By Neva Rae Fox Correspondent An organization modestly based in a warehouse and dependent on volunteers and donations has provided much-needed help to thousands of men for nearly two decades. Since its founding in 2005, One Man’s Treasure has assisted more than 14,000 men released from Texas state prisons who call the greater Dallas area their home. One Man’s Treasure has … [Read more...] about One Man’s Treasure Helps One Man at A Time
prison
Prison Ministry Adapts to COVID Challenges
By Neva Rae Fox Episcopalians in prison ministry are adapting their work during the coronavirus pandemic by relying on distant communication, including cards, clothes, books, and prayers. For nearly 20 years, the Rev. Deacon Ann Douglas has volunteered at the maximum-security Bedford Hills Correctional Facility in Westchester County, New York. She must follow the strict … [Read more...] about Prison Ministry Adapts to COVID Challenges
NJ Bishops Call for Prison Reform in Light of COVID-19
The two diocesan bishops who share responsibility for the State of New Jersey have called on the state to reduce its prison population, and take other measures to counter the disparate impact that the COVID-19 virus is having on people of color. In a wide-ranging pastoral letter, Carlye J. Hughes, the Bishop of Newark, and William H. Stokes, the Bishop of New Jersey, address … [Read more...] about NJ Bishops Call for Prison Reform in Light of COVID-19
Raising Voices After Prison
Some individuals who have been released from jail or prison recently are identified only by their first names in order to honor the safe sharing environment that Circles of Support offers participants. By G. Jeffrey MacDonald NEW YORK – When Eddie sums up his personal history, he confronts disturbing truths from his hard-knock boyhood before incarceration at Rikers … [Read more...] about Raising Voices After Prison
A Softball Field Where the Outfield Fences Have Razor Wire
Four times each year, a bunch of Episcopalians go to prison in New Hampshire. They get back out at the end of the day, after playing softball with a team of inmates from the New Hampshire Correctional Facility for Women in Concord. “It’s a ministry of presence. It’s a ministry of companionship,” said Benge Ambrogi, Diocese of New Hampshire's chief operating officer and … [Read more...] about A Softball Field Where the Outfield Fences Have Razor Wire
Discomfiting Theater
By Retta Blaney More than a decade ago, playwright Bruce Graham read a newspaper feature about a transit bus bound for New York City’s Rikers Island Correctional Center. Graham started thinking about the people who rode buses like that to the remote areas where prisons tend to be located. A self-described liberal, the 60-year-old South Philadelphia native was also pondering … [Read more...] about Discomfiting Theater