORK, MORE THAN 330 WOMEN PARTICIPATED IN CREATE: NEW BEGINNINGS, A RESTORATIVE ART PROGRAM THAT PROVIDES AN OPPORTUNITY FOR WOMEN TO ACKNOWLEDGE CRITICAL EMOTIONS AND DEVELOP SELF-AWARENESS THROUGH ARTISTIC EXPRESSION.

INTERNATIONAL PRISON MINISTRY:PRISON FELLOWSHIP MINISTRIES MAKES GRANTS TO PRISON FELLOWSHIP INTERNATIONAL, WHOSE MISSION IS TO ENGAGE THE CHRISTIAN COMMUNITY TO PURSUE JUSTICE AND HEALING IN RESPONSE TO CRIME TO THE END THAT OFFENDERS ARE TRANSFORMED, RELATIONSHIPS ARE RECONCILED, AND COMMUNITIES ARE RESTORED.

PUBLIC EDUCATION:PRISON FELLOWSHIP'S ADVOCACY TEAM COMMUNICATES TO CHURCHES, VOLUNTEERS, AND THE GENERAL PUBLIC THE POLICY AND LEGISLATIVE ISSUES PRISON FELLOWSHIP SUPPORTS ON STATE AND FEDERAL LEVELS. THIS WORK IS PERFORMED VIA DIRECT MAIL, NEWS AND INFORMATION OUTLETS, WEB POSTINGS, ONLINE WEBINARS, LIVE EVENTS, CONFERENCES, AND OTHER VARIOUS MEDIA. PRISON FELLOWSHIP'S CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORM ADVOCACY TEAM EDUCATES OUR SUPPORTERS ABOUT THE NEED FOR FAIRER SENTENCING, A MORE CONSTRUCTIVE CORRECTIONAL CULTURE, AND SECOND CHANCES FOR THOSE WHO HAVE PAID THEIR DEBT TO SOCIETY.