Faith, hope and love behind bars: Ministries shine Christ’s light inside prison walls (reporting from Harvest, Ala.). Page 1 lead.
Second Place, Feature Article, Associated Church Press
Honorable Mention, Criminal Justice Reporting, Oklahoma Society of Professional Journalists
By Bobby Ross Jr. | The Christian Chronicle
HARVEST, Ala. – Robbery. Murder. Child molestation.
The six inmates seated in state prison chaplain Charles Baggett’s office on a recent Wednesday earned their lengthy sentences.
David, Jackie, Michael, Rodney, Tim M. and Timothy W. were condemned to Limestone Correctional Facility, a medium-security Alabama prison, to pay debts to society.
But here, in a world of razor-wire fences, tattooed arms and six-digit inmate numbers, these violent criminals came to believe that God sent his only son to pay a debt for them.
They found faith — and hope — in Jesus Christ. Now, these brothers in Christ teach, preach, lead singing and work hard to share what they discovered with other inmates.
“All of y’all are going to be wearing white one day, too. We just got a jump-start,” joked Rodney, referring to the white prison garb stamped with “Alabama Dept. of Corrections” in bold black letters that identifies Limestone’s 2,400 inmates.
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The Ross News 