{"id":7505,"date":"2017-10-20T11:14:42","date_gmt":"2017-10-20T16:14:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/customwordpresssites.com\/mjb\/?p=7505"},"modified":"2026-02-26T14:05:32","modified_gmt":"2026-02-26T20:05:32","slug":"locked-up-in-different-prisons","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/customwordpresssites.com\/mjb\/2017\/10\/20\/locked-up-in-different-prisons\/","title":{"rendered":"Locked up in different prisons"},"content":{"rendered":"

The heavy metal door bangs behind me, the electric buzz locks the bolt in place. After a pause, another door buzzes and is unlocked, controlled by a police officer sitting near a video monitor in another room. I cross the florescent-lit linoleum and open the next heavy metal door, making my way through this threshold of security.<\/p>\n

It’s my first visit inside the county jail. My mind and breath are electric with anticipation. We \u2014 the other volunteer I am shadowing and I \u2014 arrange the blue plastic chairs in a circle and place copies of Scripture passages, prayers and reflections upon them. Shortly I will encounter my first group of inmates. More than a dozen men will join us for prayer and Bible study.<\/p>\n

Driving through brightly colored October woods to the jail, I pondered…<\/p>\n

[This is the beginning of my latest column for the online newspaper,\u00a0<\/em>Global Sisters Report<\/a>. Continue reading\u00a0here<\/a>.]<\/em><\/p>\n

<\/a>
Photo credit: (Unsplash\/Mitchel Lensink\/GlobalSistersReport.org)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The heavy metal door bangs behind me, the electric buzz locks the bolt in place. After a pause, another door buzzes and is unlocked, controlled by a police officer sitting near a video monitor in another room. I cross the florescent-lit linoleum and open the next heavy metal door, making my way through this threshold...","protected":false},"author":4071079,"featured_media":25389,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_kad_blocks_custom_css":"","_kad_blocks_head_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_body_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_footer_custom_js":"","episode_type":"audio","audio_file":"","podmotor_file_id":"","podmotor_episode_id":"","cover_image":"","cover_image_id":"","duration":"","filesize":"","filesize_raw":"","date_recorded":"","explicit":"","block":"","_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"_kad_post_classname":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[115341],"tags":[55901,10051,9176,214,401,5648,221895935,7816,1073127,90924,559622,2572,9379,72034,30351,49818,6,12558],"series":[698756626],"class_list":["post-7505","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-equity-and-justice-equity-and-justice","tag-addictions","tag-bible","tag-bible-study","tag-christianity","tag-faith","tag-freedom","tag-global-sisters-report","tag-god","tag-inmates","tag-jail","tag-marginalized","tag-ministry","tag-poverty","tag-prison","tag-service","tag-social-media","tag-technology","tag-volunteering","series-messy-jesus-business"],"acf":[],"episode_featured_image":"https:\/\/customwordpresssites.com\/mjb\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/a-low-angle-view-of-alcatraz-prison-cell-block-showcasing-steel-railings.-5377053-scaled.jpg","episode_player_image":"https:\/\/customwordpresssites.com\/mjb\/wp-content\/plugins\/seriously-simple-podcasting\/assets\/images\/no-album-art.png","download_link":"","player_link":"","audio_player":false,"episode_data":{"playerMode":"dark","subscribeUrls":{"apple_podcasts":{"key":"apple_podcasts","url":"","label":"Apple Podcasts","class":"apple_podcasts","icon":"apple-podcasts.png"},"stitcher":{"key":"stitcher","url":"","label":"Stitcher","class":"stitcher","icon":"stitcher.png"},"google_podcasts":{"key":"google_podcasts","url":"","label":"Google Podcasts","class":"google_podcasts","icon":"google-podcasts.png"},"spotify":{"key":"spotify","url":"","label":"Spotify","class":"spotify","icon":"spotify.png"}},"rssFeedUrl":"https:\/\/customwordpresssites.com\/mjb\/feed\/podcast\/messy-jesus-business","embedCode":"
Locked up in different prisons<\/a><\/blockquote>