Dear John,

It has been a busy spring! Just as we see renewal all around us in the blooming of trees and flowers, we at Prison Fellowship have been celebrating the renewal we see in the lives of those the Lord has privileged us to impact. From the lives being restored through the Easter Hope Events I described in my last communication to prisons continuing to open, we have much to rejoice over this spring.

One area of our ministry that often gets overlooked but plays an increasing role in the transformation of those living and working in prison is Warden Exchange. Warden Exchange equips corrections officials to be innovative leaders in their facilities and in the wider corrections community. In 7- and 9-month programs, we convene wardens from across the country for intensive exchange with thought leaders who share groundbreaking ideas and best practices for transformational leadership, the moral rehabilitation of incarcerated men and women, and community engagement. Participants emerge equipped to bring significant change to their facilities and to build safer, more constructive, and more rehabilitative correctional environments.

We have six Warden Exchange cohorts in the program now and they are about midway through their experience. We recently had an opportunity to talk with Kerensa Lockwood , program director for Warden Exchange. Kerensa came to us after a long career in criminal justice, most recently serving in the Florida Department of Corrections’ Office of Reentry. When we asked what makes Warden Exchange unique, she shared that “we’re coming from a different standpoint than wardens might be used to. … What wardens haven’t always been taught are values and how to incorporate those into their jobs. Every week, Warden Exchange tackles a value. We really get into, what stands out to me about this value? Why is it important? Warden Exchange is going to get more into the values and the ‘why’ of doing this, while also being able to provide real-world opportunities and resources. Then, make a plan to implement those values.”

The values that the Warden Exchange participants are learning and applying are the very same values being taught through our Prison Fellowship Academy! I’m convinced that, with the Lord’s help, our work to spread the Values of Good Citizenship—community, affirmation, productivity, responsibility, restoration, and integrity—both from a top-down approach in the Warden Exchange and a bottom-up approach through the Academy will help us transform the culture of prisons and those living and working in them. To God be the glory!

I cannot thank you enough for joining us on this journey of transformation. Your faithful prayers and ongoing support for the ministry the Lord has given us are the foundation upon which all of that transformation we’re seeing in prison is built. We’re trusting God to continue His work on behalf of those impacted by crime and incarceration, and I look forward to sharing more stories of all He is doing!

In His name,