There are more than 65 million people in the United States with a criminal background. More than 2 million are currently in prison, 95 percent of whom will ultimately be released. Two out of three of them will be rearrested within three years.
These are some of the facts that gave a class of freshmen from Calvin College a picture of the criminal justice system during their visit to Crossroad Bible Institute this week. During their visit, the students were introduced to a variety of criminal justice and prison issues by Lisa Blystra, director of Crossroad Bible Institute; Mary Berghuis, former Michigan prison warden; and Doug Cupery, staff member at Ridge Point Church and former prisoner. The students learned the stories of some individuals in prison during a tour of CBI’s inmate art gallery. They were also informed about opportunities to get involved in prison ministry.
CBI is excited to engage the next generation in the church’s call to remember those in prison. Check out the video below of Blystra talking to the students. If you are interested in scheduling a visit to CBI’s home office, please e-mail amy@crossroadbible.org.