Dear John,

All of us know there’s no shortage of conflict and division in the world today. From warring countries to warring neighbors, it’s difficult to recall a time when people seemed more divided than they are now. Unfortunately, the conflict we see in the world is amplified in prison. Rival gangs claim space on prison yards, and the racial divide we see in our own communities is magnified in the high-stakes prison environment.

But it doesn’t need to be this way—and it’s not that way in the communities of men and women living peacefully together in Prison Fellowship Academy sites across the country today.

I’m pleased to share that as prisons continue to open back up, we now have 166 Academy cohorts up and running in 33 states. Anyone is welcome to apply to be a part of Prison Fellowship Academy, which is an intensive, biblically based program that takes incarcerated men and women through a holistic life transformation process to help them lead lives of purpose inside and outside of prison.

The Academy curriculum is based on what we’ve defined as the six Values of Good Citizenship: community, affirmation, productivity, responsibility, restoration, and integrity. The first value of community is defined as building relationships and caring for others, and that’s a key component to the success we see in the Academy.

To really flourish in a community, it’s necessary to get to know your neighbors and build solid relationships. That can be difficult for anyone, but in prison, the barriers to true connection and relationship can seem insurmountable. Prison culture is built upon the idea that no one can be trusted, and survival depends on “sticking with your own.” That’s why gang life often simply moves from the streets to the prison yard, with most gangs affiliated by race.

With that as the backdrop, when we bring people together in the Academy and they realize they’ll be living, learning, and growing together with people of all ages, races, and cultures, it can feel overwhelming. But we’ve learned to help participants make that transition, and it’s amazing how quickly we see walls begin to come down and friendships built.

We recently interviewed two Academy graduates about their unlikely friendship. Quovadis and Jesse met in prison where they both were serving time for robbery. Twenty years later, they’re out of prison and living successful lives. Quovadis is a husband, father, and pastor of Hope City Church in Iowa. Jesse, also a husband and father, is a lawyer and works as national director of program design and evaluation for Prison Fellowship. What’s more, the two remain close friends after all these years.

Despite the differences in race, backgrounds, and beliefs, Quovadis and Jesse found a connection. Their conversations allowed their friendship to grow, and the assumptions and stereotypes they both brought into their initial meeting began to break down. Jesse, remembering the early days of getting to know Quovadis shared: