Prison Fellowship International and Biblica Will Give 40,000 Children Scripture Resources
October 12, 2020
WASHINGTON, Oct. 12, 2020 – Prison Fellowship International (PFI) and Biblica, the International Bible Society, recently announced a strategic partnership to engage children of prisoners worldwide. The goal of the five-year partnership is to introduce the transformative power of God’s Word to 40,000 children who have an incarcerated parent. Under the agreement, Biblica will provide age-appropriate Scripture resources for children and caregivers which will then be distributed through PFI’s Children of Prisoners Program.
“The partnership with our friends at Biblica will help provide a vital intervention these children desperately need,” said PFI President and CEO Andrew Corley. “Life-changing resources are an integral part of PFI’s strategy to transform young lives and break the cycle of crime. Both PFI and Biblica are committed to putting the Bible in the hands of children and their families. By working together on this common goal we can do much more than either organization could on its own.”
“We couldn’t be more excited about this vital partnership with PFI,” said Geof Morin, president and CEO of Biblica. “This shared effort to bring Gospel transformation to some of the world’s most vulnerable and forgotten kids fits squarely into our highest mission hopes.”
More than 14 million children around the world have lost one or both parents to imprisonment. They are among the most vulnerable groups in the world, suffer from the worst effects of marginalization and poverty, and are at high risk of exploitation, abuse, and neglect. The stigma of parental incarceration is particularly devastating for children as they experience the resulting trauma, shame, and significant financial challenges. Without intervention, these children are unable to overcome these obstacles, increasing the risk of repeating cycles of crime, poverty, and shame.
The partnership is part of a new PFI program in which children of prisoners are connected with a local church-based volunteer who will mentor each child throughout the year. These mentors will serve as tutors, using Scripture as the basis for achieving both spiritual and educational outcomes. Education is a critical factor in improving the safety, health outcomes, and overall resilience of vulnerable children. Additionally, belonging to a church community has been proven to reduce tendencies toward depression, substance abuse, and suicide by improving emotional and mental health, social support, and greater satisfaction in life.
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About Prison Fellowship International
Founded in 1979 by Charles Colson, Prison Fellowship International (PFI) is dedicated to transforming the lives of prisoners, their families, and victims through their global network of 116 ministry partners. The vision of PFI is to break the cycle of crime and restore lives, worldwide, through Jesus’s love.
About Biblica, The International Bible Society
Biblica is a global Bible ministry that inspired by radical generosity. For more than 200 years, Biblica has helped people beyond the reach of God’s Word discover the love of Jesus Christ producing relevant and reliable Scripture translations and resources that serve people on the margins of the Gospel – the unreached, unengaged, unseen, and unwanted.