FINDING HOPE IN PRISON
Scripture-based Prison Fellowship academy is transforming lives
Scripture-based Prison Fellowship academy is transforming lives
The women walked proudly down the aisle dressed in their royal blue caps and gowns.
They weren't high school or college graduates, military or law enforcement cadets but inmates at an Oklahoma City women's prison.
One by one they stood and introduced themselves, using one word to describe their character.
“My name is Kelly Baker and I am virtuous,” said one woman.
“My name is Destini Patterson and I am indestructible,” another one said.
Survivor, accepted, warrior — the descriptions continued as the crowd that gathered clapped and cheered with enthusiasm.
Finally, Amanda Wilson, the last graduate, stood and seemed to capture the essence of the recent Prison Fellowship Academy graduation at Kate Barnard Correctional Center, 3300 N Martin Luther King Ave. She said: “I am a child of God.” Tammy Franklin, the academy's program manager, said Prison Fellowship received a grant to offer the academy at Kate Barnard. She said it was the first time the academy had been offered to female inmates at an Oklahoma prison. Male inmates at Joseph Harp Correctional Center in Lexington participated in Oklahoma's first Prison Fellowship Academy last year.
Franklin, a Mustang resident, said Prison Fellowship designed the academy as a one-year intensive holistic Scripture-based life transformation program for incarcerated men and women. Through the program, inmates identify and explore the issues that led to their incarceration and learn
ways to combat criminal mentality and behavior, addiction and other negative life experiences and choices.
Franklin said like many Prison Fellowship staff members, she was formerly incarcerated, and she and other staff and volunteers helped to mentor the 20 academy participants at Kate Barnard as they sought restoration.
She said the idea is to see the academy graduates live better lives, whether they are in or outside prison walls. And community involvement also is key, with community organizations, churches and individuals like The Education and Employment Ministry (TEEM) and Oklahoma County District Court Judge Ken Stoner coming alongside the academy to invest in the women's lives.
“We're trying to show the community that people in prison are just people. They've made mistakes, but they are just people. They're getting ready to get out of prison so why not pour into them while they are here,” Franklin said.
Dan Kingery, Prison Fellowship senior vice president of field programs, agreed.
He said the academy is designed to engage the entire community, both in and outside the prison. “Our goal is to change how people think about people in prison. Prisons aren't some other place with other people. They are a neighborhood down the road with our people,” he said.
“Those who we thought are at the heart of the problem are actually at the center of the solution. So the solution is the community inside, the community outside and the Department of Corrections. We have to have a holistic-minded approach.”
`Life-changing program'
There was no mistaking the celebratory atmosphere at the recent graduation.
“Father, we thank you for being able to come in to this place to celebrate change, to celebrate hope, to celebrate what you have done in the lives of these ladies,” Chaplain Leo Brown said in his opening prayer. “We thank you that you are a God of second chances.”
Stoner, as the keynote speaker, shared words of encouragement but not before Laura Pitman, Corrections Department executive director of population, programs and strategic planning, talked to those gathered.
Pittman said the graduate group learned six core values of the academy program — affirmation, integrity, responsibility, productivity, community and restoration — and she knew each one had become important to them. “Every human being, every single one, has value and you're probably never going to know how far your reach truly goes,” she told the graduates. “I could not be more proud of you.”
The graduates said they took pride in their accomplishment, as well. “It's been life-changing. If an inmate really wants to change, this is for them,” said Laura Tustin, 31. Tustin said she has been incarcerated since she was 23 and she has seven more months to serve on her sentence.
Charlene Davis, 45, said she has been incarcerated for almost nine years and was set to be released three days after the graduation. She predicted that the life tools she learned through the academy would be helpful. “We were able to open up and build that trust with one another. Just knowing that there were people out there who cared about us was wonderful. This taught me to have empathy for other people,” Davis said.
Jeannie Snodgrass said she has been incarcerated three times and has about three more years to serve on her sentence.
She said the academy lessons will help her out on the prison yard and outside the prison walls. “This program is like no other. It has turned me inside out. I'm 55 years old, and I never knew what integrity was,” Snodgrass said.
The woman said she developed a good network of friends and mentors through the program, but one in particular had helped her the most. “It also taught me to have a relationship with the Man up there,” she said, pointing upward.
“He's been blessing me left and right. I'll be taking Him out with me when I get out.”