2.3 million people in the U.S. are affected by incarceration each year, the most unchurched population in our country. We are on a mission to change that.
We will stop at nothing to ensure every inmate in the U.S. has direct and personal access to the Gospel. We want to help them grow their faith, heal trauma and emotional wounds, break addictions and cycles, and allow every person behind bars to step into their calling as sons and daughters of the Most High.
It’s a simple fact that less than 15% of inmates are serving life sentences, and up to as many as 90% of all incarcerated individuals will be released back to society at some point. 75% of those released will return to prison within three years. God Behind Bars addresses this drastic recidivism problem with a unique approach that focuses on the spiritual, physical, and relational needs of inmates and their families.
We partner with local churches to install satellite church locations behind bars, complete with audio and video equipment. Every week a team of church volunteers show up to shake hands, create relationships, and pray for inmates while a dynamic worship experience is streamed directly into the prison. We’ve been told by countless prison staff that by offering these programs, most inmates not only greatly look forward to attending each week but that church behind bars is changing the culture of their prisons.
PandoApp, created by GodBehind Bars in 2021, is the first-ever faith-based app allowed on Department of Corrections inmate tablets. Churches and other faith based-organizations generously provide PandoApp with high-quality sermons, worship music, devotionals, and other videos that reach inmates exactly where they are 24/7, and all for free to the user. This app has revolutionized how we can do prison ministry as we can now be in more prisons, serving more inmates than ever before.
When partner churches link arms with God Behind Bars, together, we can provide so much hope and healing to real families, spouses, and children who have been affected by their loved ones’ incarceration. Children are reunified with their incarcerated parent or grandparent by hosting events like the All Is Bright Christmas toy shop and family dinner celebrations. These events help show the love of Jesus in tangible ways to these families, begin the process of healing past hurts, and assist in growing their relationships together to break the generational patterns of the future. They also allow children to experience time with their loved one in a setting that doesn’t involve a stale visitation room- they get to play games, receive presents, do crafts, and enjoy a warm meal around the dinner table with their incarcerated parent.
We partner with churches, ministries, and individuals like you nationwide to provide life-changing content to prison inmates and their families. See the impact your giving and involvement make by checking out the locations of prison campuses and the presence of the Pando app on inmate tablets.
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Thank you for your interest in getting involved with God Behind Bars! We just need a few pieces of information to get the application process started.
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