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Prison Fellowship Becomes First Nonprofit To Be Designated as an Evidence-Based Program by the Federal Bureau of Prisons
Prison Fellowship Marks 50 Years of Ministry with Historic Advances in the Federal Bureau of Prisons
WASHINGTON, D.C., May 13, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Prison Fellowship, the nation’s largest Christian nonprofit serving currently and formerly incarcerated people and their families, and a leading advocate for criminal justice reform, is the first nonprofit to have a program classified as an evidence-based recidivism reduction program under the First Step Act by the U.S. Department of Justice’s Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP). The program designation is just one of many Prison Fellowship initiatives expanding its footprint in the very prison system that once incarcerated its late founder, Charles Colson.
In 1976, Colson served a seven-month sentence in the BOP for a Watergate-related crime. Colson’s conversion to Christianity and his personal prison experience led to the birth of Prison Fellowship, an organization committed to breaking cycles of incarceration by sharing the Gospel and advancing human dignity behind bars and within the criminal justice system.
“This is a full circle moment for Prison Fellowship and me personally,” said Heather Rice-Minus, president and CEO of Prison Fellowship. “The federal prison system is where our ministry was born 50 years ago, and as someone who worked for years to pass the First Step Act, it’s a joy to see the law implemented as intended. Under the new era of leadership with BOP Director Marshall and BOP Deputy Director Smith, we are seeing the doors open to partnerships with faith and community-based organizations like never before.”
“This expanded partnership with Prison Fellowship is further demonstration of our commitment to make lasting positive changes within the bureau,” said William K. Marshall III, director of the Federal Bureau of Prisons. “Prison Fellowship’s evidence-based Academy and other programs align with our focus on human decency, safety and transformation within the agency. We’re committed to equipping incarcerated individuals and correctional staff with the tools and resources they need to succeed, and we look forward to our continued collaboration with Prison Fellowship.”
“I’ve seen firsthand the impact that ministries like Prison Fellowship have on the inmate population,” said Joshua J. Smith, deputy director of the Federal Bureau of Prisons. “It’s exciting to envision the impact that this expanded partnership with Prison Fellowship will have on the incarcerated and their families, as well as on the correctional leaders who will benefit from the transformational leadership skills and vision they will gain through the Prison Fellowship Warden Exchange.”
“These are exactly the kind of quality rehabilitative program opportunities Congress intended to become more available in federal facilities through the passage of The First Step Act,” said Oklahoma Senator James Lankford. “This news represents a breakthrough for religious liberty behind bars and a victory for all who affirm the principles of human dignity, accountability and fairness, both inside prison and upon reentry.”
The New BOP and Prison Fellowship Partnership
- The Prison Fellowship Academy, which is approved by the Federal Bureau of Prisons as an evidence-based recidivism reduction program, will launch at FCI El Reno facility in Oklahoma. A ribbon-cutting ceremony will be held in June. The Academy will help participants envision a new way of living through caring Prison Fellowship staff and volunteers, thought-provoking content and intentional community. The yearlong, intensive program helps people in prison leverage their sentences as a season of deep and lasting positive change. A recent study released by the Texas Department of Criminal Justice showed that the Prison Fellowship Academy in Texas yielded a 6% rate of recidivism, representing a 53.8% reduction in participant recidivism when evaluated against a group of people with similar backgrounds and criminal histories. Academy graduates leave the program as change agents, prepared to make a difference in their communities inside and outside prison.
- Prison Fellowship Grow has been approved as a productive activity under the First Step Act by the Federal Bureau of Prisons and will launch at select locations across the Federal Bureau of Prisons. Prison Fellowship Grow is a program aimed at those ready to consider their lives through the lens of the Gospel message. Through partnership with local churches, Grow enables participants and volunteers to encounter Jesus together, developing faith and character in the context of community.
- Over 30 BOP wardens have joined Warden Exchange, Prison Fellowship’s leadership development program designed to help corrections professionals envision and build healthier prison cultures. Since 2013, Prison Fellowship has equipped more than 820 state correctional leaders across the nation to reimagine prison, casting a vision for safer environments that improve well-being for both those incarcerated and staff. 2026 represents the first year that a federal warden has participated.
- Prison Fellowship and the BOP will continue their long-standing collaboration to make Prison Fellowship Angel Tree available to incarcerated parents, ensuring that their children experience the joy of a Christmas gift delivered on behalf of their mom or dad. With the new partnership, Angel Tree will reach even more children and families nationwide—strengthening parent-child relationships and supporting family stability during periods of parental incarceration.
Marking 50 Years of Prison Ministry
Prison Fellowship Bible Distribution
- More than 1 million Bibles have been distributed to those impacted by incarceration.
Prison Fellowship Angel Tree
- More than 13 million children have been served through Angel Tree Christmas.
- Angel Tree has delivered gifts to children on behalf of more than 5 million incarcerated parents.
- More than 120,000 children have attended an Angel Tree camp.
Prison Fellowship Academy
- More than 16,000 people have participated in the Prison Fellowship Academy across the United States.
Prison Fellowship Bible Study/Prison Fellowship Grow
- More than 350,000 people have participated in a Bible study or Prison Fellowship Grow.
The Federal Bureau of Prisons is a federal law enforcement agency of the United States Department of Justice that is responsible for all federal prisons in the country and provides for the care, custody and control of federal prisoners.
Celebrating 50 years of prison ministry, Prison Fellowship is the nation's largest Christian nonprofit equipping the Church to serve currently and formerly incarcerated people and their families, and to advocate for justice and human dignity. Prison Fellowship and its church partners encounter Jesus with those behind bars, breaking cycles of crime and prayerfully anticipating a revival that brings justice, mercy and hope to our culture.
Susan Merriman Prison Fellowship 703-554-8698 Susan_merriman@pfm.org
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