Letters to the Editor: Prison Edition

Almost 2.2 million Americans are incarcerated, but with your help, Prison Fellowship® is active in all 50 states. One way we reach prisoners is through Inside Journal. This quarterly newspaper is written to inform and inspire men and women behind bars, and it gets distributed to hundreds of correctional facilities across the country.

I CAN'T CARRY ON ALONE

Many prisoners will never attend a chapel service of a Bible study. But Inside Journal can make it into the darkest corners of prison—a noisy, crowded bunk; a lonely cell in solitary; or a Death Row unit. Chaplains put in the library or slide it through bars. Prisoners pass copies to one another, offering it as a source of comfort, inspiration, and insight. And readers respond, with moving letters that share their stories and their earnest desire for a relationship with God. Noah, a prison in Arkansas, recently had this to say:

“I'm looking to strengthen my walk with the Lord. I was talking with an inmate at this unit and he gave me the Inside Journal to read and some of the stories in it touch my heart and when I got done reading that about “Don't Do Your Time Alone” I was in tears and on my hands and knees, for I am going to be 59 years old on the 7th of September and have been a lonely person most of my life and in an out of prisons since 1982.

I don't know any of my real family. My father and mother [passed] away when I was a babe, my sister raised me, so what family I knew has turned from me and I have nobody to turn to. I can't carry my burden alone anymore, so I have prayed the simple prayer, asking God to give me a new life. So I'm asking you from the deepest of my heart, please send me any material that you think might help me. I'm hoping to hear back from you soon. God bless.”

ALL SIGNS POINT TO GOD'S PURSUIT

Each issue (offered both in English and Spanish) explains the Gospel in a fresh way, offers encouragement and motivation, and shares practical advice for the daily struggles of prison life:

“When I came to the hole [solitary confinement], I can't tell you how I felt. Lost? Alone? Stupid? So many different feelings. I can tell you that I no longer fit in when it comes to prison. I'm a seasoned convict, and I cried even though eyes were on me. I felt like I betrayed myself. How did I let this happen? Day in, day out, my anxiety filled the room and threatened to overwhelm me. …

I asked the chaplain for a Daily Bread. Instead, he hands me an Inside Journal. The article on Billy Kidd hits me hard. Life in prison; segregation; daughter; all these things could be wrote about me. So here I sit, after 18 years in prison, sitting in segregation, with less than a year left, and all signs pointing to God going through incredible lengths to restore my relationship with him. I've spent years preparing myself for release and am now ready to accept the last piece of my puzzle: God.””

—Ronald, incarcerated in California

YOU ARE INSTRUMENTAL IN THE LIVES OF MANY

Founded in 1990, Inside Journal is a trusted resource that supports the ongoing work of prison chaplains and supports prisoners in their journey toward restoration. A prison chaplain in New York explains the impact of Inside Journal in her letter:

“Thank you once again for the most recent donation of [Inside Journal]. They are in high demand here … and will be made available to the women who attend our daily groups and services in the chapel. Please know that with your contribution you are truly instrumental in the spiritual growth process of many. We encourage the women on their spiritual or religious journey to set small and realistic goals. Your wonderful and insightful publication fits in nicely with such goals; thanks again.”

Thank you for partnering with us. Because of your support, Prison Fellowship is able to distribute more than 165,000 copies of Inside Journal in English every quarter, and an additional 13,000 copies in Spanish.

Our Spring 2017 edition of Inside Journal, which encourages readers to become better parents, to get to know their Heavenly Father, and to sign their children up for Angel Tree®, will be posted online soon. If you are a chaplain or prison ministry volunteer interested in receiving a sample copy or a bulk shipment for distribution, contact insidejournal@pfm.org.