14 Comments

  1. Kacie

    Oh I learned so much from this. I do understand the dire situation of needing a job but are unable to find one due to a felony conviction and a felony is a felony no matter what the crime, correct?

    I have mixed feelings, but having worked in an industry with some felons, I can tell you they were some of the hardest workers I know.

    • dustyluthy

      Correct…you can have a felony drug charge or a felony who knows what else. You don’t have to go to jail/prison to have a felony though, which I didn’t know. And I think there might be different degrees of felony? And yes, I understand the mixed feelings!!! Not everyone wants to be rehabilitated or work hard, but to assume that all felons/convicts don’t is wrong, too.

  2. Jeff

    When you take your first steps behind the big metal door and it slams is quite overwhelming for most. You see a population of a small city behind four walls and everyone is looking at you; the guards are watching you making sure you don’t pass anything. The inmates are looking at you to size you up to see what’s your angle, are you there to impress, are you there to preach, are you there to show the love of God. And they can figure you out in 10 seconds.

    Prison ministry is very rewarding and very taxing at the same time.

  3. Sarah Terry

    “A chaplain at one of the facilities said he had contacted more than 100 churches about contributing Christmas gifts of hygiene items for male inmates — and received zero replies.”

    This is highly disturbing. Please put me in touch with this chaplain. I’ll take it to my church and to the many compassionate folks I know. Thank You.

  4. Jody

    I can’t speak for the factual numbers but I have found the lack of support due to gender to be regional/situational.
    At McCracken Co. Jail (where unless you’ve been sentenced to 5 years hard time, you likely won’t get shipped to prison and therefore have more options to move around, take classes and rehabilitate) the Class D Felony work program helps almost 20-30 mem and 4 WOMEN!! Women can wait over 6 months for the right to earn money and good time.
    I was told (repeatedly) even when women have been granted Class D Felony privileges, they are not allowed to leave jail facilities to work in public institutions like cleaning courthouse or roads bc they “always come back pregnant”.
    At MCCJ I know a lot of the opportunity issues were numbers or security based, but it’s hard to understand the lack of equality when you’re inside. Men had way more classes/opportunities to leave cells while women didn’t even have cells or day rooms and were shoved in tight overcrowded dorms with little opportunities to get out of that room. Much less than the men.
    Side note, I have really appreciated reading about your love through ministry for people on the inside. Don’t give up and if there’s ever anything I can do to help please let me know.

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