“There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus,” the Apostle Paul writes to the Romans, “because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death.”
And although this truth, as Paul expressed it, applies to every man and woman throughout the history of the world, for those stuck in the confines of prison and bearing the condemnation of society, the message may be particularly resonant: Jesus loves you, you are forgiven, and there is hope - for you, and for those you love.
From the families who are struggling to survive in their new reality, caring for children who have lost a mom or dad to incarceration, to working directly with those who are in prison, serving time for the crimes they have committed, prison ministry is about helping those affected by separation resulting from incarceration. It is about humanity and sharing the love of Christ during the darkest times of a person’s life.
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It is also about working with and encouraging change within the judicial system itself.
For some, prison ministry involves spending time, energy, and resources advocating for prisoners and ensuring a restorative experience through time served. It is working diligently for second chances and healthy reintegration plans that support rehabilitated people transition to a wholesome life with family after paying their debt to society. It is about ensuring that those who have served their time have a strong foundation to stand upon when they make the transition back to society.
Prison Ministry Can Help Break the Cycle of Intergenerational Incarceration
With more than two-million people currently housed in state and federal prisons, the United States has the highest incarceration rate in the world – and the rate keeps climbing. That figure represents a shocking 500% increase in the number of prison inmates over just two generations. According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, U.S. male residents born in 2001 have a 1 in 9 chance of being imprisoned at some point in their lives. That increases to 1 in 4 for men of color. And that’s just the men.
Add to that another 220,000 incarcerated women nationwide, a number that is seven times higher than it was in 1980. Even more alarming is the fact that more than 60% of women incarcerated in state prisons have a child under the age of 18.
These statistics tell a tragic story. Research from the Prison Policy Initiative shows that Children of incarcerated parents are more than three times as likely to struggle with behavioral problems or suffer from depression, and at least twice as likely to have learning disabilities, ADHD, and anxiety. Like their parents, these children often struggle with addiction, succumb to the alure of the streets and make decisions that lead them to become entangled with the criminal justice system themselves. But prison ministry offers the hope of being able to break that cycle, allowing the mistakes of the parents to serve as a lesson to their children rather than mapping a course for the lives of the generations that follow.
How to Become an Ordained Prison Minister
The Bible teaches that the Lord has not forgotten the outcasts, the down-trodden, the widow or the orphan. On the contrary, He loves them and sent His son to die for them so that they may have eternal life.
The Bible also teaches that the Lord will stir in the hearts of men and women a passion for caring for the outcast, the down-trodden, the widow and the orphan. If your heart has been stirred, if you feel called to prison ministry and caring for those affected by incarceration, there is no better time to act. The numbers of those placed behind bars is ever increasing. So too is the need for people to care for them.
According to the Federal Bureau of Prisons, the basic requirements for becoming a prison minister aren’t any different from what’s required outside of prison walls:
- Be ordained or a member of a recognized religious institute
- Have a current endorsement from a church or organized faith tradition
- Be willing to provide services to inmates of all faiths
- Have the necessary credentials and ability to lead worship services
Education Requirements:
- An undergraduate degree from an accredited college or university
- A Master of Divinity – or its equivalent – from an American Theological School that requires:
- 20 graduate hours of theology
- 20 graduate hours of sacred writings
- 20 graduate hours of church history or comparative religions, and
- 20 graduate hours of ministry courses
Experience:
- Two or more years of religious or spiritual leadership
What Prison Ministry Programs Look Like
Prison ministries, although unique to their location and community needs, all fall under the same general purpose: to help all those affected by incarceration.
You’ll find notable prison ministry programs throughout the country doing exactly this kind of work:
- Hope Prison Ministry in Fort Worth, Texas
- Crossroads Prison Ministries in Grand Rapids, Michigan
- Good News Jail & Prison Ministry in Henrico, Virginia
- Mike Barber Ministry in Houston, Texas
- Bridges to Life Houston, Texas
- Prison Policy Initiative in Northampton, Massachusetts
- Prison Ministry of America in Paramount, California
- Kolb House Jail Ministry in Chicago, Illinois
- Gospel Echoes NW in Tangent, Oregon
- Christian Prison Ministries in Orlando, Florida
Two of the more prominent prison ministry programs operating in the United States are Prison Fellowship and Kairos Prison Ministry.
Prison Fellowship
Founded in 1976, Prison Fellowship has been working diligently with those affected by incarceration in hopes of restoring lives, families, and communities, “one transformed life at a time.”
“Every person is made in the image of God,” Prison Fellowship believes, “No life is beyond His reach.”
Available to the prison population and families all throughout the country, Prison Fellowship provides a variety of opportunities to get involved in prison ministry:
- Prison Fellowship Academy where prisoners are coached to lead lives of purpose
- Volunteer opportunities for in-prison hope events that help prisoners hear the gospel
- Justice Ambassador program, which develops relationships with lawmakers, leverages social media, or host events with the purpose of advocating for change in the courts and prison systems
Kairos Prison Ministry
Kairos Prison Ministry International believes that by sharing the love and forgiveness of Jesus Christ, pastors and lay volunteers can change hearts, transform lives, and impact the world through programs that include:
- Kairos Inside, which focuses on developing a Christian community inside of every prison
- Kairos Outside, which devotes time and resources to spouses, parents, and relatives of those in prison
- Kairos Torch, a mentoring program for incarcerated youth below the age of 25
Reaching Women in the Criminal Justice System with a Message of Hope and Salvation
Laura has missed four of the last five Thanksgivings with her family… Suzanne has given birth to five children but has not been able to be their mom and watch them grow and help them learn… Brittany has been in and out of trouble for the past ten years, missing out on holidays, birthdays, and opportunities.
None of these women planned on life turning out this way, but based on circumstances and surroundings, in the search for acceptance or to cope with the struggles of life, they made poor decisions and have found themselves incarcerated. And that predicament has left them in need of someone to care for them, and deliver them to a life of courage and hope.
For many women that find themselves in this situation, prison ministry is their first opportunity to feel the Holy Spirit move. It is a place where pretense is destroyed, where arrogance cannot stand, and where true humility begins. It is a place where Jesus can thrive.
Pathways to Doing Good Work in the Criminal Justice System Outside of Ministry
Degrees and Career Paths:
If you are eager to make a change in criminal justice, there are several pathways to choose from:
Criminal Justice
A degree in criminal justice will provide you a foundational understanding of the justice system, criminology, ethics and constitutional issues, as well as provide techniques and methods to maintain public and personal safety.
- Jobs can include correctional officer, probation officer, or police officer.
Psychology
A degree in psychology provides you direct access to men, women, and children incarcerated. A psychologist helps those struggling with mental health, providing skills, practices, and strategies for coping and dealing with the stressors of life.
- Jobs can include forensic psychologist (advocating for those incarcerated by working with and educating prosecutors and judges on mental health) and clinical psychologists (works directly with individual offenders to help assess and treat their struggles with substance abuse and childhood trauma).
Public Health
A public health degree can help educate the criminal justice population on habits, behaviors, and needs of those incarcerated and push for preventative initiatives that treat the root of the problem rather than punish the actions.
- Jobs can include health educators, healthcare administrators, and community health workers.
Social Work
A social work degree provides a foundational understanding of how to work with underserved communities and how to help families and individuals improve their quality of life by teaching them how to overcome difficult challenges.
- Jobs can include substance abuse counselor, mental and behavioral health social workers, and police social workers who are hired by the police department for the purpose of working directly with law enforcement as an advocate for those struggling with mental health or supporting those affected by trauma.
Ways to Help and Volunteer:
You don’t have to attend college or obtain a career in criminal justice to help inspire or support reform. You can also get involved by volunteering in any number of ways, such as:
There are a number of organizations committed to making change in the criminal justice system. Organization such as:
Sentencing Project which is committed to “changing the way Americans think about crime and punishment” by advocating for youth and fighting hard to end extreme sentences in the United States.
The Opportunity Agenda which proposes alternative solutions to incarceration through creating fair and effective policing strategies, promoting justice in pre-trial services and practices, ensuring fair trials and quality indigent defense, fostering successful reintegration, as well as many more.
American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) which is committed to improving our justice system through reducing the number of people who needlessly enter prison, shrinking the existing prison population by transitioning inmates out faster and more efficiently, and investing in alternative solutions that are more effective than lengthy sentences.
Big Brother Big Sisters allows you to connect directly with at-risk youth and provide them support, advice, and empowerment to improve their life and choose a path different than the one they are currently on.
Even Outside of Ministry, Juvenile and Correctional Counselors Do God’s Work
In 2019 approximately 696,000 youth under the age of 18 were arrested in the US, according to the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. And that number is much lower than what it could have been, largely because of the work of prevention systems that have been intently working with troubled youth. Despite the growing sense many of us have that things are getting worse, there is actually a bright light of hope on the juvenile justice front. Though there is still a lot of work to do, the fact that the number of juvenile arrests has decreased in the decades since 1993 offers hope.
Juvenile and correctional counselors, although not licensed mental health counselors, play a critical role in a young adult’s life by teaching them how to work through their emotions, how to make appropriate actions, and to provide them a vision of hope for the future.
Education requirements:
- A one-year certificate or two-year associate degree in juvenile corrections
- A Bachelor of Social Work (BSW), or bachelor’s in psychology, behavioral sciences, or criminal justice is encouraged
- Complete a state-based Juvenile Corrections Officer Core Course (varying in length and intensity, depending on the state) and pass the proficiency exam
- Some states also require you to complete supervised work experience, but not all.
- You can apply to become an American Correctional Association Certified Corrections Officer/Juvenile after one year of related work experience
How Pastors and Volunteers Can Work Independently to Bring His Word to Local Jails
Like any ministry venture, it is important to have a plan, a purpose, and – in some cases – a calling. The journey to starting a ministry and seeing it through to completion is a long and arduous task. You need to start with a clear understanding of what you want to do, how you want to do it, and more importantly why you want to minister to incarcerated individuals.
Working in an independent capacity outside of an established organization that already has Christian ministry programs in place will likely mean that your contact with prisoners will be limited to official visits and phone calls, but a lot can be accomplished in those kinds of interactions.
Once you have an established plan, it is important to gain perspective from the people you hope to serve – reformed criminals. Without knowing who they are, what they need, and the unique struggles of incarceration, your ministry will struggle to take off and make the impact you hope that it will.
To develop inroads that would allow you to independently minister to inmates and their families, you will need to make connections within the criminal justice system. This might start with a phone call or letter to your County Sheriff, or even raising the prospect of ministering at the county jail by speaking up at your community’s next town hall.
It is a good to remember that prison ministry also extends to the correctional officers and other staff working in the prison. How you work with and respect them and their jobs will speak volumes about you, your ministry, and ultimately the gospel.
Often, those in prison are hesitant to let people into their lives. Many have learned through their experiences behind bars that it is best to keep to themselves. It’s important to be consistent, especially in the beginning. Showing up regularly, maintaining the same message and purpose, and continually yet respectfully being a presence in their lives is essential to building relationships and gaining trust. Without consistency, your ministry will struggle to get off the ground.
It’s never easy blazing your own path. So, if there are groups or organizations in your community that have done a good deal of the work clearing the way, connect with them! At least in the beginning to receive their mentorship as you learn the ropes.
Be it on your own, with small groups of people, or throughout the church and surrounding community, you and your ministry need a great deal of prayer. So do those you will hopefully be ministering to. From the COs, to affected families, and all those associated with the incarcerated, it is essential that prayer be at the center of it all.
