Facts on Work
- In 2007, 1,706,600 children had at least one parent in federal or state prison (U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics). These children have an increased risk of delinquency compared with peers whose parents are not incarcerated. (“Family Factors in the Intergenerational Transmission of Divorce,” David P. Farrington, Jeremy W. Coid and Joseph Murray)
- Within three years of their release, 67.5 percent of former prisoners are rearrested and 46.9 percent are reconvicted. In comparison, the recidivism rate among graduates of the Men of Valor program is 21 percent. In similar programs run by Prison Fellowship in other states, the repeat offender rate is cut down to as low as 8 or 10 percent. (U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics)
- In July 2009, 9.4 percent of the U.S. population was unemployed (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics). The annual average unemployment rate in the U.S. is 5.8 percent (4.8 percent for adults aged 25 or older). (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics)
- As of December 2008, 3.95 million Americans received government welfare. (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services)
- Within 10 years of the 1996 welfare reform, caseloads shrunk by more than half, the employment of single mothers surged upward, and 1.6 million fewer American children were living in poverty. (U.S. Census Bureau)
-
Ministry Spotlight
-
Bonus Footage
-
Chuck Colson
Founder, Prison Fellowship and BreakPoint
Chuck Colson was the Chief Counsel for President Richard Nixon. While incarcerated for Watergate-related charges, he experienced a calling to serve those whose lives were affected by crime. In 1976, Colson founded Prison Fellowship Ministries, which has become the world's largest outreach to prisoners, ex-prisoners, crime victims, and their families. In 1993, he was awarded the Templeton Prize and, in 2008, he was awarded the Presidential Citizens Medal. He has authored a number of books including God and Government (with Ellen Santilli Vaughn), How Now Shall We Live? (with Nancy Pearcey), and, most recently, The Faith: What Christians Believe, Why They Believe It, and Why It Matters (with Harold Fickett). Colson is also the founder and chairman of the Wilberforce Forum and can be heard daily on the BreakPoint radio commentary broadcast. -
Star Parker
President, Coalition for Urban Renewal and Education
Star Parker is the founder and president of CURE, the Coalition for Urban Renewal and Education, a non-profit think tank that works on issues of race, poverty, and the challenges of inner-city neighborhoods in the media and the public policy arena. Prior to her involvement with social activism, Star Parker was a single mother on welfare in Los Angeles, California. Today Parker is a nationally recognized expert, discussing social welfare issues on major television and radio shows throughout the country. She is the author of three books, including White Ghetto: How Middle Class America Reflects Inner-City Decay.
-
-
Suggested Readings
-
Proverbs 10:4-5
-
The Call of the Entrepreneur (DVD)
Acton Media
-
Economics in One Lesson
Henry Hazlitt
-
Beyond Entitlement
Lawrence Mead
-
Working: Its Meaning and Its Limits
ed. by Gilbert Meilaender
-
Business as a Calling
Michael Novak
-
The Spirit of Democratic Capitalism
Michael Novak
-
Money, Greed, and God
Jay W. Richards
-
The Role of Parental Work in Child Poverty
Robert Rector, The Heritage Foundation
-
