FACTS & STATISTICS
- With 2.4 million prisoners, the USA has the largest
population of prisoners in the world. - Within 3 years, 67% of prisoners are re-incarcerated.
- Within 5 years, 75% of prisoners are re-incarcerated.
- 93% of prisoners are male, and 7% are female.
- 50% of prisoners are charged with drug offenses.
- Children of prisoners are 70% more likely to commit a crime.
- There are more than 10,000 prisons in the USA.
PRISON EDITION NEWSPAPER
Challenge USA Prison Edition was launched in November 2011. As of January 2017, over 250 prisons throughout the United States and Canada receive the Challenge Prison Edition with many responses to the Gospel.
Our Vision is to provide support to prison chaplains and to those who respond, bringing a message of Hope!
Our Mission is to share the Gospel with those imprisoned.
Our Vision is to provide support to prison chaplains and to those who respond bringing a message of Hope!
Challenge prints a Prison edition, 6-times a year
PARTNERSHIPS
Challenge forges partnerships with prison chaplains and prison ministries to ensure follow-up and discipleship. Many prisoners respond to the notices we place in Challenge for Crossroads Bible Institute. All requests for more Biblical materials like Bibles and Bible studies are sent on to CBI for their follow up. Carl K. says, “A converted soul, life skills, and active discipleship work together, resulting in the reduction of the repeat offender rate to less than 5%”.
DISCIPLESHIP
To further partner with prison chaplains and promote discipleship of inmates and their families, we partner with Crossroads Bible Institute.
Many prisoners respond to the notices we place in the newspaper for Crossroads Bible Institute. All requests for more biblical material like Bibles and Bible studies are sent on to CBI to respond to the prisoners’ request.
Crossroads Bible Institute (CBI)
Crossroads Bible Institute is an international discipleship ministry for prisoners and their families. Crossroad equips the church to disciple people in prison with the Word of God.
Testimonies and Endorsements
At Challenge Literature Fellowship, we are encouraged by the letters of testimony we receive from those who give and those who are given the Challenge Prison edition. Listed below are a few excerpts from some of the letters we have recently received. If you would like a digital copy of any of the original letters, please contact us at usaoffice@challengenews.org and we will be happy to email you a copy.
How to support the Challenge prison ministry
There are two verses in the Bible that have great meaning for those who minister to prisoners. First, in Matthew 25, Jesus talks about our responsibility to “the least of these” and specifically mentions prisoners; second, in Luke 10:2, Jesus says that “The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few.”
As of June 2015, the Challenge Prison edition is in over 130 prisons across the United States and Canada.
Challenge receives many requests from prison chaplains and prison ministries for the prison edition to be brought into their prison. However, the Chaplains do not have the funds in their government budgets to pay for newspapers; likewise, most prison ministries do not have any extra funds for the newspaper.
Where do we go from here?
Luke 10:2 ends with Jesus requesting that we “Pray to the Lord of the harvest that He may send forth laborers into His harvest.”
The Challenge Prison edition newspaper may not be a flesh and blood laborer, but as Willie Dengler, from the World Hope Africa stated, “The
Good News paper gets into every prison, every cell, and ultimately every heart.”
Is your church, business, or organization seeking ways to work with those who are incarcerated? Do you have someone who is currently involved in some type of prison work?
If so, we would ask that you prayerfully consider supporting the Challenge Prison Ministry.
This ministry seeks your prayers and financial support. There are many ways to support the Challenge Prison Ministry and help bring a message
of hope to prisoners here in the United States and Canada.
Listed are ways your support can be used:
- $500 per year will cover the cost of 250 newspapers
and shipping for one prison six times a year. - $100 will deliver 50 newspapers six times a year.
- $50 will deliver 150 newspapers one time.
- $25 a month will support multiple prisons or prisonors
receiving the Prison edition six times a year.
