Theory of Change
White Paper

Reaching a Tipping Point of Transformation in the Prisons of the World

12.3 million people are incarcerated globally, residing within 19,000 prison sites.

Justice systems struggle to help restore or rehabilitate offenders, children of prisoners or victims alike. Focused on punishment, justice systems unwittingly cultivate the very thing they are trying to prevent. Without incorporating a response to the needs of the whole person, the system perpetuates the cycle of crime.

Since 1979, Prison Fellowship International has been working hand-in-hand with indigenous National Ministries in more than 120 countries to break the cycle of crime—a pattern passed down through generations that continues to devastate lives and communities worldwide—by sharing the Good News of Jesus’ love with those forgotten in cells in Ghana, marginalized in Brazil, and desperate in Thailand, while bringing healing, forgiveness, and restoration to prisoners, their children, victims, and communities around the world.

But there is more to be done.

Our vision, to break the cycle of crime and restore lives, worldwide, through Jesus’ love, compels us to find ways to disrupt this cycle. We believe that reaching enough people in our target communities with a holistic range of impactful programming can significantly reduce global crime rates – prison by prison, family by family, community by community, country by country.

To ‘tip’ prison cultures, Prison Fellowship International aims to enable transformation in prisoners, prisons, communities, countries and regions of the world by providing evidence-based programming that makes a measurable impact in offender rehabilitation, recidivism reduction and general correctional reform. By engaging with individuals to develop new positive self-identities, with increased forgiveness, self-control, responsibility and hope for the future, families and communities are also positively impacted upon release.

This white paper explores Prison Fellowship International's theory of how these tipping points are not only possible, but happening now around the world.

RESOURCE DOWNLOAD

A Vision for Breaking the Cycle of Crime

Learn how holistic programming transforms lives in prisons and beyond, creating lasting change for individuals, families and communities worldwide – for generations to come.

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