Last Wednesday, a convocation event hosted by Director of Community Engagement Debby Haralson spotlighted prison ministries and the ongoing impact of incarceration on those behind bars and on families and communities beyond prison walls.
Featuring speakers from Prison Fellowship and Kidz2Leaders, the event centered on the intersection of faith, justice and service, encouraging students to consider their role in addressing cycles of incarceration.
Jeremy Miller, who serves with Prison Fellowship in Alabama, shared his personal journey into ministry, recounting how he left a construction job in Ohio in 2010 after feeling called to a different path. Within a year, he was working as a correctional chaplain at St. Clair Correctional Facility.
“Even though they were serving life sentences, they were really no different than myself,” Miller said, reflecting on his time working with incarcerated men.
Miller explained that Prison Fellowship, founded in 1976 by Chuck Colson following his imprisonment after the Watergate scandal, now operates nationwide with a mission to “encounter Jesus with those who are impacted by incarceration.”
Through year-long, volunteer-led programs inside prisons, participants engage in an intensive curriculum designed to encourage growth.
Miller emphasized that the ministry relies heavily on partnerships with local churches and volunteers, noting that expansion efforts are already underway across Alabama correctional facilities.
He also discussed the broader scope of the issue, citing a dramatic increase in incarceration rates, from 440,000 individuals in U.S. prisons at the ministry’s founding to nearly 1.9 million today.
“The cycle of crime needs to be stopped,” Miller said. “The heart of these problems is a spiritual one.”
While Prison Fellowship focuses on those inside prison, Adam Bishop of Kidz2Leaders highlighted the often-overlooked population left behind: children of incarcerated parents.
“Kidz2Leaders is an organization that serves children of the incarcerated,” Bishop said. “We stop at the prison door and deal with the things that are left after someone goes to prison.”
According to Bishop, more than five million children in the United States have been impacted by parental incarceration, and without intervention, they are up to three times more likely to be incarcerated themselves.
Through initiatives like high-impact summer camps and long-term mentorship, Kidz2Leaders aims to break that cycle by providing stability, opportunity and community.
“You can be the face of someone who believes in one of these kids,” Bishop told students.
Both speakers emphasized that meaningful change depends on community involvement. Whether through volunteering, mentorship or advocacy, students were encouraged to engage with justice-focused ministries in tangible ways.
“I believe justice is not separate from evangelism,” Miller said. “Justice is the demonstration of that good news.”
Staff Reporter
