“Lock them up and throw away the key.” It’s a familiar refrain in today’s political climate — a line that promises safety, yet demands little engagement. But this reactionary impulse is at odds with both Scripture and what actually promotes safety in practical terms.

For Christians, incarceration is not only a policy issue, but a deeply spiritual matter. Many of us have witnessed worship in prison chapels, where voices rise with the same conviction and hope found in any Sunday congregation. The people our society locks away are not invisible to God. They too bear his image and hold the God-given capacity for repentance, relationships and renewal.

Read the Full Article at the Religion News Service

 

Heather Rice-Minus

Heather Rice-Minus was appointed president and CEO of Prison Fellowship beginning in July 2024. Prior to that role, she served as vice president of government affairs and church mobilization. Rice-Minus has directed a team of grassroots and federal policy staff to advance campaigns on pivotal criminal justice issues. Her wide-ranging policy expertise has contributed to becoming a valued voice in the discussion of criminal justice reform. She has a vested interest in reform as someone who has both been a victim of crime and as she walked alongside a family member during his incarceration. Rice-Minus is a graduate of Colorado State University and George Mason University’s Antonin Scalia Law School.

Walter Kim

Walter Kim became the president of the National Association of Evangelicals in January 2020. He previously served as a pastor at Boston’s historic Park Street Church and at churches in Vancouver, Canada and Charlottesville, Virginia, as well as a campus chaplain at Yale University. He preaches, writes and engages in collaborative leadership to connect the Bible to the intellectual and cultural issues of the day. He regularly teaches in conferences and classrooms; addresses faith concerns with elected officials and public institutions; and provides theological and cultural commentary to leading news outlets. He serves on the boards of Christianity Today and World Relief and consults with a wide range of organizations. Kim received his Ph.D. from Harvard University in Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations, his M.Div. from Regent College in Vancouver, and his B.A. from Northwestern University.