Christmas can be a time of isolation for people behind bars, and organizations are working to provide support during the holiday season. Good News Global, a Richmond-based ministry, plans to deliver thousands of Christmas Hope Packs in 2025 to incarcerated individuals, correctional staff and, where permitted, families of inmates. 

In Virginia, Hope Packs will be distributed to the Fairfax County Adult Detention Center, the Arlington County Detention Facility, the Prince William-Manassas Regional Adult Detention Center, the Chesterfield County Jail and the Virginia Peninsula Regional Jail. Chaplains at these facilities work year-round with inmates to provide spiritual guidance and support. 

The program began in 2021 with 50,000 Hope Packs and has expanded with the support of donors and churches. In 2025, the initiative is expected to reach 170 facilities across 20 U.S. states and 20 countries. Each pack includes a Christmas greeting, devotional booklets, a 2026 calendar, food items such as cookies or chips, and practical items such as socks and hygiene supplies. U.S. packs also contain Armor, a 200- page book of devotionals, poems and activities designed for incarcerated individuals. 

“Hope Packs represents our greatest direct outreach to incarcerated people. We’re not just handing out a bag — we’re delivering hope,” said Jon Evans, president of Good News Global. The initiative encourages those who receive the packs, he said. 

Nearly 300 chaplains serve in facilities across the U.S. and abroad, building relationships that support long-term guidance and spiritual growth. 

Gov. Glenn Youngkin previously praised the organization’s work, saying it highlights “a very simple, yet profound truth that there is hope and there is value in every single person on this planet.” 

Good News Global has served incarcerated populations since 1961, providing access to spiritual resources and support in more than 300 facilities worldwide.