Freedom behind Bars

Some 270 organizations were represented at the first nationwide prison ministry conference.

The concept of Christian ministry to prisoners has been around for decades. For most of its history, however, prison ministry has been considered second class. But this is changing, as reflected by both the quantity and quality of ministries to prisoners.

Ten years ago there were only about 13,000 people involved in prison ministry. Today there are 60,000. A decade ago there were fewer than 100 prison ministries; now there are 580, not including the several hundred small groups without organizational structures.

Some 270 of these established ministries were represented at the recent Justice and Mercy conference on the campus of Wheaton College. The Billy Graham Center’s Institute for Prison Ministries sponsored the first-of-its-kind event, which allowed ministry professionals to exchange strategies for reaching prisoners with the gospel.

The meeting also provided opportunities to discuss problems and trends associated with prison ministry, including prison reform. Donald Smarto, director of the sponsoring organization, said finances are a problem for most ministries, adding that competition for funds in the past has prevented prison ministries from working together. Smarto added that some organizations have exaggerated their success stories to bring in money. He warned, “We can’t afford to convince people a man is safe for society when he’s not.”

Smarto cited a lack of professionalism as another problem for the prison ministry community. “A lot of chaplains ended up in prison ministry because they couldn’t make it at a local church,” Smarto said. Noting the 40 percent divorce rate among prison chaplains, he added that there is no one to hold many prison ministers accountable.

In addition to these concerns, Smarto observed that not a single major prison ministry in this country is headed by a minority person, despite the high percentage of minority inmates. Smarto said he had no full explanation for this situation.

Trends in prison ministry include outreach to the families of offenders. There is also a growing emphasis on addressing the fundamental flaws in the criminal justice system. In 1983, Justice Fellowship was established as the criminal justice reform arm of Charles Colson’s Prison Fellowship. Said Dan Van Ness, president of Justice Fellowship, “The justice system is sick right now. It’s a good system, but it’s ailing.”

One of Justice Fellowship’s priority concerns is prison overcrowding. The organization works legislatively to oppose imprisonment of nonviolent offenders. It advocates the development of punishments geared toward restoring the victims’ losses and serving the community.

Reducing the crime rate is another priority in the justice reform movement. Van Ness noted that even though prison capacity in this country has increased in the last seven years by 65 percent, prisons today are overcrowded.

Smarto decried the criminal justice system’s emphasis on building prisons instead of reforming individuals. He recalled a national correctional facilities conference at which construction companies seeking clients sponsored elaborate parties. “Building prisons is big business,” Smarto said. “There’s a lot of money to be made.”

Van Ness said he had reason to hope for eventual change. “States just don’t have enough money to keep building,” he said. “Sooner or later they’ll have to look at alternatives that are safe, productive, and less expensive.” Van Ness added, “More and more citizens are beginning to say, ‘I want my money spent on education and highways, not on prisons we don’t need.’ ”

In addition to education, the conference provided inspiration for participants, many of whom were ex-offenders. One participant, Charlie Pratt, has murdered two people in his lifetime. He was once diagnosed as “incurably, criminally insane.” Pratt testified that Christ changed his life as no amount of solitary confinement could. Fighting tears, he emphasized that “no one is beyond redemption.”

By Randy Frame.

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