Welcome to Hope Prison Outreach
Let brotherly love continue. Do not neglect to show hospitality
to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unwawares.
Remember those who are in prison, as though in prison with them,
and those who are mistreated, since you also are in the body.
– Hebrews 13:3
In an effort to fulfill the commitment of the Association of Biblical Counselors to "encourage, equip, and empower people everywhere to live and counsel the word", ABC has developed a special ministry arm known as Hope Prison Outreach (HPO). The need for this ministry focus resides in the fact that the current culture of prison ministry in the United States may best be summarized in the word, "eclectic". In an effort to fulfill the ethic of diversity, most prison ministry consists of a conglomeration of literature that at best offers a very cursory overview of biblical principles and at worst may even promote unbiblical teaching. In the end, those in prison may receive lots of biblical information without ever grasping the rich transformational truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Since it is our view that programs are impotent in their capacities to change the human heart, ABC is working in consultation with several other advisors in developing a Gospel-centered curriculum designed specifically for the prison culture. This curriculum is designed to help men and women understand the rich nature of grace, and its means not only to save sinners but also in the transformation of the believer throughout all of life.
Hope Prison Ministries
ABC has partnered with Hope Prison Ministries to develop a nation-wide prison outreach that offers Gospel-centered training for personal life. In addition, ABC is committed to working with Hope Prison Ministries to equip individuals in prison to effectively disciple one another through our Equipped to Counsel training guide.
Faith-Based Dorms
The founder of Hope Prison Ministries, Chandler Fozard, in consultation with ABC president, Jeremy Lelek and others, is currently researching and writing a curriculum for use in faith-based dorms nationwide. What is a faith-based dorm?
Generally speaking, a faith-based dorm is a designated housing in a prison where men may volunteer to serve a portion of their sentence. Faith-based dorms host state operated programs, led by outside volunteers that are designed to effect the inner transformation of inmates. The recidivism rate of those being released from prison is ordinarily around 70% - 75%. Across the country, the recidivism rate among those who have completed a faith-based dorm program is estimated at 10% - 15%, which minimally reflects a 60% reduction. Because of this, there is a real initiative on the part of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice and similar departments in other states to implement faith-based dorms wherever and whenever possible.
But there does not, as of yet, exist a curriculum for this purpose. Chaplains and the prison ministries that are trying to implement these programs must scramble to find resources and end up mixing and matching some original material with supplements from a variety of sources. Additionally, because the programs are led by outside volunteers from different denominational backgrounds, the quality and level of instruction the men receive varies greatly from one volunteer to the next. There is a desperate need for a standardized curriculum that is Christ-centered and consistently presented.
Your Membership Helps Support this Work
By God's grace, a local foundation saw the need and provided a substantial grant to fund the first phase of the development of a prison curriculum entitled ReGen. Recognizing that a ministry cannot rely exclusively on foundations for its funding, Hope Prison Outreach is designed to assist in building financial support for this work. Your membership in the Association of Biblical Counselors not only provides you with exceptional resources for your counseling ministry, but also supports this incredible need within our prisons nation-wide.