FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Mimi Haddad, President
Christians for Biblical Equality
Phone: 612-872-6898 Fax: 612-872-6891
cbe@cbeinternational.org
www.cbeinternational.org

MINNEAPOLIS – September 2006

Christians for Biblical Equality Responds to the Rise in Female Incarceration with Evangelicals for Social Action

According to the U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics women are entering incarceration at twice the rate of men.

On November 2-4, Evangelicals for Social Action (ESA) will host “Women Be Free!” in Penllyn, PA, addressing the rise of female incarceration. Christians for Biblical Equality (CBE) is an active supporter of ESA and is participating in this event to help develop a biblical response to both female incarceration and the social and cultural factors that contribute to incarceration. This conference will focus on the role of abuse and poverty in turning women to crime. “Women Be Free!” will also address the struggles of children of incarcerated mothers and how churches may come alongside female prisoners and their families.

ESA has invited criminal justice specialists, persons actively engaged in prison ministry, and former prisoners to speak about their respective experiences with female incarceration. The goal of this conference is to better equip the Christian Church to prevent and protect women from crimes that lead to incarceration, and to provide a welcoming and healing community for these women as they reenter society.

Evangelicals for Social Action challenges and equips the Church to be agents of God's redemption and transformation in the world. For more information on the conference and ESA, see www.esa-online.org

Christians for Biblical Equality is a non-profit international organization of Christian men and women from nearly 100 denominations. CBE equips believers by affirming the biblical truth about equality and justice. Thus all believers, without regard to gender, ethnicity, and class, are free and encouraged to use their God-given gifts in ministries, communities, and families. CBE believes addressing justice issues in society is a part of living out the principle of biblical equality. For a press kit or for more information about the organization, please visit www.cbeinternational.org or call 612-872-6898.