6 Things I Learned From Going to Jail

Last updated on: September 26, 2016 at 1:44 pm by Josh Daffern

6 Things I Learned From Going to Jail 2016-09-26T13:44:28-06:00 Josh Daffern

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

www.pixabay.com

Last week I had the pleasure of touring the county jail at the invitation of the Sheriff’s Office. The church I pastor is looking to make a difference outside the four walls of our building, and we figured the local jail might be a good place to start. After spending two hours touring the facilities and talking with officers and inmates, here are six truths I walked away with:

1. Your environment dictates your action. There are always exceptions to this rule, and environments never negate your responsibility to choose wisely, but I was heavily reminded about the power of the environments we put ourselves in. Talking with the captain and lieutenant who run the jail, both of whom are professing Christians, they both were able to tell me of times they tried to help an inmate back on their feet after they were released, only to see them relapse back into a life of crime. The common denominator was the home environment. If an inmate was serving two years on a drug charge, it didn’t matter how much they wanted to change, if they went back into a home environment where there were drugs and drug use, they were going to relapse. Some people can’t escape a life of crime simply because they can’t escape their family.

2. A few people want to change, but most don’t. Much like my work with recovering addicts, breaking free from a life of crime doesn’t begin until you actually want to change. The jailers could quickly point out inmates who were legitimately trying to change the trajectory of their lives and those who were simply marking time until they could get out and hopefully do a better job of not getting caught. From the jailers perspective, the ones who truly wanted to change were few and far between.

3. Hope goes a long way. The one word that continually came up during our discussions was ‘hope’. Inmates desperately need hope for any chance to succeed. The county jail uses a reward system where inmates can get extra privileges (these inmates are called ‘trustees’). Those are the ones that get to go outside and pick up trash on the side of the highways. Inmates work hard for those privileges. Hope is a powerful motivation.

4. Some inmates have the desire to succeed but not the tools. This is where non-profits like a church can come in. In talking with the trustees who were soon to be released, they genuinely wanted to change, but they lacked some of the tools to succeed on the outside. Some of them needed to get their G.E.D., some needed addiction help to break free from the problems that put them in jail in the first place. A big need was something as simple as interview skills to help get a job and a knowledge of places that were willing to hire people with the criminal record. Much like rehab, people need some type of after care if they hope to assimilate and succeed in real life.

5. Never trust addicts. At the end of the day, you have to take everything an inmate (or an addict) says with a heavy grain of salt. They will sweet talk you as they milk you dry. They are master manipulators. A spirit of wisdom and discernment is needed to be able to successfully work with those who have grown adept at lying and manipulating.

6. The harvest is plentiful. As long as there’s sin in the world, pastors and jailers will never be out of a job. If the church is willing to roll up its sleeves and step into the mess, there are countless souls and families needing to be redeemed.

Please pray for my church as we begin a ministry to soon-to-be-released ‘trustees’ and their families that aims to help them assimilate back into and succeed in today’s society.

Previous Post

May 6, 2016

How Established Churches Are Becoming Like the NBA's Knicks and Lakers

Next Post

May 14, 2016 The Unintended Logical Consequences of Obama's Transgender Bathroom Directive

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Family Matters Ministry in the Trenches Morning Brew MTVpastor New Wineskins Top Menu Truth from Life Uncategorized Watch Sermons

Select a Month June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

What did the disciples do when Jesus asked them to stay awake in the garden?

Select your answer to see how you score.

They fell asleep They sang They left They prayed