Prominent prison ministry fires 72, citing economy

Prison Fellowship, a prominent evangelical ministry to inmates, has laid off dozens of employees, citing the faltering economy.

A
total of 72 staffers were let go as part of a restructuring that
included new leaders as of July 18. Jim Liske, a former pastor in
Michigan, is now the ministry's CEO, and Garland Hunt, a former Atlanta
pastor, is now its president.

"Like many nonprofits in the wake of
this economy, Prison Fellowship has had to deal with shrinking
resources and rising costs," said Frank Lofaro, executive vice president
of the ministry. The ministry was founded in 1976 by ex-convict and
Nixon aide Chuck Colson.