Prison Fellowship International

SEE PART III, LINE 1.

PRISON PROGRAMS:MILLIONS OF PRISONERS WORLDWIDE ARE LOCKED AWAY AND FORGOTTEN. IN A HARSH PRISON ENVIRONMENT, THEY EXPERIENCE FURTHER DANGER, ISOLATION, AND LOSS OF IDENTITY. WITHOUT A PLAN OF REHABILITATION, 75 PERCENT OF THOSE WHO RE-ENTER SOCIETY FIND THEMSELVES BACK BEHIND BARS WITHIN FIVE YEARS. THEY NEED INNER TRANSFORMATION TO BREAK FREE FROM THIS HOPELESS CYCLE. PRISON FELLOWSHIP INTERNATIONAL (PFI) SEEKS TO BREAK THE CYCLE OF CRIME AND RESTORE LIVES, WORLDWIDE, THROUGH JESUS'S LOVE. THROUGH SIGNATURE PROGRAMS, PFI INVITES INCARCERATED MEN AND WOMEN TO EXPERIENCE TRANSFORMATION FROM THE INSIDE OUT BY EXPLORING TOPICS OF FAITH, RESPONSIBILITY, FORGIVENESS, AND RECONCILIATION. PARTNERING WITH INDIGENOUS CHARTERED AFFILIATES IN EACH COUNTRY, PFI MINISTERS TO PRISONERS AND THEIR FAMILIES IN CULTURALLY RELEVANT WAYS. SINCE THE INCEPTION IN 2014 OF OUR SIGNATURE IN-PRISON BIBLE COURSE, MORE THAN 460,000 INMATES HAVE GRADUATED WORLDWIDE. "THE PRISONER'S JOURNEY" (TPJ) COURSE IS DESIGNED TO TRANSFORM THE LIVES OF PRISONERS FROM THE INSIDE OUT, BY INTRODUCING THEM TO A RESTORATIVE RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS, WHO WAS ALSO A PRISONER. THE FIRST PHASE OF A LONGITUDINAL, THIRD-PARTY, EMPIRICAL STUDY OF TPJ, CONDUCTED BY DR. BYRON JOHNSON AND A TEAM OF RESEARCHERS FROM THE INSTITUTE FOR STUDIES OF RELIGION AT BAYLOR UNIVERSITY, IS ALMOST COMPLETE. THE STUDY FOCUSES ON THE IMPACT OF TPJ IN MULTIPLE PRISONS IN TWO COUNTRIES. EARLY ASSESSMENTS FROM THE FIRST PHASE OF THE STUDY INDICATE THAT THIS PROGRAM TRANSFORMS PRISONERS' LIVES: BY INCREASING PRISONERS' RELIGIOUS ENGAGEMENT, TPJ INCREASES THEIR MOTIVATION FOR IDENTITY TRANSFORMATION, HELPS THEM GROW IN VIRTUE AND REDUCES THEIR AGGRESSION - ALL SOCIAL INDICATORS THAT THEY ARE ON A PATH TO SUCCESSFUL REHABILITATION.

CHILDREN'S PROGRAMS:MILLIONS OF CHILDREN WORLDWIDE HAVE LOST ONE OR BOTH PARENTS TO PRISON. THESE CHILDREN HAVE A HIGHER RISK OF POVERTY, SOCIAL EXCLUSION, LIMITED ACCESS TO EDUCATION , AND DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AND ABUSE. THEY ARE ALSO MORE SUSCEPTIBLE TO HUMAN TRAFFICKING. THESE RISKS ARE EVEN MORE HEIGHTENED IN COUNTRIES WHERE POVERTY IS WIDESPREAD. PFI IS COMMITTED TO SERVING CHILDREN OF PRISONERS IN ORDER TO PROTECT THEM AND PROVIDE OPPORTUNITIES FOR GROWTH IN BODY, MIND, AND SPIRIT. DUE TO ITS LONGSTANDING WORK WITHIN PRISON SYSTEMS AND UNPRECEDENTED ACCESS TO PRISONS ACROSS THE WORLD, PFI IS UNIQUELY POSITIONED TO SERVE CHILDREN OF PRISONERS, WHO OFTEN FALL THROUGH THE CRACKS OF OTHER ORGANIZATIONS. OUR GOAL IS TO HELP RESTORE AND REBUILD THESE YOUNG LIVES, AND TO HELP THEM AVOID REPEATING SELF-DESTRUCTIVE PATTERNS OF THEIR INCARCERATED PARENTS. WE DO THIS THROUGH TWO CORE PROGRAMS-"THE CHILD'S JOURNEY AND "PROMISEPATH" THESE CHILDREN'S PROGRAMS PROVIDE A VARIETY OF ASSISTANCE TO CHILDREN OF PRISONERS, INCLUDING ACCESS TO EDUCATION, SOCIAL MENTORING, HEALTH AND MEDICAL ASSISTANCE, AND SPIRITUAL DEVELOPMENT.

CAPACITY BUILDING:PFI IS THE WORLD'S LARGEST NETWORK OF PRISON MINISTRIES, PARTNERING WITH AUTONOMOUS, INDIGENOUS ORGANIZATIONS (CHARTERED AFFILIATES) IN MORE THAN 116 COUNTRIES AS OF SEPTEMBER, 2021. PFI WALKS ALONGSIDE THESE AFFILIATES TO HELP THEM GROW INTERNAL CAPACITIES (INFRASTRUCTURE, FINANCE, GOVERNANCE), IN ORDER TO BUILD ORGANIZATIONAL STRENGTH. THROUGH STRENGTHENING OUR PARTNERS, WE IN TURN INCREASE IMPACT AND REACH OF PFI PROGRAMMING, SO MORE PRISONERS AND FAMILIES ARE SERVED AND TRANSFORMED BY GOD'S LOVE. PFI HAS A VARIETY OF CAPACITY-BUILDING PROGRAMS AND SERVICES, INCLUDING COST-SHARING PROGRAM PARTNERSHIPS, AFFILIATE MENTORING, AND TRAINING AND COACHING INITIATIVES. FOR ALL PROGRAM PARTNERS, PFI CONDUCTS ANNUAL CAPACITY ASSESSMENTS TO TRACK EACH ORGANIZATION'S PROGRESS, AND TAILOR SERVICES AND SUPPORT FOR THE UNIQUE NEEDS AND CHALLENGES OF EACH PARTNER.