ABOUT | PPM

OUR STORY

In 1979, the Lord answered the prayers of a small group of men who had the vision to begin a prison ministry in Chattanooga.

In the meantime, the Lord had prepared the heart of a former Vietnam POW who was wondering why God had spared his life. His experience as a POW and his heart for others made Roger Ingvalson the ideal candidate.

As the first Executive Director, he developed and led what became Chattanooga Prison Ministry. The years passed, the name changed a couple of times to its present name, Prison Prevention Ministries.

In 1994 the ministry felt it was time to swim upstream. Under the leadership of Gretrell Watkins, a youth Prevention Program began. As Gretrell developed valuable relationships within our schools, the doors began to open for classroom presentations, prison tours and one-on-one mentoring opportunities. What began as a prison ministry 40 years ago has flourished into a regional prison prevention ministry.

PPM had dreamed of starting an after school program, when the COVID-19 pandemic this dream became a reality. In August 2020 InZone was launched. InZone is designed to provide early intervention and Prevention Services for youth ages of 10-14 who have been identified by a school administrator, teacher or parent(s), or by the juvenile courts as being at-risk for school failure, drop out, or juvenile delinquency.

Preventing inmates from returning to prison

Preventing youth from going to prison

Through a personal and growing relationship with Jesus Christ and His Gospel