Healing Hands Ranch
A deaf aftercare ministry of Deaf Prison Ministries Network.
History: Deaf Prison Ministries Network was born out of a burden for the lack of ministry to over 10,000 Deaf incarcerated in America. In 2000, during the D-E-A-F conference in Lisle, Illinois, a task force was formed to study the needs of a national deaf prison ministry. This task force met over a two year period to brainstorm, gather data, and develop this unique ministry.
As this vision took place the organization was named Deaf Prison Ministries Network. We sought advice from well known established prison ministries such as, Prison Fellowship, Champions for Life, First Contact, and Koinonia House. From this advice we were led to establish Deaf Prison Ministries Network for the purpose of developing and networking deaf prison ministries across America.
We recognized the great need to provide resources, training, and general information so that individuals and churches could effectively reach the Deaf whose lives have been impacted by crime. We were also encouraged to function as a non-denominational, evangelical, and independent ministry that would partner with the hundreds of hearing prison ministries that already exist. In this way we can maximize our resources, experience and knowledge.
Out of the several thousand churches currently ministering to the Deaf we estimate that less that one percent of the Deaf in prison are being ministered to. Those Deaf that we have identified have responded by saying, “Finally, someone has found us!” The isolation and frustration factor among prisoners is multiplied many times over with the Deaf.
