Prisoners Are People Too
One of the first new and major components of this ministry is under development. It will be an interactive blog page with the title captioned above.
This blog will serve as a “clearinghouse” where inmates and families of inmates can share stories from the inside. Prison inmates tend to be one of the most forgotten segments of our population, and are often regarded by the public as “low” or even “sub-human.”
Someone once said,
“The way you measure the maturity of a society is by looking at how it treats its poorest and its prisoners.”
Just because they have committed a crime, that makes them no less members of the human race, no less children of God, and we have a duty to care for them - not subject them to systemic active and passive abuse by prison staff and their controlling governments. Matthew 25:34-46.
We understand that there are men and women who have deeply-rooted violent tendencies, and that there are people who need to be both supervised and receive help. We do not advocate for releasing violent and dangerous criminals onto the streets. At the same time, we advocate for proper and humane treatment of all prisoners – how can any “hardened” criminal ever have any hope of turning their life around when all they receive is a continuous stream of negativity and abuse?
Abuse can take many forms: Spoiled and rotten food, illegally small cells, lack of ventilation, dilapidated – sometimes actually collapsing – facilities, cockroaches, rat and bird feces-laden cell blocks, sadistic ‘corrections’ officers, sexual abuse, lockdowns that deny sunlight and fresh air… just to name a few.
PAPT will call out specific facilities, drawing attention to badly over-crowded, poorly-run and poorly-maintained housing units. It will provide contact information for wardens, politicians, and others in order to push for an overhaul of the entire prison system. It has been said that the prison system is “broken.” To say that it’s "broken" would imply that it had worked at some point. In reality, it’s designed the way it is, and is a revolving door of human warehousing for the generation of funds.
Prisons are sometimes built as a means for creating state jobs.
PAPT will ask folks to share stories with the world via this blog, however the pastor wishes to place emphasis on good stories from the inside, too. Individuals posting will have no direct communication with others, and the ministry will vet all submissions before posting.
No profanity will be tolerated – Colossians 3:8. This is a Christian website, and it will operate as a ministry to the glory of God first in the task of serving His children.
Many times a person makes a bad choice in life; not all prisoners are “vile offenders.” Sometimes people make a mistake, do their time, and fly straight afterward. PAPT will neither apply nor recognize “labels” for anyone, no matter the crime. All sin is the same size to God, and all people will be regarded equally with God’s love.
Grace & Peace,
Pastor Ron Martin