‘The Chosen’: Coming soon to a US prison near you
United StatesRNS The Chosen, the wildly popular TV series based on the life of Jesus and his followers, will soon be available to prisoners at more than 300 correctional institutions in 49 states, courtesy of Prison Fellowship, a criminal justice reform organisation founded by evangelical Christians. Katherine Warnock, head of original content for The Chosen, told […]
Wow!: A gift of Christmas joy for the children of the incarcerated
LUIS ANDRES HENAO and MARIAM FAM, of The Associated Press, report on how US prison ministries bring joy to prisoners and their families at Christmas…
Essay: Christians should change how they talk about people with a criminal record
In an article first published on Religion News Service, JAMES ACKERMAN, president of Prison Fellowship in the US, writes about why words matter when describing people in reference to the prison system…
Lecrae, Bieber appear at prison events in US as ministries return to correctional facilities
RNS In early April, Christian hip-hop artist Lecrae visited a South Carolina prison, performed six songs and testified about his faith. Fifteen months ago, the event would have been almost unremarkable, but since then, COVID-19 restrictions have prevented Lecrae from “hanging out” with prisoners, as he had previously done with less social distance after a […]
Updated: Prison Fellowship joins campaign to reform US cocaine sentencing guidelines
Updated 11.15am (AEDT), 11th March, 2021RNS Prison Fellowship has joined forces with criminal justice and prosecutorial organisations to support bipartisan efforts to reduce disparities in sentences that punish Black Americans more harshly than white Americans. The #EndtheDisparity campaign, a partnership with organisations such as Families Against Mandatory Minimums, has recently focused on the 18-to-one ratio […]
US bipartisan network of Christian groups launches police reform initiative
RNS A network of more than a dozen Christian groups is launching an initiative to address police reform. The Prayer & Action Justice Initiative – bringing together Black, Hispanic and Asian organisations along with groups focused on prisoners, prayer and public justice – will advocate for greater equality, accountability and transparency in the criminal justice system. “The […]
Evangelical leaders push for criminal justice reform in the US
RNS Evangelical Christian leaders are spearheading a campaign for criminal justice reform, calling for equitable punishment, alternatives to incarceration and a different take on the “tough on crime” language of the Trump administration. “Our country’s overreliance on incarceration fails to make us safer or to restore people and communities who have been harmed,” said James Ackerman, CEO of […]
Prison Fellowship spearheads ‘Second Chance Month’ in the US to help ex-prisoners
RNS Casey Irwin, a formerly incarcerated woman from Minnesota, speaks at the launch of the first Second Chance Month in Washington, DC, last week. PICTURE: RNS/Adelle M Banks A US prison ministry is joining forces with conservative and liberal groups to call on church leaders and politicians to give former prisoners a second chance at […]