One of the things I love about my church is that it not only broadcasts services to some state correctional facilities, but also offers support initiatives throughout the period of incarceration and helps with their reintegration into society. Research showed that family and community support is an essential component of the rehabilitation of prisoners and a powerful tool for their return to normal life.
In addition to introducing prisoners to religious life, the organization God behind bars strongly advocates for family restoration as part of this process. So they, along with other partners, sponsor activities that allow prisoners to reconnect with their young and adult children, especially fathers and daughters.
Hope for the prisoner's recovery and rehabilitation is the theme of this week's Good Friday.
In April, God Behind Bars hosted the first annual father-daughter dance at San Quentin, California. Rehabilitation center.
Hairstyles, makeup, dresses, tuxedos and tears…San Quentin Rehabilitation Center It recently hosted the first-ever emotional father-daughter graduation party.
For many of the incarcerated participants, it was the first time they wore a tuxedo, the first time they spent one-on-one, face-to-face time with their daughter or daughters, and the first dance they ever danced with their child.
For some, this was the first time they met their daughter.
“The whole event was extremely moving and inspiring. There wasn't a dry eye in the house for most of the day!!! Lots of happy tears and smiles,” Morgan Hubbard shared with the Friends of the Men in Blue.
In the video below, one father said it was his first time wearing a tie and it felt like freedom. The fact that it wasn't just about children was also special. Adult daughters need their fathers just as much as young daughters, and the restoration that occurs when their connection with their fathers is restored, and in some cases established for the first time, is powerful. I also liked the banner placed above the entrance. This is from Psalm 126: “He who sows with tears will reap with joy.”
Many tears were shed the night of this event, and many more tears are likely to be shed as these men serve their sentences and try harder to hold their daughters tightly in their hearts, even if they cannot do so with their hands. But the joy of reunion and the hope of a restored relationship can and, I believe, will bring this satisfaction.
LOOK:
God behind bars confirms how important such connections are for male prisoners.
Restoring family relationships is the cornerstone of true transformation. For male prisoners, bonding with their children provides hope and motivation to become better people, both inside and outside prison walls.
Events like the San Quentin Father-Daughter Dance directly impact the future—not just for these fathers, but for their daughters, families, and communities. Your support changes the narrative and breaks the cycle.
In May, Indian Creek Correctional Center in Virginia conducted a similar, but more modest event.
Picture this: sixteen incarcerated fathers, sixteen guardians, and twenty-seven children gathered in one room. For some of these fathers, it has been years since they last hugged their children. One father hasn't hugged his daughter since she graduated from high school. Another held his crying four-year-old son, giving him the very first Bible he ever owned, with a heartfelt note written just for him!
In prison, physical contact is usually limited to two hugs per visit. But this day was different. These fathers were given the rare and precious gift of time. Time to keep your kids close. Time to play basketball and ping pong. Time to sit down and share a simple meal as a family. For those few hours, they weren't cellmates…they were just dads. They were present. They were at home.
It's easy to take little things for granted until they're taken away. But on this day the ordinary became sacred.
One little girl was curled up in her father's lap, catching up on everything they had missed. Nearby, a boy twirled to the rhythm of live music from the prison's worship group, The Creek Band. For the first time, these fathers were able to dance with their children to live music. One father said it was the best visit he had ever had. It's moments like these that explain why prison ministry is so life-changing. Not only for prisoners, but also for their families!
Strong fathers are essential to our society to survive and thrive, and we cannot ignore those fathers in prison who can be reformed and transformed. God lies behind bars from numbers:14 percent of prisoners are serving life sentences, and 95 percent of prisoners will be released back into society. The sad fact is that 27 percent of this number will return to prison within three years, and 82 percent will return to prison within 10 years. God Behind Bars seeks to change that by focusing on the spiritual, physical, and relational needs of inmates and their families. These activities help achieve this goal.
One of the Messianic Promises of the Bible speaks“He will turn the hearts of the fathers to the children and the hearts of the children to their fathers.” These efforts, which build a bridge and work to restore relationships between incarcerated men and their children, are certainly part of that achievement.
Editor's note: At RedState, it's not all about politics and politics. We like to highlight what's good in the world with columns like Good Friday, Start Your Weekend Right, and Hoge's Heroes.
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