Free Inside News – February 2006
(Celebrating two years of ministry)

Praise God that February 2006 marks the second full year of active in prison ministry by Free Inside.
Statistics cannot tell the whole story, but they can give you some idea of what God has done.
• 22 Alpha Course, attended by some 300 or more men and women.
• At least 16 who have professed a new faith in Christ
• Many others who have been encouraged and strengthened in their faith.
• 30 trained enthusiastic volunteers from 12 churches and 9 denomination.
• 600 free Bibles given to inmates.
• Over 23,000 miles traveled in connection with the ministry.

InnerChange Freedom Initiative – Dartmoor Prison, UK
 

Dartmoor Prison, Devon, England

Those of you familiar with the Sherlock Holmes mystery “The Hound of the Baskervilles” will have some idea of the bleakness and isolation of Dartmoor in Devon. Most of Dartmoor is a National Park and is a favorite of hikers. On the edge of the small village of Princetown in the middle of the moor is the grim, gray, granite complex of Dartmoor Prison. French POWs from the Napoleonic wars began building the prison, American POWs from the war of 1812 completed the work. Only the outer walls of the buildings date to 1806 – 1812, the inside has been modernized over the years.

 

The Entrance to Dartmoor Prison

On a dreary, rainy day in October 2005 I went behind those grim walls to see a very special unit known
as the InnerChange Freedom Initiative; a 24 hour a day, Christ centered, biblically based,
pre-release program that promotes personal transformation of prisoners through the power of the Gospel.

This was one of the most rewarding experiences of my visit to the UK for the International Caring for Ex-offenders Conference in London. I joined 7 of the inmates in the program and one of the directors, staying with them in their small group. The men are keen and clearly benefiting from this intensive program of Bible Study, worship, personal development, addiction services, education and skills training, all designed to prepare them for the day of their release.

Similar programs exist in the USA in prisons in Texas, Minnesota, Kansas, Iowa and California. On the wall in one of the rooms was a large banner with greetings from inmates in the Iowa program. The Dartmoor program is relatively new and has still to graduate its first group. Some of the US programs have a longer track record and have proven to dramatically cut the appalling recidivism rate of over 70% to about 10%.

 

Congress (Feb 2 - 4) was a great experience, the line up of speakers and workshops were great.
I would recommend that any of you who live in the North East join the thousands and make an effort to
attend next year. Free Inside was represented at The Vision New England Booth
and at the Alpha New England Booth.

From a prison ministry point of view the session addressed by Carol Kent was both moving and encouraging as she told from a mother’s experience the story of the imprisonment of her son for life without parole for murder. Get her book, “When I lay my Isaac Down” it will bless and change you forever.

“When I lay my Isaac Down”

Praise for
• The innerChange Freedom Initiative in the USA and the UK.
• Our current Alpha courses at York, Gates and Bergin.
• Additional Courses set to begin at York and Bergin and at Williard-Cybulski.
• The Free Inside volunteers, both the ‘veterans’ and those who are just starting out on this great experience.
• Individuals and churches who support Free Inside

Please pray for
• Pray that the InnerChange Freedom Initiative might begin in other states in the USA.
• The inmates attending our current courses pray that they will all be transformed by a personal relationship with Jesus.
• Pray for the 300+ inmates who have attended Free Inside Alpha Courses in the last 2 years.
• Our volunteers.
• Pray that our individual supporters, and supporting churches will renew their giving in 2006. One or two supporters have been unable
to continue their support, one church has reduced its Missions budget by 30%, cutting a similar amount from what they send to
Free Inside. Pray that God will raise up new sources of support for the ministry.
 

Peter Dewberry,

For Christ and His Kingdom.

click here for more information about Peter

Newsletter Archive - click here if you wish to read any of our past newsletters.