Prison Fellowship is transforming lives by encountering Jesus alongside men and women impacted by incarceration.
In the Gospel of Matthew, Christ calls his believers to serve one another for “whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.”
Part of answering Christ’s call is a duty to visit those in prison, fulfilling one of the corporal works of mercy. Often, when we consider the scope and significance of that duty, we think about it solely in terms of what we can do for those in prison. We think that Christ wants us to bring Him to those suffering behind bars.
But what if that’s not what Christ’s words mean? What if this call is not just to bring Christ to those in prison, but to find Him there for ourselves as well?
That’s exactly what Prison Fellowship wants to teach the Church. Prison Fellowship has learned to experience Christ’s call to visit those in prison as an opportunity for spiritual transformation—both for the Church inside prison walls and the Church outside them.
It’s an experience shared by every church and faith community that works with Prison Fellowship. Churches that volunteer with Prison Fellowship find their pews filling, their community growing, and their faith strengthened. Volunteering churches are often surprised to find that Jesus is alive and well inside—and He wants us to meet Him there!
This revival of the Church inside and outside of prison has the power to spark societal transformation—with the potential to galvanize change that brings justice, mercy, and hope to our culture, if we let it. Under the leadership of Heather Rice-Minus, Prison Fellowship has embraced this experience in full and made it their mission to equip churches to encounter Christ alongside those in prison. Their goal is not merely ministering to the imprisoned, but with them. It’s a mission that turns traditional notions of charity on their head, recognizing that those who serve are receiving just as much as they give.
As Heather shared with us in writing this article, “In praying over this mission and vision, I read over Matthew 25 dozens of times and I thought of these vulnerable populations. At first, I read it as Christ is saying you have a duty to provide for these needs. As our leadership and board started praying and discerning the vision for the next era of ministry, I read it in a fresh way: it’s not just my duty, I get to encounter Christ when I visit those in prison. It’s inside out revival, not only inside the prison, but inside those who visit the prison.”
Founded by Chuck Colson, former “hatchet man” for President Nixon, Prison Fellowship was born of Colson’s own experience with transformative faith during his legal troubles and time behind bars. Inside prison, he discovered a brotherhood of believers who encouraged and supported one another and inspired him to create a bridge between churches and those behind bars.
The need for such work is still urgent and far-reaching today. One in two families are impacted by incarceration. Families sitting in your pews have loved ones behind bars—whether or not they talk about them. Prison Fellowship exists because these lives broken by incarceration can be restored and made whole when we respond to God’s call.
Prison Fellowship has a multifaceted approach to carrying out this restoration and healing. A few core programs they are operating include:
- Prison Fellowship Angel Tree serves over 250,000 children of incarcerated parents annually, strengthening family bonds despite physical separation through Christmas gifts; summer, sports and STEM camps; and year-round support for those hurt the most by incarceration.
- Prison Fellowship Academy and Prison Fellowship Grow offer faith-based mentorship and support to incarcerated people of all backgrounds, fostering personal growth, accountability, and preparation for life after release. So that they live for today and not just for life after prison, incarcerated people complete the program as a cohort, even living in the same unit in some cases, forming deep bonds of Christian fellowship and holding one another accountable. They are supported by coaches and volunteers, sometimes on a daily basis, who model healthy relationships.
- Prison Fellowship Lead offers an opportunity for Academy and Grow graduates to continue practicing the values they learned, now as change agents making a positive impact on prison culture through service projects and as trained ministry leaders.
- Warden Exchange equips over 100 correctional leaders each year with leadership skills, research assessments, and policy recommendations to promote a culture of human dignity within the prison system.
- The Justice Ambassador program equips Christians to advance more proportional punishment, constructive corrections culture, and second chances at the federal level and in several states.
Through these programs, Prison Fellowship is changing how incarcerated people experience God and how the Church encounters Christ in them. In 2017, Prison Fellowship launched April as Second Chance Month, raising awareness about the 44,000 documented legal barriers that await formerly incarcerated people when they leave prison. An increasing number of church partners are hosting Second Chance Sundays during the month of April, helping Christians recognize the second chance all have received through Christ and giving individuals with a criminal record reason for hope in a better future.
The story of Pastor Quovadis Marshall—known to many as Q—exemplifies the far-reaching effects of this “inside out” revival. A former prisoner and graduate of the Prison Fellowship Academy, Pastor Q now leads one of the fastest-growing churches in Iowa, with his newest campus located inside a prison. His journey from incarceration to spiritual leadership has not only transformed his own life but also is inspiring and revitalizing his entire congregation.
For those who are inspired by this mission, Prison Fellowship offers many ways to get involved in answering Christ’s call. Prison Fellowship Angel Tree provides a way to directly support the children of the incarcerated in your community. Volunteer opportunities in prisons allow church members to experience firsthand the vibrant faith of those behind bars. The Justice Ambassador program offers an opportunity to be a voice for those on the inside.
As Prison Fellowship approaches its 50th year, its evolving vision reminds us that the call to “visit the imprisoned” is not just about what we can offer, but about how we can be transformed. By opening ourselves to encounter Christ in unexpected places and people, we participate in a powerful movement of justice, mercy, and hope that extends far beyond prison walls.
As we heed the call to visit those imprisoned, we may find that it is not only the imprisoned we help to find freedom. We ourselves are liberated—from spiritual complacency and limited understanding of the power of grace, into a deeper, more vibrant faith.
