Witnessing in Prisons.....

by razorMind 10 Replies latest jw friends

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  razorMind

  Did anyone here used to do that? What was it like?

  I'm just curious about this, and the prison baptisms---never knew much about it. Thanks in advance.
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  Kenneson

  I never visited a prison while I was a JW, but I have been doing so through Prison Fellowship for the past 10 years. We conduct seminars at different institutions (for three nights each time, usually from 6-8 p.m.) We open with songs and prayer. Then one person teaches a prescribed lesson. Afterwards we break off into groups and have discussions. I am a facilatator. We come back together to conclude with song and prayer before dismissal. By the way, we just concluded one last night.

  We have run into JWs from time to time. They meet on certain nights, which are posted in the dorms; the same method of announcements apply to Prison Fellowship, Catholic services, Jewish and Muslim. JWs have Bible studies with a few persons in rooms adjacent to the Chapel. I'm not aware of them being allowed to go to each person there or from dorm to dorm. (We certainly are not). If the same is true with them as us they can only meet with people who have expressed a desire for someone to come study with them or who choose to attend their group. Since most prison chapels have baptismal tubs, they probably would have no choice but to use those if someone wanted to be baptized. Might be a good question to the Chaplain next time, but that won't be until in the middle of August.
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  Gamaliel

  I did that for a couple years in Jeff City, MO. We'd go in a group and conduct combined Bible Studies and sometimes the equivalent of full meetings in the maximum security prison. I also had a few studies in the Intermediate Security Prison where a couple of us would walk with a few prisoners with almost no guards in sight to their chapel and conduct the studies there. For a quite a few months we would conduct them in the visiting room, but most of the other prisoners with visiting girlfriends were constantly getting away with various kinds of sex at/on/under the adjacent tables and it was a little distracting.

  Gamaliel
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  razorMind

  Wasn't there a convention in some prison a long time ago? I may be thinking of an old Awake! volume I was reading? Do they still hold those?

  Also, are there inmate elders and such. What I mean is, can an inmate (say, sentenced to life in prison w/no parole) rise to the rank of elder within the prison? Also, once an baptized inmate gets out (say, paroled after 30 years for example) does he just go and be part of the local congregation?

  This is a whole other realm of the JW's I know nothing about. Thanks for your answers.
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  Gamaliel

  Even baptisms were few and far between, but in cases I knew of they were allowed a special dispensation by the prison to come out with a guard for the occasion, not baptized in the prison. I never knew of any that progressed far enough to be appointed an elder (not in the US anyway). Anything is possible but I can't figure how they'd get around the "blameless/beyond reproach" criterion while still serving their term. I guess there are still cases in some countries where elders have been imprisoned for their faith or some crime where the JWs didn't agree with the courts, and they are still recognized as elders. I didn't know of any "congregations" in prisons, just regular meetings given for their benefit.

  I knew of some JWs who had committed crimes, but they got disfellowshipped very quickly before being sent to prison, to keep these statistics down.

  Gamaliel
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  Gadget

  they can only meet with people who have expressed a desire for someone to come study with them or who choose to attend their group.

  This is the same in the prisons in England. And the prison chaplains quite often make it difficult to even meet up then. Bible studies often take the same format as a legal visit, although its been 4 years since I know of this happening(I started the study myself). Prisons have very complicated rule covering every aspect of prison life, and unless you get to know them well you can find it very difficult to get anything done.

  Gadget
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  calamityjane

  When I lived in Marquette, Michigan in the mid 70's I remember the elders going to the local prison conducting studies, I believe they even conducted a wedding for one of the inmates that got baptized, If i remember correctly.
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  expatbrit

  I believe they even conducted a wedding for one of the inmates that got baptized, If i remember correctly.

  "Do you, Bubba, take this man to be your bitch...."...lol

  Expatbrit
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  ignored_one

  Just think of all those lovely paedophiles coming into 'the truth'.
  
  Ignored One.
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  calamityjane

  "Do you, Bubba, take this man to be your bitch...."...lol

  Expatbrit, LOL. No it wasn't that way, Geez. It was a male inmate who married his girlfriend from the outside.