Behind the Bars

I have a friend who came to Christ in a nearby county jail while awaiting a felony trial. He has been in prison for six years now. No, this was no jailhouse confession, but the real deal. He is a completely different man than the angry man I met when I visited him in that county jail upon his initial arrest. He has peace and a genuine concern for others, especially other inmates and their families. I've watched him grow in God's Word and heard his precious prayers for many fellow inmates who don't know Christ, struggle or have serious problems. He has an incredible burden for anyone who does not have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

Prison was never intended to be a pleasant place. I realize there are serious, repeat, felony offenders who have demonstrated a continual bent for crime and have no earthly intention of becoming a better human. I personally believe these repeat felony offenders should be isolated from general prison populations. But what about those who made a mistake and are trying to serve their time so they can get out and never go back? We need to ask ourselves is the goal to simply to punish them, or to help rehabilitate them so they can contribute to society and make our cities, towns and counties a better place upon their release? If it's to correct/rehabilitate then something needs to change.

From food to health care, employment opportunities, education and basic needs, our prisons are struggling. State governments across the nation are being asked to house more inmates with significantly fewer resources. State revenues are down across the nation and prisons are often the first place cuts are made. Most are so underfunded that asking them to cut is like asking a starving man for a meal. Some systems deny older prisoners education and vocational training opportunities because they reason these inmates are too old to learn. Other systems where prisoners must serve 85% of a felony sentence are denied the opportunity to work which promotes apathy and laziness. "Idleness is the devil's workshop!"

Most prisons have a store where inmates can purchase personal hygiene items, clothing, shoes and even snacks through money they earn working inside, or from funds friends and family deposit in their Pay Pal account. A pair of shoes that costs under $30 on the outside can cost as much as $60 on the inside. Deodorant you can purchase at a dollar store for under a buck can cost as much as $3! Fruit is removed from many prison cafeterias because inmates have been known to stash it in a cell and ferment it to make wine. However, this deprives the prison population of some daily nutritional basics. And many other foods are off the list because they don't want the inmates to "bulk up" on carbs and proteins. This is understandable but what about the simple distribution of a daily multi-vitamin?

Overcrowded prisons + Lower State Funds + Stressed Guards & Inmates = A Time Bomb.

Let's be honest. Most of the people in correctional facilities are there because they made a bad choice and they are reaping the consequences. Whether the sentence is just, or not is nearly always subjective and best left to the judicial system. But what about those who really want to improve their life circumstance and be contributors to society upon their release instead of taker's? The old saying that everyone in prison gets religion may be true, but the authentic are known by their fruit and devotion on the inside just as those of us on the outside who profess Christ are known by our fruit (Galatians 5:22-23). Think about exercising: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control within the confines of a prison? Now that will test the most sincere person of faith! I'm proud to say I know one man who has not backed down one inch from his profession and love for Christ while serving a long sentence. To this day he continues to grow in Christ. Would to God that I would be as faithful given the same circumstances!

Read again the words of Psalm 146:7:

7 He upholds the cause of the oppressed and gives food to the hungry. The LORD sets prisoners free,

P.S. If you come away thinking I'm against the penal system you missed the whole point! I just think it needs a lot of attention from people who are a lot smarter than me.