Can a prison-based theological education program prepare men and women for ministry leadership, increase the health and well-being of incarcerated individuals, improve prison culture, and assist in reentry and recidivism prevention? The purpose of this evaluation project is to provide an answer to this question. The problem with incarceration Approximately 2.2 million men and…

Part 3 of a three-part series. In Changing Lives Part 1 of this three-part series, I provided background about an accessible, affordable seminary training program offered in jails and prisons across the U.S. called The Urban Ministry Institute (TUMI). I also highlighted participants’ qualitative comments that fell into the “healthy…

Part two of a three-part series. In Part 1 of this series, I provided background about an accessible, affordable seminary training program offered in jails and prisons across the U.S. called The Urban Ministry Institute (TUMI). In the first article, I also highlighted participants’ qualitative comments that fell into the…

Seminary-level theological training for pastors. Such opportunities are rare for people in communities of poverty who might not qualify for admittance into a graduate program, and they might not have funds available to cover the steep tuition even if they were accepted into a program. Accessible, Affordable Seminary Training Enter World Impact, Inc., an…

I’m involved in a program evaluation for a prison-based theological training program called The Urban Ministry Institute, or TUMI. I’ve collected over 40 hours of interview data from 141 justice involved men and women and survey data from 157. One of the questions I asked during interviews and on the…

Serve current and formerly incarcerated individuals to promote wellbeing and flourishing in their community. In an era of mass incarceration with more and more people being released to communities that are ill equipped to reintegrate them, formerly incarcerated men and women can find comfort and hope in the ability to turn toward one another for mutual support. With our peer support specialist training, you…

Prison education programs lower recidivism rates and increase employment opportunities post-release. “Prison education programs lower recidivism rates and increase employment opportunities post-release,” says Sarah Wood, author of a 2022 article in U.S. News and World Report. Postsecondary education programs come in a variety of forms, ranging from non-credit workshops taught by volunteers to full degree-granting programs. One program called TUMI, short…

Did you know that your network of social supports serves as the most profound predictor of your health and well-being? The power of a strong, supportive community, where people pitch in and help each other practically, emotionally and socially, also enables vulnerable individuals and the entire community to respond better, and adapt and recover from adverse events. Everyone needs community. Everyone needs to be connected. I think it is safe…

I spent a lot of time thinking about what I would wear to prison. I’d just been granted the rare opportunity to visit three prisons to interview participants of an educational program, as part of a program evaluation I was conducting for a non-profit I’ve worked with for a number…