I am constantly encouraged by the stories coming out of the Corban extension in the Oregon State Correctional Institution (OSCI). Here is another story that I want to share. It is about Jeff Pierce, who is in our first cohort of 25 men. Each man has his own story and hopefully I will be able…
DetailsOn April 24, the Oregon Department of Corrections (ODOC) prohibited any further classroom instruction occurring at our Corban extension in the Oregon State Correctional Institution (OSCI). ODOC did this with good reason. They were very concerned about the spread of COVID-19 into OSCI. Except for one or two hotspots in other Oregon prisons, our prison system…
DetailsOn our new website we have video testimonies from two of our students. One is about Brad, who committed murder and was not held accountable until years later. His testimony is powerful and is filled with hope for the future. The other video is about Morgan, who seriously contemplated suicide in prison. The night he…
DetailsWhen Terry was a teenager, his dad came home one day, handed him a mask and a gun and said “Follow me, son.” Terry’s dad was a member of a gang. Terry followed his dad and began to rob banks in a Southwestern state. His dad was so proud of his son. He would even tell his…
DetailsI mentioned a while back that the Oregon DOC was allowing a Corban staff person to bring in education packets on a weekly basis. The packets contained homework assignments for our students. When the education packets were dropped off, the staff person also picked up homework assignments from the previous week. This went on for…
DetailsDuring this COVID-19 break, I have had an opportunity to get some things done that were being neglected. For example, spending more time in scripture and prayer, intensive gardening, long walks and catching up with old friends. But the one thing that really needed attention was the revamping of our website. So while I was…
DetailsBREAKING CHAINS II Join your fellow supporters of Paid in Full Oregon, Corban University and the Oregon Department of Corrections in celebrating the new academic year for our second year students and our brand new Freshmen. Hear from the students on the impact of being in the Northwest’s first four-year college degree program.
DetailsWhen I led a group of Oregon officials on a field trip to Angola Prison in January of 2015, they experienced something that was totally unanticipated. The group consisted of two state senators, two state representatives, a Department of Corrections person, a Criminal Justice Commission representative, someone from the Attorney General’s office and several other…
DetailsAs we travel through this COVID-19 crisis, I am reminded of James 1:2-3 which says “Consider it pure joy…whenever you face trials…because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.” And further in Romans 5:3 Paul tells us that we “…glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance character;…
DetailsTogether, as we travel through this storm of COVID-19, there is good news on the horizon. We know that we will be stronger as a nation, as a state, as communities, as families and as individuals. We will be stronger because of where our eyes are focused…on Him. I want to share some additional good…
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