How reading can make a powerful difference in the lives of the incarcerated
Growing up, Dillon’s family didn’t prioritize reading. He did well in school, but with his mother working two jobs he didn’t see college as an option. He struggled with anger after his parents divorced, and in his teen years, his life became characterized by violence and drugs. At 21, he was incarcerated for two counts of armed robbery.
But prison became a place of salvation for Dillon. He met the Lord there and developed a hunger for the Word. During this time Dillon also was introduced to Kay and Bob who became his mentors. They invested heavily in Dillon’s life, including sending him resources and books about faith throughout his incarceration.
“Reading was a passion,” says Dillon, “a constructive use of time, a means to being equipped, and an avenue for reflection and personal development. Not only did I have the desire to study the Word, but I also felt an acute responsibility to steward the time I would spend in prison as wisely as possible.”
TURNING THE PAGE
Dillon isn’t the only person who has experienced the impact of reading while incarcerated. Rochelle Glover was likewise affected by reading during her time in prison. Then, while as a field director for Prison Fellowship®, she witnessed the power it held for those she served.
“Books become a conduit for self-discovery and redemption,” Rochelle says, “allowing individuals to evolve from their circumstances and strive for a better future.”
Prison Fellowship is dedicated to bringing life-giving materials—including books—to those behind bars through the Storehouse. The Storehouse is an online marketplace where chaplains can order Bibles, devotionals, educational resources, video content, and more—all free of charge.
As a prison ministry manager with Prison Fellowship, Stephanie Taylor has served many women like Rochelle, and she knows the power of providing Bibles and other faith-based reading materials.
Stephanie says, “Education leads to empowerment: empowering individuals to advocate for themselves and others. Reading ignites a spark of self-advocacy, instilling the confidence and awareness needed to speak up and effect positive change. Indeed, the adage holds true: If you do not read, you cannot lead.”
WORDS OF LIFE
During her incarceration, Rochelle read the Inside Journal Life Recovery Bible. Through the words on those pages, her life and character were molded into something new.
“That Bible was the beginning of history for me,” she says. “It rewrote my history. It just changed everything. There's one Word, one Bible. One Bible changed my life.”
One of the most popular items on the Storehouse is the very same Bible that altered Rochelle’s life. The Bible includes daily readings that walk through the 12-step process for overcoming addiction, making it ideal for many in prison. It also features large print text, which makes it easier for aging prisoners to read without glasses—an item that is not always available in prisons.
“[The Inside Journal Life Recovery Bibles] have been very popular for a number of reasons,” says Richard Edwards, a prison chaplain who uses the Storehouse. “I am always running out of those and going to Prison Fellowship and asking for more.”
In 2023, more than 123,000 copies of the Inside Journal Life Recovery Bible were requested and delivered through the Storehouse.
A PARTNERSHIP
Prison Fellowship delivers reading materials in the Storehouse for free because of the generous ministry partners who donate. One such partner is Mitch Bakker, who donated his book Resolve: A Journey Weighted by Grief, Disrupted by Truth, and Awakened to Purpose to the Storehouse.
His book first became available on the Storehouse in February of 2023. After just one year, over 3,000 copies of Resolve were distributed in prisons.
Mitch wrote Resolve after struggling with the idea of how to tangibly love his neighbor. In his journey to learn this, Resolve was born. In it, Mitch is transparent and honest about his own shortcomings and mistakes. That transparency has made the book popular among the incarcerated community.
Mitch’s involvement in prison ministry extends beyond his authorship. For the last six years, he has been leading a class through the Prison Fellowship Academy®, a yearlong journey that uses targeted curriculum based on biblical values to take incarcerated men and women through a holistic life transformation process.
During one of Mitch’s classes, one participant shared with him what he missed most from life outside prison: community. But through Resolve and the stories shared in the book and in the class, the men were able to feel a sense the community they were missing.
“That's … why I'm motivated to continue to work on books that are storytelling,” Mitch says. “Storytelling that the prisoners can enjoy, maybe get lost in, and feel a sense of hope.”
He hopes to get his second book Drawn: To Shore, To Love, To Purpose into the Storehouse to make it accessible to men and women in prisons soon.
CONTINUING THE LEGACY
Dillon was released from prison in 2020, but he remains dedicated to the growth of incarcerated men and women through reading. Dillon now writes for Inside Journal®, Prison Fellowship’s newspaper exclusively for prisoners. Inside Journal is another resource offered on the Storehouse and includes a variety of content like recipes using items available at a prison commissary, tips for life in prison, testimonials of changed men and women, and more.
“I write for Inside Journal because I believe God made me to be a communicator,” says Dillon. “While my record isn’t perfect, writing for Prison Fellowship has been one way God answered that prayer because I know He uses what I write to encourage my brothers and sisters inside.”
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