Contact: Kristin Smith, Bible League International, 708-367-8728

CRETE, Ill., Oct. 17, 2017 /Christian Newswire/ -- Bible League International (BLI) and Prison Fellowship International (PFI) are partnering to develop solutions to the problem of re-incarceration worldwide. The organizations are working together to reach one million prisoners by 2020 with the Gospel, and to equip and train prisoners to become leaders within the church.

"As we continue to expand the ministry of Bible League International to reach more prisoners around the world, I am very excited to be partnering with PFI," says Jos Snoep, President and CEO of Bible League International. "Together we are able to reach so many more prisoners by engaging them in the Word of God and see their lives transformed."

BLI is donating 225,000 Easy-to-Read-Version™ Prison Bibles to graduates of PFI's The Prisoner's Journey® evangelism and discipleship program, which is expected to reach more than 217,000 prisoners in 30 countries by the end of 2017.

Over the next 16 months, the two organizations will co-develop BLI's Project Philip Bible Studies for Prisoners curriculum. Materials are based on the Gospel of John, and are part of the ERV Prison Bible, which serves as a comprehensive leadership training tool in prisons. Graduates of The Prisoner's Journey can enter this 52-lesson discipleship program in order to deepen their knowledge of the Christian faith.

"The discipleship studies are what make the Prison Bible unique," says PFI CEO Frank Lofaro. "There is no other Bible so specifically suited to the needs of prisoners. During the four years we've been running our program, we've found when a prisoner is transformed at a heart-level, his or her chances of thriving outside of prison dramatically increase. We're also finding it creates a positive shift in the prison culture. Prison officials are telling us there are fewer fights and a calmer atmosphere within their prisons after inmates go through the program. We believe this is an end-to-end solution to the problem of repeat offenders, and we're grateful for Bible League International's pivotal role in this effort."

The two organizations first partnered together in 2014 when BLI donated 25,000 Prison Bibles to PFI's then newly launched program.

"Bible League International was the first to partner with The Prisoner's Journey," says Lofaro. "It's significant because they have put a lot of effort in developing tools for prison ministry focused on helping prisoners read and understand the Word of God. Part of our mission is to get Bibles into the hands of every prisoner who comes through our course. For many prisoners, this is their first Bible. Bible League International was the first to believe in our vision, and they have the infrastructure to help make it a reality."

To date, more than 67,000 prisoners have received Prison Bibles in English and Spanish. PFI and BLI share a vision to provide new Bibles in every major language The Prisoner's Journey is taught.

About Prison Fellowship International:
Prison Fellowship International helps restore justice and healing in response to crime in more than 120 countries. For more information visit www.pfi.org.

About Bible League International:
Bible League International is a global ministry serving under-resourced churches through the provision of Bibles, biblical resources, and training to transform lives through God’s Word. For more information visit www.bibleleague.org.