By Karen McBride
Life behind bars can be a scary, lonely time. Inmates often feel overlooked by family and friends. Scotty, Jessica, and Carla began Passion for Prison (“PfP”) ministry as a way to reach out to people incarcerated so they would know they are not forgotten.
At a very young age, Jessica had a history of breaking the law and knew what life was like behind bars. It wasn’t until she accepted Jesus as her Lord and Savior that He showed her how she could use her testimony to help others.
As she began her new Christian life, she felt a calling to go on a mission’s trip. While collecting donations for the trip to the Dominican Republic, someone gave her a check along with an application for a prison ministry. He recommended that while Jessica was waiting on the upcoming mission’s trip, she should consider volunteering at the prison ministry.
She completed her application to go to the Orange County Jail and waited for the first day of volunteering. As a self-proclaimed “tomboy” she always felt more comfortable around men, but this particular ministry only allowed women to go to the women’s jail. To her amazement, she found the women in the jail were just like her, and she could easily relate to them.
She experienced another surprise when she heard the pastor playing the electric guitar in the courtyard. He started with Lynyrd Skynyrd and switched to praise and worship. She thought that was such a unique way to reach the people in prison. God had planted the seed in her heart for a unique prison ministry.
She served on the medical mission’s trip but felt completely unequipped as she had no medical skills. Yet, God had plan for her. As she was arriving in the Dominican Republic, she met a group of young people from Cocoa Beach. In the short conversation, she was sharing her experience at the prison ministry and found out that their pastor was the man playing the electric guitar. It was at this moment that she knew this was her sign from God saying, “Yes this is the path I have for you.” She didn’t need to travel to other countries to help people, she could minister right here in her own community.
To find her way in this new calling on her life, she began volunteering at the Hernando Correctional Institution on a regular basis. During this time, the chaplain was deployed to Iraq. Jessica continued to volunteer and was now in charge of unlocking the chapel door. He was deployed for a year, and she was concerned about who would continue to unlock the chapel door each week. She was told the curriculum was only 8 weeks long, so she would need to produce her own ministry if she wished to continue serving. As she was discussing it with her friend, Carla said, “Since you have started in prison ministry, I found that I have a passion for prison.” And so, the ministry found its name.
PfP travels across Florida and the U.S. to Puerto Rico, Texas, Georgia, South Carolina, Mississippi, and even Hawaii. At least once a month they do a yard event in the prisons across Florida, having up to 80% of the population in attendance. Scotty and Jessica minister at both men and women’s units.
They bring their motorcycles, and curiosity draws inmates into the main yard. Once they have engaged the prisoners, they can begin spreading the hope found in God’s word.
Psalm 119:114 NLT: “You are my refuge and my shield; your word is my source of hope.”
This past year over 24,000 people were released in sixty-seven counties. “Would you rather a released criminal who is going to commit more crimes be in your neighborhood or a released Christian who’s living for Jesus?” asked Jessica. “This is why it is so important to reach them before they are released.” A warden recently reminded her, “We are not making better inmates, we are making better neighbors.”
Many released prisoners are now volunteers at PfP. “There’s no higher moment than to stand next to people in free world clothes that say, ‘I was serving a life sentence when I met Scotty and Jessica and accepted Jesus as my Savior.’”
“The freedom they gained came from Jesus. Prison does not change a person for the better. If you don’t change a man’s heart, you don’t change anything, and only Jesus can,” said Scotty.
A letter from Amanda, a former inmate, read, “I hadn’t had a hug from anyone in two years, but I haven’t had a hug with love behind it you gave in my whole life.”
They have ministered to over 17,000 families (not just prisoners as they are reconciling families and making a difference in their lives as well as the inmates).
“There’s nothing better than to go to a restaurant and have a waitress say, ‘I saw you when I was in prison’ or you run into a mom in Walmart that has been reconciled with her kids.”
How can you help? Funding is needed in order for the ministry to travel (for hotels, food, and gas), as well as monthly support to include postage for letters sent to inmates on a regular basis. They need help with public relations, social media, and spreading the word about their ministry. They are looking for younger volunteers to keep the ministry going. Younger people are in prison too and can more easily relate to volunteers their own age.
One prisoner that stands out to them is Charles, a triple lifer. He stood up in chapel one day and said, “If I had the opportunity to leave today with Scotty and Jess but I had to leave Jeus here, I would stay.”
For more information and to see how you can help or volunteer, visit https://www.passionforprison.com.
