I Was in Prison and You Visited Me

People give me funny, hesitant looks when I tell them I am frequently “in jail.”

Then I explain that I am a volunteer assistant chaplain to the women at a large county correctional facility. (Perhaps 150 out of the 900 inmates are women). They usually laugh and say, “Oh, okay.” Questions follow. What do you do there? How did you get involved?  Many tell me they have been thinking of becoming volunteers as well. I am delighted to share my passion for the ministry.

I joined a jail team at my church long ago—somewhat reluctantly, I have to admit. The call had gone out for more volunteers. I was a busy single parent, teaching at a private school, and involved at my church. What extra time did I have for criminals?

However, to my surprise, it was a good fit. The jail women and I connected, mostly due to my empathy for people in trouble and pain.

Some years earlier, I had lost a young husband to a rare cancer, which had caused me to learn hard life lessons by trusting God with my family’s future. He had come through for us. He had comforted me through months of intense grief. He had directed and provided for my children and me in miraculous ways. My fervent testimony was that God is real, and He is good.

I soon discovered that women in jail were a receptive audience looking for authentic answers to empty lives. They had accepted the solutions—mainly drugs and alcohol—that the world offered for their problems. Those answers didn’t work. Here they were (again) locked up and wearing green and white stripes. Did God really care? Did He love them? Would He forgive them? Was there any hope?

A year and a half later, after faithful attendance and a growing love and concern for these women, I was promoted to assistant chaplain. This meant spending much more time at the jail with added responsibilities. Presently, I teach Bible studies, fill requests for Bibles and literature, write and correct Bible homework, deliver materials, and pray with and counsel the women. I am sometimes asked to check on those whose relatives have died while they’ve been incarcerated. I also notify officials if I think a woman is suicidal. Above all, I come in the name of Jesus, acting as a spiritual friend to those who are in the habit of cursing His name.

Most of the women range in ages 18 to 70, and are incarcerated because of crimes associated with addictions. Common charges include domestic violence, theft, assault, possession, and manufacture of drugs, driving without a license, probation violations, and prostitution. All women are facing court dates and possibly trials. Many have children who have been taken away by Child Protective Services. Desperate prayers, accompanied by tears, go up to God every day from the inmates asking Him to get them out of jail.

I sometimes tell them I am praying for them to stay in jail a few more months. They always react in horror, but then usually half-laugh because they know I care. I tell them I don’t think they’re ready to leave. There has not been enough self-examination. Good plans have not been made for leaving jail, and too many will leave with nowhere to go. So it’s back on the streets and into familiar surroundings with the same drug friends. I pray for more time to reach the women with God’s good news of salvation, which is the only way to change lives from the inside.

Answering the “Jail” Call

Over the years, I have realized that it’s God who calls a person He has carefully prepared and equipped for jail ministry. Otherwise, the volunteer will not last long. The ministry can be full of frustrations, disappointments, and challenges due to inmates’ frequent returns to jail due to addictions. (We call these “frequent flyers".) To effectively minister in jail, you have to get beyond outward appearances and look into the hearts of people who are different from you. They may sport strange hairstyles; candidly talk about alternative, and even dangerous lifestyles; be covered with distasteful tattoos and sores, and possibly be de-toxing. Due to continual drug use, many are missing front teeth. At times, you might face some safety issues as anger and frustration can erupt in front of you. The jail orientation, however, will give you procedures to avoid most problems.

The blessings for following Jesus into jail—a dark place I’ve decided is God’s merciful rescue operation for the sinful, fallen, and broken—are beyond earthly comprehension. As you come alongside others, you will be blessed in return one hundredfold. A young heroin addict once told me, “My life is a blur. I can’t remember what I’ve done or where I’ve been the last two weeks. But you seem happy and peaceful. I want what you have!” Her cry for help was answered when we read together the most famous verse in the Bible, John 3:16, and talked about how God loved her so much that He sent His only Son to pay for her sins. After questions and a discussion, she understood. She was ready to repent. She wanted to become a new creation right then and there!   

Jesus asked His followers to treat prisoners as if they were ministering to Him. He said in Matt. 25:36c: “I was in prison and you came to visit Me.” Society has thrown away these people; Jesus is seeking them because, in His eyes, each human soul has immeasurable worth, no matter their place in life.

Before You Begin

If jail ministry has caught your interest, here are some suggestions:

Plan to do a personal inventory of yourself to see if the Holy Spirit is prompting you.

Do you show grace and mercy to those who frequently make bad decisions and fall down in sin? Are you an encouraging person? Do you listen more than you speak? Do you have a good working knowledge of the Bible? Do you have a strong interest in bringing people to the Lord? Are you able to share with others how God has guided and blessed you in hard times? If the answer to these questions is “yes,” then pray about your desire. Consult other Christians and church leadership who know you well, to get their input.

Plan to be faithful.

It is important to come to the jail as scheduled, usually once per week, to meet with the inmates. The women bond to their Bible teachers and, with little to do during the week, look forward to fellowshipping in the Word together. It is a huge disappointment if you are sporadic in attendance. It may even set back their interest in finding the Savior.

Plan to be yourself.

You don’t have to pretend you have never sinned in your life. In fact, you may have a testimony to share that will bless the women and give them hope that they, too, can change and grow through the Holy Spirit. On the other hand, if you have lived an exemplary life in the Christian community and know nothing about addictions, that’s okay, too. You can be a beacon of light for how to avoid pitfalls and temptations.

Plan to share the Gospel.

The Romans Road is commonly used (Rom. 3:23; 6:23; 5:8, 10:9-10, 10:13). Some inmates know nothing at all about God’s Word; others have attended churches in the past. You may have to define words commonly understood by the church, such as “saved,” “holy,” and “sin.” If difficult words, such as “sanctification” and “redemption” come up, you can always reply, “I don’t know the answer to that, but I will get back to you.”

Be aware that it is easy for an inmate to accept Christ quickly, but not fully understand what it means to follow Him. This is called “jail house religion,” and the profession of faith is left at the door of the jail when the inmate is released. It may take a number of returns to jail before the person commits to obedience to the Lord in her life. This will mean a drastic change in friends, environment, habits, and attitudes, all of which will take courage.

Jail cells are small, dark, and stark. Usually, they contain a steel bunk and a stainless-steel table and toilet. Ugly penciled-in graffiti may be scrawled on the walls from past inhabitants. Imagine the Light of Jesus entering this kind of darkness as a woman sits in her cell, pouring over the Good News. She is now finally ready to pray a heart-felt prayer to her Redeemer. Her voice cries out, as she weeps finally relinquishing her guilt and shame. And the angels rejoice as another soul is ushered into the Kingdom of God.

~ By Linda Jinkens. Linda has ministered to women in a local county jail for the last 14 years. Additionally, she is a freelance writer. She is the mother of four and the grandmother of five. She lives in Arlington, Washington.