Prison Fellowship

Prison Fellowship is a United States–based Christian nonprofit organization focused on prison ministry, prisoner reentry, family support, and criminal-justice reform. It was established in 1976 by Charles W. Colson after his imprisonment for a Watergate-related crime. Colson’s experience led him to develop a ministry directed toward people in prisons and toward communities affected by incarceration. The organization combines explicitly Christian programming with practical services, volunteer mobilization, leadership development, and public-policy advocacy. Its work takes place across all 50 states and includes relationships with prisons, correctional staff, churches, chaplains, volunteers, and community organizations. Prison Fellowship offers Bible studies, evangelism events, discipleship, mentoring, life-skills education, substance-abuse recovery support, parenting resources, and reentry assistance. Its Prison Fellowship Academy is a structured, holistic program operating in selected facilities. The Academy uses faith-based curricula and guided reflection to help participants address behavior, responsibility, relationships, and plans for productive lives during and after incarceration. Family connection is a central part of the organization’s work. Angel Tree enables incarcerated parents to send Christmas gifts and messages to their children through local churches and community partners. The program is intended not only to provide gifts but also to help repair and sustain family relationships. Prison Fellowship has also partnered with publishers and other organizations to provide religious and educational materials to participating families. The organization communicates directly with incarcerated audiences through Inside Journal, a quarterly publication distributed through correctional facilities. It has produced separate men’s, women’s, and Spanish-language editions and covers faith, encouragement, practical prison-life concerns, and preparation for life after release. Prison Fellowship also operates Hope Events, short prison-based gatherings that combine music, speakers, evangelism, and ministry activities. Beyond direct service, Prison Fellowship advocates for what it calls restorative justice: an approach that emphasizes the dignity and potential of every person, accountability for harm, support for victims, rehabilitation, safer communities, and meaningful opportunities after incarceration. Its justice-reform work has addressed religious liberty in correctional settings, prison rape prevention, sentencing, reentry, second chances, and other federal and state policies. The organization has supported or worked around measures including the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act, the Prison Rape Elimination Act, the Second Chance Act, the Fair Sentencing Act, and the First Step Act. Prison Fellowship also convenes policymakers and faith leaders. Its Faith & Justice Fellowship was created as a bipartisan network of public officials interested in restorative criminal-justice policy, while the Justice Declaration called on Christian communities to respond to crime, incarceration, victims, and prisoners. Outrageous Justice, launched in 2016, provided churches and small groups with a multimedia curriculum for examining criminal-justice issues and organizing practical responses. Second Chance Month, founded by Prison Fellowship in 2017, seeks to increase public awareness of barriers faced by people who have completed criminal sentences and to encourage employment, housing, civic, and community opportunities. A related international body, Prison Fellowship International, was established in 1979 as a sister organization rather than as the same entity. In the United States, Prison Fellowship continues to operate as an active nonprofit ministry and reform advocate, with programs reaching prisoners, families, volunteers, correctional leaders, churches, and policymakers.

Prison Fellowship was founded in 1976 by Charles W. Colson, a former senior aide to President Richard Nixon who served a prison sentence after pleading guilty to a Watergate-related offense. His imprisonment became the basis for a Christian ministry serving incarcerated people and addressing the conditions that affect prisoners, families, victims, and communities. From its beginning, the organization combined evangelism and spiritual care with practical support for people in prison. In 1979, Prison Fellowship International was created as a separate but related international outreach and sister organization. During the 1980s, the United States organization expanded its prison programming and developed a justice-reform function, later associated with the name Justice Fellowship. The organization’s work increasingly included policy advocacy as well as direct ministry. Mary K. Beard, a former prisoner, joined Prison Fellowship in 1982 and helped lead the development of Angel Tree. The program created a channel through which incarcerated parents could send Christmas gifts and personal messages to their children. Local churches and community groups became important partners, allowing the organization to connect families and build broader networks of prison ministry. During the 1990s, Prison Fellowship moved toward more intensive and holistic programming in selected correctional jurisdictions. These initiatives sought to combine biblical teaching with education, counseling, life skills, personal responsibility, and preparation for release. The approach reflected the organization’s view that lasting change requires attention to the personal, relational, and social factors connected to crime and incarceration. The organization later broadened its correctional and public-policy work. It supported federal and state reforms involving religious liberty, prison conditions, sexual assault prevention, sentencing, reentry, and opportunities for people with criminal records. Its advocacy has been framed around restorative justice, including accountability, victim recognition, rehabilitation, public safety, and the belief that people should not be permanently defined by their worst acts. In 2014, Prison Fellowship announced an objective of visiting every prison in the United States within six years. It continued to expand volunteer-led Bible studies, discipleship, mentoring, life-skills classes, recovery programs, and prison events. Its publications also extended the organization’s reach: Inside Journal was distributed through chaplains, correctional staff, program coordinators, and volunteers to incarcerated men and women, including Spanish-speaking readers. The 2010s brought several initiatives designed to mobilize churches and public officials. In 2016, Prison Fellowship launched Outrageous Justice, a curriculum intended to educate Christian communities about incarceration and motivate action on behalf of victims, prisoners, and reform. The same period saw the creation of the Faith & Justice Fellowship, a bipartisan network of legislators and governors interested in restorative criminal-justice principles. Prison Fellowship also developed the Justice Declaration, which called on Christian leaders and churches to engage with crime, punishment, incarceration, and restoration. In 2017, the organization founded Second Chance Month to focus attention on the obstacles faced by people who have completed their sentences. The initiative promotes second-chance opportunities and seeks to influence public perceptions of formerly incarcerated people. In 2018, Prison Fellowship advocated for the First Step Act, a federal reform package supported by the Trump administration and subsequently enacted. Current Prison Fellowship programming includes the Prison Fellowship Academy, Angel Tree, Inside Journal, Hope Events, volunteer-led prison ministry, and Warden Exchange. Warden Exchange provides a multi-month leadership program for wardens and senior correctional officials, emphasizing safer and more rehabilitative prison cultures. The organization states that it operates in all 50 states, works with more than 1,000 prisons, and reaches hundreds of thousands of incarcerated people annually. These reach figures are program claims that may vary by measurement period.

• 2018

  First Step Act advocacy

  [1]Prison Fellowshipen.wikipedia.org

  The organization lobbies for the federal First Step Act and related criminal-justice reforms.

• 2017

  Second Chance Month is founded

  [1]Prison Fellowshipen.wikipedia.org

  Prison Fellowship establishes an annual awareness initiative focused on opportunities for people who have completed criminal sentences.

• 2016

  Outrageous Justice is launched

  [1]Prison Fellowshipen.wikipedia.org

  A church and small-group curriculum is introduced to promote awareness and action on criminal-justice issues.

• 2014

  Nationwide prison-visitation goal announced

  [1]Prison Fellowshipen.wikipedia.org

  Prison Fellowship announces an ambition to visit every United States prison within six years.

• 1982

  Angel Tree leadership expands

  [1]Prison Fellowshipen.wikipedia.org

  Former prisoner Mary K. Beard joins Prison Fellowship and helps lead the Angel Tree program for incarcerated parents and their children.

• 1979

  Prison Fellowship International is established

  [1]Prison Fellowshipen.wikipedia.org

  A related international outreach and sister organization is formed to extend Christian prison ministry beyond the United States.

• 1976

  Prison Fellowship is founded

  [1]Prison Fellowshipen.wikipedia.org

  Charles W. Colson establishes Prison Fellowship after his imprisonment connected to the Watergate scandal.

A national Christian nonprofit combining direct prison ministry, family restoration, reentry programming, correctional leadership development, and restorative criminal-justice advocacy.

• Prison rehabilitation and reentry program

  Prison Fellowship Academy

  A structured program in selected prisons that combines biblically based instruction, personal reflection, education, life skills, accountability, and preparation for life after release. Participants examine factors associated with their incarceration and develop plans for more constructive lives inside and outside prison.

• Family-support program · 1982

  Angel Tree

  A family-connection initiative that helps incarcerated parents provide Christmas gifts and personal messages to their children through churches and community partners. The program is designed to maintain or rebuild parent-child relationships while offering local congregations a practical way to serve families affected by incarceration.

• Publication

  Inside Journal

  A quarterly newspaper distributed in correctional facilities through chaplains, staff, coordinators, and volunteers. It provides Christian teaching, encouragement, practical advice about prison life, and preparation for reentry, with men’s, women’s, and Spanish-language editions.

• Prison outreach event

  Hope Events

  One- or two-day prison events that use speakers, musicians, evangelism, and volunteer activity to present Christian messages and encouragement to incarcerated audiences.

• Correctional leadership development

  Warden Exchange

  A nine-month leadership program for wardens and senior correctional professionals. It combines live online sessions, residential conferences, expert instruction, and individualized action plans intended to help leaders create safer, more constructive, and more rehabilitative prison environments.

• Educational curriculum · 2016

  Outrageous Justice

  A multimedia curriculum and companion book for churches and community groups. It examines incarceration and criminal-justice policy through biblical themes, current events, expert perspectives, and personal stories, then encourages participants to support victims, prisoners, and restorative reform.

• 2017Second Chance Month

  United States

  An annual public-awareness campaign focused on second-chance opportunities for people who have completed criminal sentences.

  Outcome. Established a recurring advocacy platform addressing stigma and barriers to employment, housing, and community reintegration.

  Source
• 2016Faith & Justice Fellowship

  United States

  A bipartisan network mobilizing members of Congress, governors, and state legislators around faith-informed and restorative criminal-justice principles.

  Outcome. Created a public-policy network for officials supporting reforms emphasizing human dignity, rehabilitation, safer communities, and restoration.

  Source
• 2016Justice Declaration

  United States

  A statement of criminal-justice principles developed with partners and signed by more than 100 Christian leaders.

  Outcome. Provided a faith-based framework for encouraging churches to respond to crime, over-incarceration, victims, and prisoners.

  Source

• 2018

  Advocacy for the First Step ActStrategy

  Background

  Federal debate focused on sentencing, prison programming, reentry, and reducing barriers to successful reintegration.

  Action taken

  Prison Fellowship lobbied Congress and worked with policymakers in support of the First Step Act.

  Aftermath

  The legislation was enacted, adding a major federal policy milestone to the organization’s justice-reform advocacy.

  Source

• 2016

  Launch of Outrageous JusticeProduct launch

  Background

  The organization wanted to equip churches and communities to understand incarceration and participate in justice reform.

  Action taken

  Prison Fellowship introduced a multimedia small-group curriculum and companion book.

  Aftermath

  The initiative extended Prison Fellowship’s work from prison programming into congregational education and civic engagement.

  Source

• 2014

  Nationwide prison-visitation expansionStrategy

  Background

  Prison Fellowship sought to broaden direct ministry and volunteer engagement across the United States.

  Action taken

  The organization announced a goal of visiting every prison in the country within six years.

  Aftermath

  The announcement underscored a strategy centered on nationwide program and volunteer expansion.

  Source

• 2018

  Prison Fellowship advocates for the First Step Act[1]Prison Fellowshipen.wikipedia.org

  Regulation · Other

  The organization lobbied for federal criminal-justice legislation later enacted as the First Step Act, supporting measures related to prison programs, sentencing, and reentry.

• 2017

  Prison Fellowship establishes Second Chance Month[1]Prison Fellowshipen.wikipedia.org

  Campaign

  Prison Fellowship founded Second Chance Month to encourage public support for people returning to society after completing criminal sentences.

• 2016

  Prison Fellowship partners with Zondervan for Angel Tree Bible distribution[1]Prison Fellowshipen.wikipedia.org

  Other

  A partnership was announced to provide participating families with a Bible alongside gifts delivered through the Angel Tree program.

• 2016

  Prison Fellowship launches Outrageous Justice[1]Prison Fellowshipen.wikipedia.org

  Campaign

  The organization introduced a multimedia curriculum and companion book designed to help churches understand incarceration and participate in restorative justice.

• 2014

  Prison Fellowship announces a nationwide prison-visitation ambition[1]Prison Fellowshipen.wikipedia.org

  Other

  The organization announced an intention to visit every prison in the United States over the following six years, highlighting expansion of its ministry and volunteer presence.

1. 1Prison Fellowshipen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Prison Fellowship official websiteprisonfellowship.org