A Case For Adventist Involvement In Prison Ministry By J. Alfred Johnson II, Director North American Division Adult Ministries

Discussion Path: General Inmate Statistics Prison Statistics In Pennsylvania What Leaders Can Do To Encourage Members To Get Involved What NAD Adult Ministries Is Doing To Support Prison Volunteers

General Inmate Statistics U.S. Had 4 Mil. Federal, State, and Jail Inmates At Close Of Million Now Under Correctional Supervision 48,498 Inmates In Canada 280 Inmates in BDA 13,576 Inmates in U.S. Territories (Guam, V.I., Samoa, Puerto Rico) 10.2 Million Inmates Worldwide USA Has Largest Prison Population Worldwide

Hope With The Statistics! About 78% Of Inmates Recidivate (Return After Having Been Released) The Recidivism Rate For Adventist Trained Inmates Is Vastly Different! Only.008 Adventist Trained Former Inmates (Returning Citizens) Recidivate WHO GET INVOLVED IN ACTIVE MINISTRY IN AN S.D.A. CHURCH UPON RELEASE!

State of Pennsylvania Statistics 50,90 Inmates (987 In County Jails) 26 Prisons in PA 38 – Average age of Male Inmates $35,697 – Yearly Cost of Incarceration 55% of Inmates are African American (Though 10% of Population is A-A) 39% of Inmates are Caucasian 6% Other 36 – $21,000 – Yearly cost of Incarceration

State of Pennsylvania Statistics, continued 8 th Grade or Below - Average Reading Level 55% - Recidivism Rate (Rate At Which Inmates Return To Prison After Having Been Released) Source: U.S. Bureau of Justice; World Incarceration Electronic Statistics

WHAT CAN LEADERS DO… To Assist Members In Understanding The Need To Get Involved?

Leaders: Must First Realize That Prison Ministry Is A Necessary, Equal, And Viable Component Of Christian Ministry Must Understand, And Show, That Prison Ministry Was The Last Personal Outreach Ministry Function Performed By Jesus Before His Death – THUS UNDERSCORING THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THIS MINISTRY!

Leaders Must: Do Away With Any “Floating Notion” That Prison Ministry Is A Defunct Or Secondary Ministry

Leaders Can Advance A Diversified Approach By: Showing That Doing Prison Ministry DOES NOT, Necessarily, Require “Going Behind The Walls” – Because Many Are Intimidated By The Thought Of Going “Inside”

Vehicles Of Diversification May Include: Literature Donation Prayer Bands Support Groups For Inmate Families Toiletry Ministry (Assembling Care Packages For Inmates) Clothing Ministry Van Ministry – Transporting Inmate Families Once Per Month For Visits Pen Pal Ministries Children’s Ministries Transitional Houses Youth Shelters

Members Can Be Encouraged: With The Power Of Matthew 25:35-40, And The Relevance Of Ministry To “The Least Of These” -- As A Motivation To Support This Important Ministry

Members Must Be Reminded: That Many Inmates Are Children Of God Who Have Made Some Bad Choices…. That Many Inmates Are Not Guilty…. Often The Diff. Is – They Got Caught! That Christ’s Atoning Blood Has Power To Transform Our, As Well As Their, Present Conditions Into Godlikeness!

Support Services Of NAD Adult Ministries… Prison Ministry Resources On Our Adult Ministries Website – Transition House Handbook, From Prison, To Transition House, To Community on FOL.COM Prison Ministry Handbook and Other Resources Available Through AdventSource Inmate Spiritual Counseling – 17 Course Curriculum Available through AdventSource Professional Consultation And Training New NAD English and Spanish Translation of the “Prison Ministry Basic Training Handbook”

While Calling On Others… LET’S REMEMBER TO NOT PASS THEM BY! God Bless You

Members Are To Be Educated: Regarding Their Responsibility To Accept “The Fruit” Produced In The “Prison Vineyard” To Give People A Fair Chance! To Understand That No “Middle Wall Of Partition” Should Be Erected To Disenfranchise Any Of Our Lord’s “11 th Hour” Additions To His Family!