Jack Brewer Foundation says incarcerated fathers reached families more than 519,000 times

The Jack Brewer Foundation said its Faith & Fatherhood program helped incarcerated fathers stay connected to children and families from 2023 through 2026, with more than half a million calls, letters and visits. The group says the effort also improved family ties, helped fathers find jobs after release and supported thousands of children and relatives.

Why it matters: - The Jack Brewer Foundation says the program shows incarceration does not have to end a father-child relationship. - The effort is aimed at reducing fatherlessness, strengthening families and improving reentry outcomes after prison. - Post-release support is meant to lower the barriers that can send fathers back to prison.

What happened: - The Jack Brewer Foundation, doing business as Serving Ministries, said incarcerated fathers in its Faith & Fatherhood program reached children and families more than 519,000 times from 2023 through 2026. - The total included 343,004 phone calls, 152,166 letters and 24,758 in-person visits. - The program involved 3,096 incarcerated fathers and reached 11,166 children. - Fathers completed 36,266 fatherhood classes and earned 9,234 certificates.

The details: - In post-program surveys, 94% of participants reported improved connection with their families. - Another 95% reported greater understanding of healthy relationships. - A separate 97% reported increased knowledge of the JBF Fatherhood core curriculum. - The program pairs incarcerated fathers with faith-based mentorship, parenting instruction and facilitated communication on a consistent schedule. - Fathers set reunification goals, receive accountability from mentors and prepare for return home. - After release, JBF says it secured 70 job placements for returning fathers. - JBF also provided 546 months of housing assistance. - The group distributed 1,328 Bibles. - JBF says it delivered more than $561,000 in housing, clothing, hygiene and driver's-license assistance. - The foundation's Blessings to Fatherhood Families initiative delivered more than 4.8 million pounds of food. - That broader effort benefited 250,819 family members during the same period.

Between the lines: - The results suggest JBF is treating fatherhood work as both a family-connection program and a reentry strategy. - The mix of communication, mentorship, job help and material aid points to a model built around keeping families engaged before and after release. - Founder Jack Brewer tied the program to broader social concerns around fatherlessness and community harm. - Brewer said the program shows fathers can lead, love and rebuild even while incarcerated.

What's next: - JBF says it will continue pairing fatherhood services with post-release support for returning fathers. - The foundation's broader work also includes disaster relief and research and advocacy programs in the United States and internationally. - More information is available in the foundation's announcement.