USA (MNN) — Did you know that there are nearly 2.3 million people in prison in the United States, and that 95% of them will be coming home to our communities in the next 5 years?
Those statistics were recently shared by Lisa Blystra, Executive Director at Crossroad Bible Institute. She also said that for many years people have been asking, “How do we keep bad people locked up?” when the real question should be, “How do we send good people home?”
Chris Hoke (photo by CBI)
That sentiment is shared by Jail Chaplain Chris Hoke from Washington state, who was recently invited to CBI’s headquarters to share the story of how he began to embrace the role of pastor to gang members and a shepherd of society’s black sheep.
“These young men who had tattoos on their faces and on their hands and on their necks — and had very colorful language — were the ones that had the most interesting things to say in their Bible studies,” Hoke shares.
“These guys would open up their whole lives to me. They would tell me everything and they would ask for prayer. Their hearts were just wide open.”
(photo by CBI)
Hoke fielded questions about prison ministry and shared from his recently published book, Wanted: A Spiritual Pursuit Through Jail, Among Outlaws, and Across Borders.
For more information, and an opportunity to view the hour-long presentation which includes a challenge to churches and encouragement for individuals to pray and get involved, follow this link to CrossroadBible.org.
What an eye-opening perspective by simply changing the questions! Thanks for engaging my brain and heart on this issue.
This is good news. My prayer is for their salvation, It’s good to know that this is being addressed. God bless all who care, pray and take action.
Amen! And praise God, who has been working among many in prison, for their transformation and good influence on other inmates.