Dear John,

As a proud father of two beautiful adult children, Holden and Lily, I have so much empathy for incarcerated parents who are separated from their own kids. Nearly half of state prisoners and more than half of federal prisoners have at least one minor child. The distance created by incarceration was particularly difficult this past year as families were unable to visit their loved ones in prison due to COVID-19. The pain of being apart is particularly difficult on special holidays like Father’s Day, and that’s one of the reasons we at Prison Fellowship are committed to bringing the hope of Jesus into prison to remind parents that they are not forgotten.

Our field team hosted 13 Hope Events in honor of Father’s Day! From events on the prison yard to livestreamed events to events just outside the prison walls, we covered the U.S. from Florida to Oklahoma to Arizona, and many spots in between. The Gospel tells us that no life is too broken to be transformed, and that’s the message we proclaimed to fathers in prison last week.

Another important way we reach hundreds of thousands of people in prison each day, including parents, is through Inside Journal, our quarterly newspaper. Packed with a variety of inspiring and engaging content on topics like parenting, conflict resolution, trauma and addiction recovery, and much more, each edition offers the hope of the Gospel, relatable stories of other prisoners with transformed lives, and practical advice about making the most of a prison sentence. Inside Journal has a new eight-page edition hitting prisons this month. It has a special Prison Fellowship Angel Tree focus that specifically encourages parents to strengthen relationships with their children and accompanies an application to sign up for Angel Tree Christmas. Participation in this important program is often the first step in building or restoring relationships between incarcerated parents and their children.

You are having an eternal impact on the lives of prisoners and their families, and your continued support makes all of this life-changing work possible. To that end, we are thrilled to share that we have earned a Guidestar 2021 Platinum Seal of Transparency! You can be assured that your donations are being used wisely, and you can access our strategy, metrics, and achievements via the Guidestar website.

I am both humbled and honored to share that in August I will celebrate my fifth anniversary as president and CEO of Prison Fellowship. As I approach this milestone, I am more excited and grateful than ever to be called to serve in this capacity. To mark the occasion, I’m planning to directly answer some questions from our followers on social media. Is there something you’d like to ask me about the ministry of Prison Fellowship? You can submit your question directly here. I look forward to hearing from you!

We are so grateful that you are part of the Prison Fellowship family. As we gather to pray, may we lift up any prayer requests for you or your family?

To God Be the Glory,

JAMES J. ACKERMAN

President and Chief Executive Officer