Kairos Prison Ministry International, Inc. (KPMI) is a Christian faith based ministry which addresses the spiritual needs of incarcerated men, women, youth and, their families through Kairos Inside, Kairos Outside and Kairos Torch. By sharing the love and forgiveness of Jesus Christ, Kairos hopes to change hearts, transform lives and impact the world. As a ministry, Kairos embraces a diverse group of volunteers working together to fulfill Christ's call to action in Matthew 25:36 “… I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.'

What is Kairos Inside about?

Kairos Inside is a continuing ministry with a primary objective of preparing and encouraging incarcerated men and women to be active members of Christian community in the prison. Twice a year, volunteers introduce the Men in White to the Kairos program by providing a 3-Day Short Course on Christianity, personal accountability, and walking with Christ. A Kairos Weekend is a personal invitation to participate in the two greatest commandments to love God and to love each other. The key outcome of a Kairos Weekend is the formation of inmate-led small groups for prayer, accountability and encouragement. Kairos volunteers return to the Prison to sponsor Prayer & Share meetings which are held Saturday at the Ellis Unit. On the 4th Saturday of each month, Kairos volunteers and Residents gather in the Ellis Unit’s Chapel for a Resident-led Reunion program with inspirational messages, group discussions, prayer and singing.

Why do inmates in a maximum-security prison participate in Kairos?

They hear stories about food; food that none have had since being in prison. Food like fresh fruit, hamburgers, fried chicken, pizza and bbq beef to name a few. During the 3-Day Short Course in the Ellis Unit, two meals a day are prepared, brought into the prison and served by team members to the Residents. In addition, a bag of chocolate chip cookies is hand delivered by the Kairos team to all 2,400 inmate residents and all the Correction Officers and staff.

But if you ask the men who have been through a Kairos Weekend what they remember the most, they will say it’s love. For many, this is the first time they’ve experienced true agape love. Christ’s love and Christian love impact them in ways that are nearly unimaginable.

 What is the impact of this ministry?

Even though prison sentences are long, most inmates will be returned to society. About 93 percent of all inmates will someday be released. National and state funds have been primarily used to build and operate prisons. There has been very little money for rehabilitating prison inmates. For a variety of reasons, 55 to 80 percent will return to prison again. Studies carried out in Florida, Texas, Colorado and California indicate a dramatic reduction in the recidivism rate among those residents who have experienced Kairos.