Every person is made in the image of God. No life is beyond His reach. Founded in 1976, Prison Fellowship® exists to serve all those affected by crime and incarceration, and to see lives and communities restored in and out of prison—one transformed life at a time.
Incarceration touches all of us. In the U.S., some 6.6 million people live under supervision of adult correctional authorities (in prison, in jail, on probation, or on parole). Nearly 2.2 million men and women are behind bars, and more than 600,000 people are released every year—with two-thirds being rearrested within three years. The annual cost to incarcerate and reincarcerate this many people? More than $80 billion. Beyond the price tag, soaring levels of incarceration and recidivism take a toll on communities and families. This cycle of crime and incarceration produces broken relationships, victimization, despair, and instability—and we must do better. We can’t afford not to.
Prison Fellowship® is the nation’s largest nonprofit serving prisoners, former prisoners, and their families, and a leading advocate for justice reform. We seek to share the real, living hope of the Gospel with people who long for its power to make them new. Real restoration begins by addressing the cycle of crime on all fronts, in prison and out, and engaging in a cycle of renewal.
Prison Fellowship staff and volunteers are in hundreds of correctional facilities each day sharing the Gospel, spreading hope, and teaching life-changing classes. We introduce incarcerated men and women to a new future in Christ and nurture their spiritual growth with Bible studies and discipleship courses. Prison Fellowship is dramatically expanding its ministry to women—the fastest-growing prison population—with events, resources, and intensive programs tailored to their specific needs. As a result, we are seeing prisoners use their sentences as a time to grow, change, and find a new, positive life path with Prison Fellowship staff and volunteers as their guide.