Chuck Colson Bio

Founder of Prison Fellowship
Former Aide to President Nixon

Almost 30 years ago, Charles W. Colson was not thinking about reaching out to prison inmates or reforming the U.S. penal system. In fact, this aide to President Richard Nixon was "incapable of humanitarian thought," according to the media of the mid-1970s. Colson was known as the White House "hatchet man," a man feared by even the most powerful politicos during his four years of service to President Nixon.

When news of Colson's conversion to Christianity leaked to the press in 1973, the Boston Globe reported, "If Mr. Colson can repent of his sins, there just has to be hope for everybody." Colson would agree.

In 1974 Colson entered a plea of guilty to Watergate-related charges; although not implicated in the Watergate burglary, he voluntarily pleaded guilty to obstruction of justice in the Daniel Ellsberg Case. He entered Alabama's Maxwell Prison in 1974 as a new Christian and as the first member of the Nixon administration to be incarcerated for Watergate-related charges. He served seven months of a one- to three-year sentence.

After leaving prison, Colson founded Prison Fellowship Ministries in 1976, which has since become the world's largest outreach to prisoners, ex-prisoners, and their families.

Colson's personal prison experience and his visits to more than 800 prisons throughout the world prompted concerns about the efficacy of the American criminal justice system and made him one of the nation's most influential voices for criminal justice reform. Colson's recommendations have brought together legislators from both political parties and divergent philosophical viewpoints.

Colson is a popular speaker and author. He has written 23 books, which collectively have sold more than five million copies. His autobiographical book, Born Again, was one of the nation's best-selling books of all genres in 1976 and was made into a feature-length film.

In 1991 Colson launched a daily radio feature called BreakPoint, a unique and well-received attempt to provide a distinctly Christian worldview on current issues and conflicts. Today BreakPoint provides a Christian perspective on today's news and trends via radio, interactive media, and print, with the syndicated radio program aired daily on some 1,000 outlets nationwide.

In recognition of his work, Colson received the prestigious Templeton Prize for progress in religion in 1993, donating the $1 million prize to Prison Fellowship. Colson's other awards have included the Humanitarian Award from Dominos Pizza Corporation (1991); The Others Award from The Salvation Army (1990); the Outstanding Young Man of Boston from the Boston Chamber of Commerce (1960); and several honorary doctorates from various colleges and universities (1982-2000).

Despite his far-reaching work, activities and expertise, Colson's heart is always with the prisoner. He has clearly remembered the promise he made to his fellow inmates during his brief stay in prison that he would "never forget those behind bars."

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