God Behind Bars

Since 2009, God Behind Bars has partnered with churches around the country to transform the lives of prison inmates and their families. Most prisoners—as many as 92% of all incarcerated individuals—will be released back to society at some point, and 75% of them will return to prison within three years. We address this problem with a unique three-step approach that focuses on the physical, spiritual, and relational needs of inmates and their families. 1. We partner with local churches and other faith based-organizations to live stream dynamic, high-quality worship experiences into prisons. Wardens at the facilities offering these services say most of the inmates attend each week and that the program is changing the culture of their prisons. We also offer “Church Inside,” introducing the families to Christ by allowing them to watch the same service their loved one is watching on the inside. 2. Family Matters is a God Behind Bars program that sets inmates on a journey to reconnect with their family through Christ and help them follow Him. During this phase they also plug in and grow deeper in their faith by jumping into small groups. Studies have shown that 90% of inmates have struggled with addiction, so we offer the successful “Celebrate Recovery” program along side other strong curriculum to help prisoners confront and fight their hurts, habits, and hang-ups. 3. Our re-entry process helps prisoners return to society with the skills and knowledge they need to succeed. We help inmates find jobs, housing, and education opportunities; reconnect with family and friends and develop a plan to move forward in healthy ways with the support of a faith-based community. We then continue our relationship with “ex-inmates” to provide ongoing support. Volunteers from the local church meet them at the gate and stay connected in the weeks to come, fulfilling practical needs like housing, groceries, medical treatment, counseling, life skills training, and more. By inviting God into prison and showing His love in tangible ways, God Behind Bars is restoring lives, building faith, fighting addictions, reconnecting families, and giving thousands of inmates hope for the future.