“I JUST WANT MY KIDS TO KNOW… EVERYTHING THAT I DO TODAY IS BECAUSE OF Y’ALL.” ❤️Inside Louisiana State Penitentiary, better known as Angola Prison, Jake Bodine sits down with incarcerated father Leslie Harris for an honest conversation about FAITH, FATHERHOOD, PRISON, and the man God is transforming him into.Leslie grew up in Louisiana without his father.After losing his dad at just six years old, he began looking for the love and guidance he was missing in the streets. That path eventually led to crime, incarceration, and years separated from his own children.But Leslie is determined for his story — and his children’s story — to be different.Since giving his life to Jesus, Leslie says his purpose has completely changed.Today, he is studying in Bible college, mentoring men in a drug abuse program, training dogs for veterans, sharing his faith with his children, and doing everything he can to become an example they can be proud of.And despite being incarcerated, Leslie refuses to stop being a DAD.God Behind Bars has had the privilege of watching that relationship firsthand.Leslie participated in Angola Prison’s first-ever Father Daughter Dance, where his daughter ran into his arms and the two finally shared a dance he had missed for years. 😭❤️He also spent an unforgettable Father’s Day with his sons during our Father Son event — fishing, playing football, competing, laughing, and simply getting the opportunity to be together.In this episode of the God Behind Bars Podcast, Leslie opens up to Jake Bodine about growing up without a father, what led him to prison, raising children while incarcerated, finding Jesus behind bars, losing his best friend to suicide, studying the Bible, mentoring other incarcerated men, breaking generational cycles, and the man he hopes to be when he returns home.One of the most powerful things Leslie has learned is simple:BE PRESENT.He can’t go back and recover every moment he missed with his children.But he can decide what kind of father and man he will be TODAY.Leslie’s past is part of his story, but it doesn’t get the final word.“Don’t judge a book by its cover because of my past… God changed me. He changed me inside out.”This is what redemption can look like behind prison walls. ❤️🎙️ EPISODE CHAPTERS00:00 Meet Leslie Harris Inside Angola Prison00:28 Growing Up Without a Father01:50 What Led Leslie to Prison?03:28 Being a Father While Incarcerated03:55 Angola Prison Father Daughter Dance04:30 Seeing His Daughter Walk Into the Dance06:55 Father Son Reunion Inside Angola Prison08:42 Raising Children From Behind Prison Walls10:10 How Leslie Stays Present as a Father11:00 Bible College Inside Angola Prison11:53 Mentoring Inmates & Serving Veterans12:17 “It’s Not About Me. It’s About Them.”12:30 The Biggest Lesson He Learned as a Father14:15 How God Transformed Leslie’s Life15:16 Losing His Best Friend to Suicide16:25 Finding Jesus Inside Prison17:15 Leslie’s Message to Inmates Feeling Hopeless18:12 Why Jesus Is the Foundation18:35 What Leslie Wants His Children to Know20:25 “Don’t Judge a Book by Its Cover”21:10 His Dream to Help At-Risk Youth22:00 Can Jesus Really Transform Someone?23:20 Leslie Shares His Favorite Bible Verse25:10 A Final Message of Hope🎙️ THE GOD BEHIND BARS PODCAST IS BACK.Join Jake Bodine for honest conversations from inside prisons about faith, redemption, family, incarceration, and the life-changing power of Jesus.These are real conversations with incarcerated men and women, returning citizens, ministry leaders, and people whose lives have been transformed by God.Subscribe to God Behind Bars for more prison testimonies, Christian podcasts, inmate stories, family reunifications, prison worship, baptisms, and incredible stories of hope and redemption from prisons across America.

From Mount Vernon, New York, Curtis Lambert’s life was marked by violence, pain, and survival. Kicked out of schools, trapped in gang life, and hardened by the streets, Curtis’ story spirals from a childhood of abuse to a life of crime, leading to the unthinkable—shooting his own brother.

But that wasn’t the end.
Locked in a jail cell, broken and desperate, Curtis encountered the love and mercy of Jesus Christ. What began as a life of chaos turned into a testimony of transformation. From guns and gangs to grace and purpose, this is the powerful story of how God rewrote Curtis’ destiny.

In this powerful episode of the God Behind Bars Podcast, founder Jake Bodine and worship leader Matt New dive deep into the heart behind God Behind Bars Music — a movement born inside prison walls.They share how leading worship behind bars inspired a brand-new sound of freedom — songs written with and for incarcerated men and women whose voices deserve to be heard. From unforgettable moments inside prison yards to the creation of the upcoming “God Behind Bars Music: Live from Angola” EP, Jake and Matt reveal how God is using music to transform hearts and rewrite stories of redemption.🎧 Listen now to hear how worship behind bars is changing lives — and how you can be part of the movement.👉 Pre-save the “Live from Angola” EP today at godbehindbars.com and help make the voices of those in prison echo far beyond the walls.

Peter “Chappy” Meyerhoff’s life is the definition of redemption. At 15, he was addicted to meth. At 18, he was sentenced to 12 years in prison. Inside, he became a “shot caller,” running with power and pride—until it all came crashing down.

After over a decade behind bars and nearly a year in solitary confinement, Peter walked out of prison with nothing but a decision: to never go back. With no high school diploma, no connections, and no plan, he rebuilt from the ground up—turning his pain into purpose.

Today, Peter is a motivational speaker, author, and host of the Roll Call with Chappy podcast. He uses his platform to speak truth about addiction, incarceration, mindset, and faith—helping others find freedom long before the gates ever open.

This is the story of a man who lost everything, found himself, and built a new life from the ashes.

Caesar Isaac was born the day after his dad kidnapped someone over drugs. His father wasn’t in the delivery room, and soon after, prison became part of the family story. What began in chaos and brokenness turned into a journey of forgiveness, faith, and redemption.

From chasing the streets to finding salvation, this is the powerful story of E.I. the King.

Growing up with big dreams but caught up in the wrong influences, E.I. found himself in and out of prison from the age of 18. For over a decade, the cycle of incarceration defined his life—until God stepped in. In the darkest places, behind bars, he encountered grace that would transform everything.

Now free, E.I. the King is on a mission: using music, testimony, and street outreach to bring hope to the hopeless and light to the places he once lived in. His story is raw, unfiltered, and proof that no life is too far gone for redemption.

In this solo testimony, he shares it all—from his broken beginnings to his encounter with God, his transformation, and his vision for the future.

At just 14 years old, Ander Pellerano was jumped into the Latin Kings, thrown into a world of crime, violence, and survival. What began as a search for belonging quickly spiraled into a destructive lifestyle that nearly cost him everything.In this powerful testimony, Ander opens up about the night his life changed forever, the weight of gang culture, and how violence became his identity. But his story doesn’t end there. Through heartbreak, prison time, and the pain of broken family ties, God began to pull him toward redemption in the most unexpected way.

He was sentenced to 10 years in prison at just 16 years old. But Jesus had other plans.

In this raw and powerful testimony, Michael Berrian shares his full story — from gang life, drugs, and armed robbery to a supernatural encounter with Jesus inside one of Georgia’s most dangerous prisons. What began as a prison sentence became a resurrection.

After his release, Michael miraculously returned to the same facility — not as an inmate, but as a Juvenile Correctional Officer. He eventually rose to the rank of Lieutenant and now serves incarcerated youth through music, mentorship, and ministry.

This is a story of redemption, purpose, and the kind of transformation only God can produce.

🎤 Author of From a Convict to a Convert
🎵 16 music projects released
📍 Now ministering across prisons, churches, and cities nationwide

Johnny Chang was raised in violence, joined a gang at 12, and ended up spending over 8 years behind bars. But it was inside a prison cell that everything changed. A simple act of kindness from a pastor led Johnny to Jesus—and it transformed his life forever. Today, he shares his story of redemption, reconciliation, and radical faith with the world, especially the incarcerated. This is a powerful testimony of how no one is too far for God’s grace. PLEASE SHARE AND SUBSCRIBE!

Connect with us on social! @godbehindbars @jake_bodine

What happens when meth addiction takes everything—your freedom, your family, even your will to live?

In this raw and emotional episode of the God Behind Bars podcast, we sit down with an inmate known as "The Eye Patch Guy," who opens up about his past addiction to crystal meth, his self-hatred, and the spiral that landed him in prison. But what starts as a story of destruction quickly becomes one of redemption, healing, and the quiet voice of God behind bars.

🚨 He shares how prison saved his life.
🙏 He talks about how he was running from Jesus—until Jesus started running after him.
💔 He opens up about the moment he almost gave up... and the faith that pulled him back.

This isn’t just another prison story.
It’s proof that no one is too far gone for a second chance.

Connect with us on social! @godbehindbars @jake_bodine