Volunteer Opportunity!
Bridges To Life needs volunteers to help make a difference in the lives of both prison inmates and victims of crime. You can help! Find out more about how you can join the Bridges to Life volunteer team.
News Articles
Numerous articles have been published about the unique work of Bridges to Life in both local and national publications.
2008 Awards
Jim Buffington and Brandon Willard receive 2008 Governor’s Criminal Justice Volunteer Service Awards
John Sage is recipient of HYLA Liberty Bell Award and was inducted into the St. Thomas Hall of Honor.
John and Frances Sage to receive the Samaritan Spirit Award on October 23.
Restoring Peace Book
ISBN 1-4120-3936-3
Price $10 | Buy Now
RESTORING PEACE – A BOOK FOR PEOPLE INTERESTED IN RESTORATIVE JUSTICE PRISON MINISTRIES
Restoring Peace captures the essence of the Bridges To Life prison ministry. The three basic aspects of the experience are belief in God, the magic of telling our stories, and the principles outlined in the Bridges To Life process.
Belief in God is the foundation of Bridges To Life. The prison ministry emphasizes spirituality in the deepest sense of belonging and inclusiveness rather than a particular dogma or set of religious practices. Similarly, belief in God is the foundation for Restoring Peace. Chapter 2 discusses in some detail how belief in God is integrated into the Bridges To Life experience and why faith is so important for any offender seeking peace and reconciliation.
Stories are the second important aspect of the Bridges To Life experience. Each participant tells his or her story in some detail during the program. The stories show the participants how much they are alike, bridge the isolation that separates them, and create relationships that help them connect with one another. Similarly, the book shares stories from the Bible and stories of inmates and victims that readers can learn from. Chapter 3 discusses the value of stories and shows readers how they can tell their own and benefit from this truest form of confession.
The third element of the Bridges To Life experience is the process: a structured but flexible dialogue that explores Christian principles that allow inmates and victims alike to deal with the effect of crime and conflict in their lives. The primary topics of discussion include responsibility, accountability, confession, repentance, forgiveness, reconciliation, and restitution. Chapters 4 through 10 of Restoring Peace develop the elements of the process by explaining what they are, showing how they fit within the entire healing experience, and teaching some ways readers can use them to mend broken and hurting relationships. Chapter 11 makes some suggestions for putting it all together with God’s help in one’s life journey.
Anyone seeking peace and reconciliation in his or her life will benefit from these lessons from the Bridges To Life prison ministry. Restoring Peace will teach you how to use this successful restorative justice process to heal relationships with those you have hurt or who have hurt you. It builds on the power of faith and stories to help you deal effectively with:
Excerpts from the book include:
- Seeing confession as the first step toward restitution.
- A discussion of the importance of repentance.
- A discussion of the importance of forgiveness.
- Seeing how reconciliation precedes restitution.
Bridges to Life Book
Restoring Peace – Using Lessons From Prison to Mend Broken Relationships details the principles used in the Bridges To Life program, combined with actual stories from victim and inmate participants. The book is intended for repairing or improving relationships with others.
Inmate Comments
“The best part about this program is the small group setting which allows both victim and inmate to be open and honest with one another and the trust, confidence that is built through these groups.”