Dramatically improving the lives of prisoners and their families - Part 2

Our criminal justice system is broken.  We lock up way too many people in awful conditions; we generally don’t help them rehabilitate and heal; our prisons seem to drain the life out of inmates and train them in new forms of criminal behavior; and the majority of those released commit more crimes and return to prison.  James Ackerman, the President and CEO of Prison Fellowship, joins us to continue our conversation about improving the lives and futures of prisoners, former prisoners, and their families.  Prison Fellowship is active in 449 U.S. prisons and jails, and offers intensive year-long programs in 76 of those facilities across 23 states.  The non-profit estimates that it serves 25,000 prisoners each month, and impacts 200,000 unique inmates per year.  Prison Fellowship also operates the Angel Tree program where volunteers purchase and deliver Christmas gifts on behalf of parents who are incarcerated, providing gifts to 291,000 children last year alone.

Consider being a church that welcomes people coming out of prison and helps them integrate back into the community. 

When a man or woman goes to prison it often has a devastating impact on their family.

The warden at a Supermax prison takes the time to get to know his prisoners.

Incarceration should be restorative in nature.  Here's a program that improves prison culture while preparing people to return to society. 

Part two of the full interview with James Ackerman, Prison Fellowship's President and CEO.  (This may take 30 seconds or so to load.)