Happy New Year! As we enter 2024, I pray you are experiencing the abounding peace and joy of Christ. Each new year brings a sense of new possibilities and fresh starts, and I look forward to seeing what God has in store for Prison Fellowship and those we serve.
I am honored to be a part of this pivotal time at Prison Fellowship. Our rich history spans nearly five decades—incredible years defined by Christ’s unfailing love for every person touched by incarceration. We celebrate all that God has done and will continue to do. As they say in the Prison Fellowship Academy, we are “better than yesterday, not done yet!”
We’re witnessing an undeniable culture shift in prisons across the U.S., and we’re continuing to expand on Chuck’s original vision of restoration today. We’re building rapport with corrections leaders, reframing the national conversation on corrections, and advocating for a justice system that reflects every person’s God-given dignity.
I am confident that many of tomorrow’s leaders are behind bars right now—in Academy classrooms, at Hope Events, in prison chapels, in quiet cells praying for purpose. Thanks to supporters like you, Prison Fellowship is paving pathways to transformation, equipping the Church inside, and igniting hope in this generation of culture changers.
Outside prison, we’re excited to enable local churches and other partners to serve men and women behind bars, care for the children and families impacted by incarceration, and raise a voice for justice that restores. I pray that the Church in America experiences new revival as we inspire the local church to grow alongside the Body of Christ behind bars.
The Lord continues to transform the hearts and minds of men and women in programs like the Prison Fellowship Academy. In fact, we now have intensive in-prison programming in more than 200 facilities. The numbers are encouraging, but they’re not nearly as powerful as the personal stories behind those numbers. Hearing the amazing firsthand testimonies of people in these programs never gets old.
I think of testimonies like this one from Benedict, an Academy graduate in North Dakota:
“[Prison is] a struggle every day, but it's getting easier and easier and easier every day because I got God behind me. God gave me hope in the future. I didn't believe in God before. Now I do, and I know He's there.”
Most new year’s resolutions are short-lived, and many of these resolutions end up being temporary changes rather than permanent shifts. Our Academy graduates, however, are equipped with life-changing values that set them on a lasting trajectory with hope and purpose.
This new year holds numerous opportunities to continue being part of what God is doing, and it takes all of us—volunteers, churches, donors, advocates, and more—to make a lasting difference. Your prayers and support make these new futures possible, one story at a time. Thank you for joining us in this important work!
Joyfully,
HEATHER RICE-MINUS President and CEO
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