Director Nacional:
Làcides Hernández 

Receive a warm greeting from Medellín Colombia.   

My name is Làcides Hernández, accompanying me in the picture are; my wife Libya and my children Lina Marcela, Jonathan and John Elías. I received the calling of the Lord in 1987 and I became a member of the "Divino Salvador" Church of the Association of Evangelical Churches of the Caribbean in a small town on the North Coast of Colombia called "Planeta Rica". In 1992 the church sent me to receive theological studies in The Biblical Seminar of Colombia in the city of Medellín and in March of that same year I was invited by the teacher Jeannine Brabon, a missionary of OMS, to visit the Bellavista Jail in Medellín. That same year I became part of the team that founded the Prison Fellowship of Antioquia, a branch of PF Colombia. From 1999, I took on the presidency of the Prison Fellowship of Colombia. Every year The Lord Jesus has allowed me to contribute to the expansion of His Kingdom in the prisons of this beautiful country.

In Colombia there are now 156 Prisons with a total capacity of 48000 interns; but there are actually 65000 interns; with an addition of 1000 interns per month. Prison fellowship is already present in the larger prisons of Colombia, but also in many small ones. We are present in prisons in; Bogotá, Medellín, Barranquilla, Cartagena, Valledupar, Tunja, Ibagué, Neiva, Sincelejo, Monteria, Riohacha, Santa Marta, Pereira, Manizales, Armenia and others. This ministry was founded by the family Rendle in the year 1975. Today there are Churches in many prisons, which have been built thanks to the financial support of foreign entities. It has also been made possible to modify halls and rooms for use as a church. We need 5000 Bibles per year to distribute among the deprived of freedom. 

The work which is carried out inside the prisons of Colombia demands great effort from all those who participate. In some regions, the need is remarkable. Some volunteers visit the prisoners without being able to hand over a Bible. Others cannot visit because they lack resources. If you like to participate with this work we suggest the following projects: 

• Support an evangelist full time. 
• Support a former prisoner and his family. 
• Support the prisoners' children ministry. 
• Support the purchase of Bibles and evangelism material. 
• Support the office and workers. 

PF Colombia Administrative Committee gladly informs you about investments and any information required. 

Confraternidad Carcelaria de Colombia
A Ministry of Prison Fellowship International  www.PFI.org
PrisonFellowshipColombia@Yahoo.com      http://PrisonFellowshipColombia.DanielHuisman.com
Cra 67ª No. 48d-8 Medellín Colombia Tel: +57-4-4362299
Personaría Jurídica 1483 de MinJusticia Nit: 860509118-7
Bank; Banco Unión Colombia Cra 43ª No. 14-101 Poblado Medellín
Bank Account 010058295

Peace Prize   

The President of the Board of directors of PF Colombia, Mr. Lácides Hernández, was honored when receiving the prize "Town Crier of Peace 2003", handed over by the International Association of Christian Journalists in Bogotá. "The only true Crier of Peace is Jesus Christ", Mr. Hernández said, "So this prize belongs to Him."

Lácides also took advantage of the opportunity to continue promoting the work with the prisoners during his travel to receive the prize. When he was in the airport of Bogotá, he had an unexpected encounter with the Director of the Prison of Valledupar who accepted the petition of Lácides to allow the relatives of prisoners in Medellín to visit the prisoners that are in that prison during weekday’s holidays. The Director of that Prison also said that PF Colombia is a great help in the process of pacification of the prisons.

Restorative Justice 

In the city of Medellín we had the first seminar about Restorative Justice, supported by Prison Fellowship International. This seminar caused a great impact in the country, especially for those who participated. We had the presence of Members of Congress, Attorneys, Judges and Members of Law Schools of the main cities in the country. Also present were the General Director of INPEC (National Prison Institute), Directors of prisons, members of the police and of the Catholic Church. The repercussion has been important because for the first time it was possible to gather an interested select group around a topic, which will have to be implemented in the Colombian legislation in next years.

The Director of PFI for Latin America Gerardo Barreto, and to the right the General Director of INPEC General® Ricardo Emilio Cifuente.

Prison Fellowship Colombia
Children of Prisoners Ministry
Project New Creatures 

 
Coordinator:
Merida Plazas

Volunteer team.

In this ministry, we offer emotional and spiritual support at the same time we offer extra help to those children whom are living the hard experience of the absence of one or both parents because one or both parents are in prison. In the abandonment where the children have to be the father or the mother or the person who sustains the home economically, makes that some of these children are victims of abuse by their relatives, being neglected in their basic needs, difficulties at school, risks of abuse, drug abuse and street life. We also offer accompaniment to the relatives.

Children of Prisoners in a meeting.

Support in Ophthalmology consultation and donation of eyeglasses.

Visiting kids at home.

Help in housing improvement, here we put a roof on the house.

Scholarships for English and Computing training.

Delivery of Coupons for; food, medications, clothes, shoes, etc.

Children receiving gifts.

Spiritual outings for children and adolescents.

School help.

NECESSITIES: 

  Spiritual resource - 
That the churches will be committed and be responsible for people with prison reality. 
Human resource - 
Suitable Volunteers to assist the children and their caretakers.
Material resources - 
Economic support, implementation and administration in productive projects.

Prison Fellowship Colombia PFC
 is divided in 5 Areas;
Coffee District
Northern District
Central District
Southern District
Western District

Prison Fellowship Colombia
Coffee District
The Coffee District includes the Departments of:
Antioquia, Caldas, Risaralda, Quindío. 

 
Regional Director:
Former Captain Pedro José Martínez


 

Extension of the ministry 

Medellín has been the city from where the Prison Fellowship Ministry started growing to a National level. Since 1992, the work has developed with excellent results and it has contributed in bringing peace to many citizens of Colombia.

Hebrews 13:3  Remember them that are in bonds, as bound with them; [and] them which suffer adversity, as being yourselves also in the body.

Jeannine Brabon Missionary of OMS, has been the fundamental pillar in the development of the Prison Fellowship Ministry of Antioquia. Her love for the prisoners, especially those of Bellavista has taken her to a great commitment to this work. She is a great example through her life, testimony and faith of what God is able to do when we obey His calling and we take on the commitment of serving him without reservations. Not only the growth of PF Antioquia, but also a great part the national ministry is grateful for the impulse of this servant of the Lord.  

Bellavista Prison Medellín Antioquia 

Here follow some of the Evangelists who work in the prisons of Antioquia.

Weimar Quijano

John Correa

Jorge Rivera

Daniel Muriel

Jose Giraldo

Francisco Aristizabal

Roman Arcangel

Hernan Zapata

PF Antioquia Medellín
Prison:
Bellavista
4650 Interns 

 
Ministry Director:
Làcides Hernández

Prison centers: The Prison of the Judicial district of Medellín Bellavista with a capacity for 1800 interns, the last 15 years has had an average of 4650 interns. In this prison there is a Biblical Institute, a radio program which is broadcasting from Monday to Friday, called "Shout of Hope" which makes it possible to reach hundreds of homes with the message of the Gospel. It also has a Chapel with a capacity for 150 people where they meet every day of the week except Saturdays and Sundays.

Construction of the Bellavista Chapel roof.

Thanks to God, hundreds of souls got to know Christ in the Prison of Bellavista. In the last two decades, with the grace of God more than 1000 interns have been baptized.

The IBB - Bellavista Biblical Institute was founded in 1992 when Bellavista was still in a wave of violence. From that year onward, many interns have had the opportunity to receive Biblical - Theological training and to serve the Lord inside and outside prison. The particular thing is that many of them when they were transferred to other prisons took charge in spreading the gospel. The training they received in the classrooms of the IBB has been fundamental in the development of their leadership. In the ten years of history, the IBB has graduated about 150 interns.

PF Antioquia Medellín
Prison:   Itagui
400 Interns

 
Coordinator:
Edgar Ruiz

National Penitentiary of Itagui: Is a Penitentiary with capacity for 200 interns but it has more than 400 at this time. In this place, there is a chapel where we congregate with the interns and where we share the Word of God with them. As coordinator of this project is former intern Edgar Ruiz who is developing a great work.

PF Antioquia Medellín
Prison:
 Buen Pastor (For Women)
639 Interns 

 
Coordinator:
Consuelo Martínez

Prison for Women “Buen Pastor” (The Good Sheperd): In this reclusion, there are 639 women from all over the country. Prison Fellowship reached an average of 40% of the interns here, being one of the greatest percentage reached of all prisons. The coordinator is Consuelo Martínez who is graduated from the Biblical Seminary of Colombia in Medellín. The last 7 years about 200 interns have been baptized. 20 interns are benefiting through the workshop of dress making of the Fellowship.

Adriana Restrepo Aristizabal

Internal coordinator in the prison for Women “Buen Pastor”. This woman got to know the Lord 8 years ago and she is about to finish her sentence.

CC Antioquia Medellín
Project AFAREC
Attention to Families with Prison Reality

Coordinator:
Mary Luz Correa

Mary Luz Correa, is coordinating the project called AFAREC (Attention to Families with Prison Reality) since 1996 in Medellín; through which many homes have been restored through Jesus Christ.

PF Caldas Manizales
Prison:   Nacional de varones 1020 Interns
Prison:    Reclusión de mujeres 80 Interns
(Prison for women)

In the Prison of Manizales 78 men are being reached to whom we offer spiritual guidance.

In the prison for Women of Manizales we are reaching a total of 27 women

CC Boyaca Tunja:

Pastor Yamil Garzón is developing a prominent work in Tunja, where the most important penitentiary complex of the country is. The two main prisons are the Penitentiary Complex of Combita and the Penitentiary Barne. Internally there is a large number of internal leaders working in the preaching of the gospel, assisted by voluntary personnel of the Prison Fellowship of Boyacá.