Books by Scottie Barnes

A Journey from Brokenness to ReconciliationThrough Scottie's acceptance of God's love, she learned her greatest blessing was God's sacrificial gift of love, grace, and mercy. Her newfound inner joy and peace allowed her to embody compassion, humility, and forgiveness. Her father's salvation became her life's ambition even though it would be forty-one years before she heard the words, "I love you, Scottie."

This heartwarming devotional is inspired by letters, prayers, and poems written by the inmates, parents, volunteers, and caregivers. It is comforting to know that during our darkest times of loneliness and loss or when we experience overwhelming feelings of disconnectedness and frustration, God never leaves us. The mission of Forgiven Ministry is to meet the spiritual, physical, and emotional needs of the children of inmates, the inmates themselves, ex-inmates, and families of inmates, with the result of healing wounds inflicted by crime, redirecting lives, and restoring these individuals into the community as productive citizens, parents, and family members. By encouraging change from within the individual, we can reduce recidivism, stop the cycle of crime, avoid the waste of human capital, and lessen the burden that offenders and their families place on society. Research has shown that as many as 70 - 80 percent of the children of inmates eventually end up in prison themselves. It's like a rite of passage, with fathers seeing their sons in the same prison dining hall, wearing the inmate uniform, doing time just like them - caused by generations of hurt, resentment, convictions, and shattered families. At one prison in Michigan, there were five generations of one family incarcerated in the same prison. Preventing an at-risk child from turning to gangs, drugs and crime is one of the most important ways to make our communities safe and productive for our children in the future" (Forgiven Ministry).

Preventing an at-risk child from turning to gangs, drugs, and crime is one of the most important ways to make our communities safe and productive for our children in the future. Reaching, reconciling, and restoring lives by encouraging change from within the individual, can reduce recidivism, stop the cycle of crime, avoid the waste of human capital, and lessen the burden that offenders and their families place on society.