Day 118: A Week of Prayer for Our Nation in Crisis - For Prisons and Correctional Institutions

DAY 118

Faith in the Midst of a Pandemic

A series of daily reflections for people of faith

by Rev. Robert Bayley, Interim Pastor

Patuxent Presbyterian Church, California, Maryland

Week Seventeen – Friday 10 July 2020

A WEEK OF PRAYER FOR OUR NATION IN CRISIS

For Prisons and Correctional Institutions

“Lord Jesus, for our sake you were condemned as a criminal: Visit our jails and prisons with your pity and judgment. Remember all prisoners, and bring the guilty to repentance and amendment of life according to your will, and give them hope for their future. When any are held unjustly, bring them release; forgive us, and teach us to improve our justice. Remember those who work in these institutions; keep them humane and compassionate; and save them from becoming brutal or callous. And since what we do for those in prison, O Lord, we do for you, constrain us to improve their lot. All this we ask for your mercy’s sake. Amen. - The Book of Common Prayer: Prayers for the Social Order

Two concerns currently face us as a nation when it comes to our prison system:

First, the COVID-19 pandemic is ravaging our prisons. A recent newspaper article titled, “The Coronavirus Crisis Inside Prisons” recounts that “Currently, the nation’s top five Covid-19 hot spots are all correctional facilities ... . The situation inside the nations jails and prisons amid the COVID-19 pandemic has become the stuff of nightmares …”  No matter the crime or the time, all are subjected now to a potential death sentence. Our only recourse is to write appropriate elected officials requesting release of those convicted of non-violent crimes with short terms.  

Second, the poor and people of color continue to be disproportionately sent to prison, with some innocent but lacking the means to appeal. See the resources below for more information.

Resources

Prison Fellowship founded by the late Chuck Colson: prisonfellowship.org

Innocence Project focuses on freeing innocent prisoners: innocenceproject.org

“Just Mercy” – 2019 true movie paralleling work of Innocence Project. Multiple online sources.   

Reflective question: Will you pray about what the Lord might have you do regarding the above?

Reflective Scripture: Matthew 25:36 – “‘… I was in prison and you came to visit me.’” Jesus

Reflective hymn:

“Till All the Jails are Empty” – Carl Daw (1944-    )

Till all the jails are empty and all the bellies filled;

Till no one hurts or steals or lies, and no more blood is spilled;

Till age and race and gender no longer separate;

Till pulpit, press, and politics are free of greed and hate: God has work for us to do.