Jack Brewer Foundation certifies 122 incarcerated fathers in Florida

The Jack Brewer Foundation says more than 100 incarcerated fathers at two Florida prisons earned fatherhood certificates last week through its Faith & Fatherhood Initiative. The program has now served more than 3,000 incarcerated fathers and is designed to improve family ties and prepare men for reentry.

Why it matters: - The Jack Brewer Foundation’s fatherhood program is aimed at helping incarcerated men stay connected to their children while in prison and return home better prepared to support their families. - The initiative has reached more than 3,000 incarcerated fathers, making it a long-running reentry and family-stability effort inside correctional institutions. - More than 93% of incarcerated fathers who have taken the program have shown increased involvement, contact or emotional connection with their families.

What happened: - Last week, 122 incarcerated fathers at Madison Correctional Institution and Jefferson Correctional Institution in Florida earned JBF Fatherhood certificates. - At Madison Correctional Institution, 55 men completed Common Sense and Direction and received certificates. - Eight fathers at Madison stood to give public testimonies. - At Jefferson Correctional Institution, 67 men earned certificates. - Six fathers at Jefferson shared testimonies on the ReEntry program and became release ready. - Both ceremonies featured guest speaker Mellisa Comerford and were presented by JBF Founder Jack Brewer.

The details: - The Jack Brewer Foundation operates as Serving Ministries. - The Faith & Fatherhood Initiative pairs incarcerated fathers with faith-based mentorship, parenting instruction and regular opportunities to communicate with their families. - The program also helps fathers set reunification goals and prepare for life after release. - Since the program began, JBF Second Chance Fathers have made more than 500,000 contacts and visits with their children and families. - Jack Brewer called the event powerful and said the men are taking responsibility, growing in faith and becoming better fathers. - Elmo Golden, JBF Program Manager and Second Chance Father, said many of the men had been hopeless and did not believe they could be strong fathers from prison.

Between the lines: - The certificates and public testimonies give the program a visible milestone, but the larger goal is behavior change and family reconnection over time. - The focus on release readiness suggests JBF is trying to bridge prison programming and life after incarceration, not just offer short-term motivation. - The 500,000-plus family contacts point to a model built around sustained communication, which can matter for both children and reentry outcomes.

What's next: - JBF says it continues to expand the program across correctional institutions. - The foundation’s next focus is helping fathers stay connected to their children while incarcerated and return home better prepared to support their families. - More prisons are likely to see similar fatherhood programming, certificates and reentry preparation as the initiative grows.