CEDARVILLE, OHIO, Dec. 17, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Christmas is often described as the most wonderful time of the year—a season of warmth, connection, and celebration. But for the more than 11 million incarcerated individuals worldwide, the holiday can feel markedly different. With limited contact from loved ones and few opportunities for support, December 25 often slowly passes as a day of deep isolation and even regret.
While families across the country gather to celebrate and reflect on the season’s meaning, many in jails and prisons spend the holiday alone, navigating an environment that can intensify feelings of loneliness and disconnection. Good News Global, a global ministry serving the incarcerated population, is working to change that narrative by offering hope, encouragement, and a meaningful reminder that people behind bars have not been forgotten during a time when it is needed most.
Kevin Howells, lead advancement officer for the Richmond, Virginia-based Global News Global ministry, is preparing a significant expansion of its Hope Pack & Presence initiative in 2025. Good News Global plans to deliver nearly 75,000 Hope Packs to incarcerated individuals, correctional staff, and, where permitted, families of inmates around the world. The annual effort seeks to bring light to the darkness, despair, and loneliness experienced by many behind bars by sharing the love and message of Jesus during Christmas and throughout the year.
Howells, who earned a bachelor's degree in business administration in 1990 from Cedarville University, introduced the Hope Pack outreach to Good News Global, and the impact since its inception in 2021 has brought hope and encouragement to thousands of inmates worldwide. The program has grown rapidly thanks to the generosity of churches and donors, as well as the work of former inmate and now GNG chaplain Richard Van Arsdale. VanArsdale contacted Willow Creek Community Church in suburban Chicago to learn more about its hope pack initiative it started years earlier. Willow Creek partnered with Good News Global, opening the door to a collaboration that continues to expand.
“Hope Packs represents our greatest direct gospel outreach to incarcerated people and those impacted by incarceration,” said Howells. “We can put the Gospel message in the hands of receptive inmates this Christmas.”
In 2025, Hope Packs and personal visits from Good News Global chaplains are expected to reach 170 correctional facilities in 20 U.S. states and 20 countries. Nearly 300 chaplains serve year-round in these facilities, building trusted relationships that support spiritual growth and long-term discipleship.
Each Hope Pack is assembled with care to convey encouragement and compassion. While contents vary by region, every pack includes a Christmas bag, a greeting card with a personalized message, a 2026 calendar, and a clear presentation of the Gospel. In the United States, most packs include Armor, a 200-page book featuring devotionals, poems, artwork, and activities created for individuals behind bars. International packs may include Bibles, gospel tracts, or devotionals.
Food items—such as cookies or chips in the U.S. and staples like rice, flour or sugar abroad—offer practical comfort. Many packs also include socks, toothbrushes, toothpaste and other hygiene items.
For Good News Global chaplains, Hope Packs are more than a seasonal gift. They create opportunities for meaningful conversations about healing, restoration and faith.
“We’re not just handing out a bag—we’re delivering hope,” said Howells.
Many inmates express deep appreciation for the initiative’s impact. “The book has given me hope and peace to my heart,” wrote an inmate from Visalia, Calif., referencing the Armor resource. “I’ve learned from the activities and stories and feel the love of God from everyone that has helped with this book.”
Key leaders have also recognized the ministry’s work. Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin praised the mission, saying, “Good News has decided to shine a light on a very simple, yet profound truth that there is hope and there is value in every single person on this planet.”
About Good News Global
Founded in 1961, Good News Global serves incarcerated individuals in the United States and more than 23 countries. Nearly 300 chaplains and staff minister in 300 facilities, providing daily access to more than 400,000 incarcerated men, women and youth. The ministry partners with sheriffs and corrections professionals, guided by the belief that every person has inherent worth and that God has a plan for each individual.
More information, including video resources and stories of impact, is available on Good News Global’s website.
About Cedarville University
Cedarville University, an evangelical Christian institution in southwest Ohio, offers undergraduate and graduate residential and online programs across arts, sciences and professional fields. With 7,265 students, it is among Ohio's largest private universities and is ranked among the nation’s top five evangelical universities in the Wall Street Journal’s 2026 Best Colleges in the U.S. Cedarville is also known for its vibrant Christian community, challenging academics and high graduation and retention rates. Learn more at cedarville.edu.
Hope Packs will be delivered to the following jails in the United States:
Jail, Chaplain, and Facility
Arizona
Pinal County
John Jefferson
Pinal County
California
Visalia
David May & Bob Wiley
Detention Center
Colorado
Colorado Springs/Pueblo
Alicia Reeves
La Vista Correctional Facility
Canon City
Marcus Baird
CMC Arrowhead Correctional Ctr
Delta
Ryan Dyer
Delta Correctional Center
La Plata
Dennis Reimer
La Plata County Detention Facility
Florida
Lake County
Jim Cornell
Lake County Detention Center
Lake Sumter
Chris Ferris
Sumter County Detention Center
Orange County
Douglas Foley
Orange County Corrections Dept.
Leon County
Lenny Marshall
Leon County Detention Center
Brevard County
Darin Schoch
Brevard County Jail
Volusia County
Rick Cawthon
Volusia County Correctional
Okaloosa
Chaplain Hardesty
Okaloosa County Detention Ctr.
Hawaii
Big Island
Mike Sidman
Hawaii Community Correctional
Illinois
Chicago
Eric Peng
Cook County Juvenile Temporary Detention Center
Indiana
Evansville
Scott Bailes
Vanderburgh County Confinement
Kentucky
Daviess County
Jesse Harrell
Daviess County Detention Center
Maryland
Montgomery County
Todd Borbidge
Montgomery County Correctional
Anne Arundel
Brit Fletcher
Ordnance Road Correctional Ctr.
Carroll County
Derrick Seegars
Carroll County Detention Center
Minnesota
Hennepin County
Jeff Freeman
Hennepin County Adult Correction
Mississippi
Lauderdale County
Dennis Marks
Lauderdale County Detention
Harrison County
Tony Graham
Harrison County Detention Center
Jackson County
Yogi Taylor
Jackson County, A.D.C.
Nebraska
Omaha/Council Bluffs
Merlyn Klaus
Douglas County, Sarpy County
Lancaster County
Sheldo Crapo
Lancaster County Corrections
New York
Monroe County
Brian Duclos
Monroe County Jail
Niagara County
Bill Whitmore
Niagara County Correctional
Pennsylvania
York
Paul Beliasov
York County Prison
Washington County
Mike Pierson
Washington County Correctional
Tennessee
Sullivan
Kent Pugh
Sullivan County Jail
Utah
Salt Lake
Nic Higgins
Salt Lake County Metro Jail
Virginia
Fairfax County
Emerson Kim
Fairfax County Adult Detention Ctr.
Arlington County
Michele Reynolds
Arlington County Detention Facility
Prince William County
Ray Perez
Prince William Manassas Regional ADC
Chesterfield
Cam Abell
Chesterfield County Jail
Regional Virginia
Tarron Howe
Virginia Peninsula Regional Jail
Virginia Beach
Joe Kelty
Virginia Beach Correctional Center
Danville/Franklin
Jason Cizek
Danville City Jail
Martinsville
Joe Collins
Martinsville City Jail
Abingdon
Danny Thompson
Abingson Regional Jail
Charlottesville
Richard Van Arsdale
Albermarle/Charlottesville/Nelson
Wisconsin
Eau Claire
Brian Jahn
Eau Claire County Jail
Sheboygan County
Jimmy Hildebrandt
Sheboygan County Detention Ctr.
Attachments
Mark D. Weinstein Cedarville University 937-766-8800 mweinstein@cedarville.edu
