By Larry West

Prisons are communities within themselves. There are "haves" and "have nots". There are territories where some are allowed to go while others are not (this among the prisoners themselves - not custody). There is a unique language which is spoken. There is a system of barter and trade. There are leaders -"shot callers", and followers. There are some who are "in favor" and some who are "out of favor". There are those who are "game players", or "cons". There are predators and victims; gangs, drugs, alcohol and gambling.

In the midst of all of this, there are those who have a desire to know God's word better and who actually attempt to go by it. Over the past 10 weeks, we have averaged 158 in our Sunday morning attendance. Most seem to be very sincere and appreciate the opportunity to gather together for a period of time dedicated to the worship of Almighty God. We sing acapella, pray, partake of the Lord's supper, and study the word of God through preaching. For obvious reasons, we do not take up a collection - the inmates are not allowed to have money! Thus far this year, 30 have been baptized into Christ.

I have just recently learned of a man who was converted while in a federal prison in Oklahoma. He spent about 18 years behind bars. In 1984, he obtained a Bible, read it through 3 times, and learned of the necessity of baptism. He sought out a fellow inmate, a Christian by the name of Rick Watson, was baptized and worshipped with the church of Christ which was meeting in the prison. He was paroled last August. Since that time he has identified himself with a local church of Christ, and is active in the congregation; waiting on the Lord's table, leading prayers, and participating in other ways as well. He has thus far taught and baptized 2 other men who had been released from prison and 1 man in the community. He has a Bible study with his older brother's family including the brother, the brother's wife and their two children.

This is not an isolated incident. We hear of others who remain faithful after their release from prison. We often meet inmates who were taught and baptized in another prison by someone who had been taught and baptized by a prison minister somewhere else.

Based upon over 20 years of experience in prison work, I would like to point out a good opportunity which I believe churches of Christ are missing by failing to provide written materials, free of charge, to prisons for distribution. Many prisoners are anxious to get their hands on just about any kind of "religious" reading material. Most prisons are inundated with magazines, tracts, booklets, etc. from just about every religious organization imaginable. I have known of men being taught and baptized simply because they first picked up some material provided by the Lord's church. Materials may not contain anything derogatory or negative about any other religious group. However, Bible truth may be plainly taught!

(Amen, to the foregoing article! Many times we forget about the precious souls that hunger and thirst for the Word of God who are constantly bombarded by the propaganda of the devil. If you would like to know how you can help get the Word of God to the souls in prison, write to:

Look for next issue’s article on ways that Christians and churches can spread the good news to the prison population - FS)