Breaking News

Finding Employment for Ex-Prisoners

Fri, 21 Oct 2011 15:14:31 EDT

On October 13, the city of Riviera Beach, California, sponsored a jobs fair for non-violent ex-prisoners. Nearly 1,000 men and women attended, greatly exceeding the number of participants expected by organizers and overflowing the recreation center hosting the event.The event was not an aberration. With 700,000 inmates being released from federal and state prisons every year, the need for job training and employment continues to grow. Companies that hire ex-offenders help to reduce recidivism and lower the crime rate. And they usually get employees who are motivated to be good workers and to turn their lives around.Riviera Beach mayor Thomas Masters says that this event is just the beginning. The next time, though, he hopes to hold the jobs fair in a larger venue, like the convention center in nearby West Palm Beach. Prison Fellowship partners with faith-based organizations, state agencies, corrections, community-based organizations, victim's advocacy groups, and the business community to create reentry coalitions committed to assisting ex-prisoners return to society. To learn more about these coalitions, visit our Out4Life page.

Charlie Daniels agrees, The Devil Went Down to â��Nashvilleâ��

Fri, 21 Oct 2011 12:55:03 EDT

Gibson Guitar hand crafts more than 160,000 guitars every year in Nashville, TN and generates revenue of $500 million.In a recent article, Newsmax reports that the guitar maker lost an estimated $2 to 3 million in revenue over the raid. The article also reveals what Charlie Daniels, the man known for playing his fiddle and Gibson guitars, thinks of the raids on the Nashville-based company.Pat Nolan of Justice Fellowship recently wrote an article for the National Review Online highlighting in-depth the wrong behind the Gibson raid.For more information, visit Justice Fellowship's Overcriminalization page.

Released at Midnight, Now What?

Thu, 20 Oct 2011 12:00:49 EDT

Imagine being freed from prison. Now, think about the challenge of being released at midnight with no place to go. Brandi Grissom, writing in The New York Times, reveals what happens when prisoners are released in the wee hours of the morning with no home, no money, no phone and no plan other than living on the street. Grissom tells the story of Acy Williams, a 53-year-old homeless man released from prison at 1 a.m. unto the streets of Houston. Justice Fellowship understands that for ex-prisoners, transitioning from prison to society is a daunting challenge. The numbers reveal that two-thirds of parolees return to prison within three years of release. Most ex-prisoners are not ready for life outside of the prison bars. Visit our "prisoner reentry" page for more information on our efforts for reentry and support. Click here to read the full New York Times article.

Urban Soul Project to Perform Angel Tree Benefit Concert in California

Wed, 19 Oct 2011 17:35:43 EDT

On November 15, John and Gina Carey and the Urban Soul Project will be performing a free concert at Faith Community Church in Thousand Palms, California, to benefit the Angel Tree program. The couple will be performing original selections from their new recordings, New Beginnings (John Carey) and Melodic (Gina Carey).John and Gina have both appeared on the R&B charts in Great Britian, and have opened for a number of well-known performers, including Natalie Cole, George Benson, Al Jarreau, Buddy Guy, The Pointer Sisters, The Mary Jane Girls, and Earth, Wind & Fire.The show begins at 7:00 PM. If you are in southern California, check it out! More information on the concert is available here.

Gov. Brown Feels Heat from Both Political Sides on Prison Reform

Mon, 17 Oct 2011 13:23:06 EDT

When the Supreme Court stepped in on California's prisons and found inadequate medical care of inmates, the state was forced to remedy the problem of its overcrowded prisons. Today, the state of California houses 144,000 inmates in its 33 adult institutions. The Department of Corrections estimates that 20,000 fewer inmates will be held in prison by summer 2012 and 34,000 fewer inmates by summer 2013, but Kevin Yamamura of The Sacramento Bee reports that Gov. Brown is being questioned by both political parties.Click here to read the full article

VIDEO: On Chuck Colson

Fri, 14 Oct 2011 15:57:36 EDT

Prison Fellowship CEO Jim Liske and President Garland Hunt talk about the life and legacy of ministry founder Chuck Colson.