Chapter 9

Giving Bible Studies To Inmates

Prison inmates are persons with mixed hope and despair for the future. Many are seeking a way out of the delusion and confusion of their life's experiences. There are many in correctional institutions who are not reached by the Gospel message and they will return to society more embittered by their experiences and subject to more and greater crimes against society. Giving Bible studies in correctional institutions is a glorious opportunity for any evangelistic-minded Christian. In correctional institutions there is a vast harvest to be reaped.

Preparation for Prison Bible Studies

1. The very first step for the lay Bible instructor in preparing to give Bible studies is to be led by God's Holy Spirit. This can be accomplished through prayer, study and fasting. This preparation helps to put the teacher in the frame of mind to receive and to be led by the Spirit. This important work should not be attempted in one's own merit or strength.
2. The lay Bible instructor must be well acquainted with the subject of his study -- Jesus Christ. A personal experience with Christ is necessary in order to teach others of Him.
3. The lay Bible instructor should have Christian love for his inmate brother or sister. He must have a commitment to work, to sacrifice and to dedicate his talents toward sharing this love and his knowledge of Christ. As the lay Bible instructor and inmate student become better acquainted with each other through spiritual lay prison work, true Christian love emerges and grows. This love takes root in the inmate's heart from his exposure to the message, and he discovers God's supreme love for him through the love demonstrated to him by the lay Bible instructor.
4. In giving the inmate Bible studies, the lay Bible instructor is to be aware, and likewise to be sensitive, to the social, economic and political environment and conditions from which the inmate comes. The majority of inmates come from the lower social-economic scale. Many could not afford good legal services and had to rely mainly on court-appointed attorneys for legal defense. In many cases the accused is counseled by these court-appointed lawyers to plea-bargain rather than to seek to plead innocence. Some inmates have waited in city detention centers for months before their trial. Many cannot afford the high bail that is often set. Inmates often react to these conditions in the judicial system with anger, despair and hopelessness. The awareness by the lay Bible instructor of these conditions helps the instructor to meet the inmate on his own level.
5. The lay Bible instructor should be very familiar with the topic for each study. He should be prepared to answer vital questions. Some people come to a Bible study just for the purpose of challenging. The teacher must be prepared to defend his faith in the spirit of love.
6. The lay Bible instructor should be sensitive to some of the inmate's stereotyped notions of Christianity.