“I’m In Prison… But I Refuse to Stop Being a Dad.” | God Behind Bars Podcast

“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 CHAPTERS 00:00 Meet Leslie Harris Inside Angola Prison 00:28 Growing Up Without a Father 01:50 What Led Leslie to Prison? 03:28 Being a Father While Incarcerated 03:55 Angola Prison Father Daughter Dance 04:30 Seeing His Daughter Walk Into the Dance 06:55 Father Son Reunion Inside Angola Prison 08:42 Raising Children From Behind Prison Walls 10:10 How Leslie Stays Present as a Father 11:00 Bible College Inside Angola Prison 11:53 Mentoring Inmates & Serving Veterans 12:17 “It’s Not About Me. It’s About Them.” 12:30 The Biggest Lesson He Learned as a Father 14:15 How God Transformed Leslie’s Life 15:16 Losing His Best Friend to Suicide 16:25 Finding Jesus Inside Prison 17:15 Leslie’s Message to Inmates Feeling Hopeless 18:12 Why Jesus Is the Foundation 18:35 What Leslie Wants His Children to Know 20:25 “Don’t Judge a Book by Its Cover” 21:10 His Dream to Help At-Risk Youth 22:00 Can Jesus Really Transform Someone? 23:20 Leslie Shares His Favorite Bible Verse 25:10 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. Vol 2 from God Behind Bars Music available now! https://gbbmusic.lnk.to/Vol2YT https://www.godbehindbars.com/ Instagram: @Godbehindbars Facebook: @Godbehindbars Twitter: @Godbehindbars #GodBehindBars #GodBehindBarsPodcast #PrisonTestimony