Prison Fellowship Ministries

Prison Fellowship Ministries, a nonprofit organization, is dedicated to restoring those affected by crime and incarceration. Through targeted curriculum, compassionate coaches, and restorative community, the Prison Fellowship Academy aims to replace criminal thinking and behaviors with renewed purpose and biblically based life principles. This transformative program results in former prisoners becoming change agents both inside and outside of prisons, using their sentences as a time for growth, change, and a new, positive life path.

In fiscal year 2023, over 8,500 volunteers and 6,106 incarcerated men and women were impacted by Prison Fellowship's classes, seminars, or intensive programs. Long-term, evidence-based programming is delivered through the Prison Fellowship Academy in 218 facilities across 41 states. Furthermore, the Prison Fellowship Pathways Program empowers incarcerated and formerly incarcerated individuals to live lives of human flourishing through the values of good citizenship and service to others.

Prison Fellowship also engages with correctional officials, providing them with the tools and knowledge needed to make their prisons safer, more constructive, and more supportive of prisoners' rehabilitation. In fiscal year 2023, 151 officials from various state departments of corrections graduated from the Warden Exchange program. Additionally, Prison Fellowship's research team developed the Prison Culture Assessment, a tool used to evaluate the health of a prison facility's culture and its conduciveness to the development of good citizenship.

Angel Tree, a program by Prison Fellowship Ministries, mobilizes the church to serve the children and families of incarcerated parents. During the holidays, 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 their behalf. Throughout the year, many partner churches meet the physical, emotional, and spiritual needs of prisoners' families through various ministries and activities. These partnerships provide a pathway for strengthening and restoring prisoners' relationships with their children and families. In fiscal year 2023, over 253,000 children were assigned to local Angel Tree partners and 4,917 children of prisoners attended Christian summer camp. Angel Tree's sports camps allowed 1,559 children of an incarcerated parent to gain skills in various sports from seasoned college players and former professional athletes, all while learning about God's love. Furthermore, Prison Fellowship's First Chance Network connects prisoners' families in five focus cities to organizations that have the expertise and heart to lend a hand.

Through various evangelism events, Prison Fellowship introduces incarcerated men and women to a new future in Christ and nurtures their spiritual growth, reaching nearly 35,000 prisoners at 313 hope events in a given year. Floodlight, an online resource platform, provides free, encouraging, and inspiring faith-based content for use on prison televisions and tablets, available in 436 facilities across 49 states, reaching over 570,000 incarcerated viewers. Lastly, the Create: New Beginnings restorative art program offers women an opportunity to acknowledge critical emotions and develop self-awareness through artistic expression, with over 330 women participating in the program.