America incarcerates more people than any country in the world. Overcrowding and understaffing plague the prison system. Not only is freedom removed from these prisoners’ lives, so is privacy. They are subjected to group showers, meals, exercise, and are afforded only minimal shielding from guarding eyes while using the bathroom. They are forgotten by most and reviled by many as criminals and thugs who deserve their fate.
We are sure there is a percentage of innocent men and women in prison, but we are not pleading their cases. We will point out that many inmates made a mistake somewhere in their lives that led them to be incarcerated. Drugs, poverty, abuse, and peer pressure are the prime drivers of the majority of those matriculating the US judicial system.
Their years behind bars may have been headed off by more treatment programs, role models, and opportunities. However, they cannot go back in time and change choices that they made. We can’t build treatment centers, homeless shelters, or build job-building enterprises to help those already lost to the prison system.
The best thing to do when we are lost is to sit in place for a while and hope to be found. This is the situation inmates find themselves in today. They are there biding time until they are released. The question is, will they re-enter the labyrinth that put them in prison once already? Or will they leave with directions to a better life, free of whatever burdens brought them to jail in the first place?
They need a map and of course, the map of life is the Bible. Most prisons do not offer much in the way of computer or job-training programs. Almost all, however, offer reading and studying opportunities. There is only one book that is guaranteed to help them survive their incarceration period and prepare them to face their pending freedom well-armed for all life’s challenges.
That’s why free Bible study courses for inmates are so important. Programs like those provided by the International Christian College and Seminary (http://www.iccscampus.org/) allow inmates to not only read the Bible, but better explore what Jesus can do in their life.
It is well-accepted that many of the most devout Christians did not find and accept Christ until they hit the proverbial rock bottom. It is hard to imagine how much lower inmates’ lives can go than having no control of their life, remanded to follow the rules of their prison.
Many Christian charities and churches visit prisons to talk about Jesus and offer support. Many provide free Bibles for the prisoners to read. They might hold services for inmates weekly or even daily. These programs are often well-received as both a respite from the daily grind of prison and the opportunity to discover (or re-discover) their faith in God.
Free bible study course for inmates brings that a step further. ICCS’s free Bible study course for inmates (http://www.iccscampus.org/) brings the inmates to a fuller understanding of the Good News than visiting pastors or groups can achieve. They offer an opportunity to not just direct inmates to the church, but to capture them forever by igniting a yearning for knowledge and service even after they are released.
This is why free bible studies for inmates are so valuable and should be supported everywhere. As followers, we should relish the idea of providing a light to brothers and sisters struggling in life. Please take a minute to go on line to explore and support ICCS (http://www.iccscampus.org/).