Prison Ministries Transitional Assistance Initiative Support Channels

We offer the following support options:

Questions about our Prison Ministries Transitional Assistance Initiative that are not covered on this website, including research, posting of articles, comments listed on this website and contributions and or donations.
Support hours of operation are limited as to our availability to be online 24/7.

If you are knowledgeable about the rising needs and concerns of our Inmates throughout the State of Massachusetts and or a representative of an ongoing organization that supports Reentry Resources and would like to offer your services on a pro bono requirement, please send an email to support@prison-ministries.info and we will gladly consider at all requests.

You can reach our Support Chat by clicking here If you are already a member them sign in, if not then you will be required to get a PMTAI Chat ID. You can do so by clicking on the button the say "Get a PMTAI Chat ID and fill out the form requirements.

Reaching Inmates with God's Word and Message for Salvation

Prison Ministries would like to assist you in any way that we can. If you have a friend or relative who is incarcerated, or you are interested in more information about our organization please fill out the form by "Clicking Here".

These are just some of the services offered to our inmates:

Language Specific Bibles
Newsletter and Devotionals
Welcome Package
Send a Visitor
Prayer Requests

Once again just fill out the form on the following page. "Click Here".

May the Lord Richly Bless You
Brother Timothy Caron (Founder)

Be A Partner In The Great Commission

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The prison population has grown significantly over the last decade, and new correctional facilities are being built continually. Unfortunately, state, local, and federal budgets have not kept up with the increasing expense of incarceration. Prisons are often overcrowded and understaffed. Many are located in outdated buildings with faulty plumbing, poor heating, inadequate ventilation, and no air conditioning. Understandably, the comfort and welfare of criminals is not high on the priority list of most tax payers. Nevertheless, the mixture of hot or frigid weather combined with volatile temperaments, understaffing, and lack of space can create a recipe for disaster. This has often resulted in riots, hostage taking, mutilation, and murder. It can also lead to a situation where inmates escape into the community.

As unappetizing as this may sound, these are the conditions in which many chaplains labor for Christ. They are missionaries in their own country, and they often risk their lives in the hope of reaching into the deep spiritual darkness of sin with the light of the Gospel. It takes a very special love to do this type of work, and there are many discouragements along the way. But in prison, even in the midst of misery and despair, there are pockets of light, and God is moving greatly in the correctional facilities of this nation! Incarcerated convicts read their Bibles far more often than the general public, and we can't get Bibles into the prisons fast enough to meet the increasing demand. Our recent role model book, entitled "Samuel Morris" is also a big success, as are our Christian videos, newsletters, tracts, and little Bible booklets. The chaplains have found them to be a very effective tool in spreading the Word of God, especially when there are so few chaplains and inmate populations are growing larger every year.

Prison chaplains go into the front lines of spiritual combat in order to bring the peace and joy of Christ to those whom society has often written off as incorrigible. And they are making progress. For "...The harvest indeed is plenteous, but the laborers are few" (Matthew 9:37 ASV). Statistics have proven that religious services and Christian material definitely makes a large dent in the crime rate and recidivism. But, for the most part, correctional facility chaplains receive no funding from the government for the purchase of Bibles or similar Christian literature. And that is why they depend so much on your gifts and of organizations like ours.

The lifestyles of prison inmates can be changed! Salvation through Jesus Christ makes the difference. Statistics have proven it! The letters we receive from chaplains and inmates prove it. Because of this change of heart, inmates are no longer bound by the chains of darkness, but now are living in the light (John 8:12). Now, what does that mean to you? The American public doesn't have much love for the incarcerated. Many feel that criminals should be locked up and the keys thrown away. However, the prison population comes from all levels of society and these days virtually anyone could potentially be put into a situation that would result in incarceration. Therefore, as Christians, we should remember the exhortation of Jesus who said, "Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature" (Mark 16:15 KJV). He also said, "I was in prison, and ye came unto Me. Then shall the righteous answer Him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee... in prison, and came unto thee? And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these My brethren, ye have done it unto Me" (Matthew 25:36-40 KJV).

The majority of inmates will be released one day, many of them on early parole. Statistics show that about 31% of them will return to prison. On the news, reports are constantly given of inmates being released early and committing hideous crimes of rape, mutilation, and murder. Others will commit robbery, car hijackings, drug dealing, and so on. This doesn't have to happen. Jesus Christ can change these people! The Apostle Paul stated, "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new" (2 Corinthians 5:17 KJV).

"So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God" (Romans 10:17 KJV). You also can be a part of the Great Commission. By supporting Prison Ministries Transitional Assistance Initiative. on a continual basis, you will be helping us to get the Gospel out to incarcerated convicts nationwide. For as little as $10.00, we can reach between five to ten inmates with Christian literature. Many times, it will be passed on to other inmates, therefore it could reach even more individuals with the Word of God. A Bible, on the other hand, will cost more and will not usually be passed from inmate to inmate. Therefore, $10.00 would help about two to three convicts.

Please be a partner with us. Help us with your prayers and your financial support. Share God's Word with those who are living in deep spiritual darkness. Not only will you be part of the Great Commission, but you will also help to reduce crime by redirecting the paths of those who will soon be released from the wicked ways of their past to the straight and narrow (Matthew 7:13-14) leading to God. Inmates need your help in order to change their ways, before it's too late, not only for their own sake, but also for the sake of their next potential victim. You can donate online or by mail.

Did you know that:
$10 will reach 5 to 10 inmates with Christian literature (tracts, booklets, post cards, calendars)

$25 will buy and distribute 35 role model books

$50 will provide 3 Christian videos to prison chaplains
$100 buys and distributes 25 paperback Bibles

$250 will cover the cost of distributing assorted Christian material for one month (this does not include the cost of the material)
$500 will enable 3,000 inmates to receive copies of one issue of "The Good News Letter" in Spanish

$750 will provide 10,000 inmates with copies of one issue of "The Good News Letter" in English

If you can't support us on an ongoing basis, your one time financial gift can also help inmates hear about the Good News of Jesus Christ and His power to break the chains of darkness in their lives. If you like what you have read about us here and at our web site, it would be a great assistance to our ministry, if you would tell your fellow workers, friends, and church members about Prison Ministries Transitional Assistance Initiative., along with others who might be inclined to help us financially (Donations, and other Purchases through Our Affiliates). Thank you and God bless!

May the Lord Richly Bless as you Give
Brother Timothy Caron (Founder)

Rehabilitation Statistics
Study On Effectiveness of Prison Ministries By George Cornell, AP Religion Writer (Edited from The Wilson Daily Times, December 1, 1990)

Prisoners who come under religious influence while they're behind the walls do better once they're back on the outside and in society than those who lack the religious influence, researchers say.

The findings of the first-of-its-kind study on the rehabilitative effect of religion on prisoners could have wide implications for the prison system, although more study is needed, the researchers say.

"The results are phenomenal," said John Gartner of Baltimore, a clinical psychologist who headed the five-member research team. "There haven't been any findings of effectiveness that were this strong."

It was found that prisoners who received religious instruction while in prison had a lower rate of recidivism - return to crime - after being freed than did those who had no such instruction.

Results show that religion "may be a powerful, and until now neglected, method of rehabilitation," the report says, adding that the previous scant clues about it make the results very encouraging...

"Researchers usually ignore religion," Gartner said in an interview. "They look at all aspects of persons, but religion is a gap. It's a blind spot in the social sciences, not even consistent with the spirit of science."

Considering the extent of prison ministries, the report said, "it is ironic that religious factors have been largely ignored" in studies on factors that might affect a prisoner's chances for successful rehabilitation.

While results of the new study were positive, Gartner stressed that his team's report adds: "It is important to remember that research conclusions are not determined by one particular study. This is especially so when a new area of research is opening up..."

The group's study involved 190 prisoners who between 1975 and 1979 had taken part in Christian discipleship training, and a similar number who had not, matched by age, race, gender and other factors. Both groups had been released from prison eight to 14 years prior to the study.

It found that the religion-trained ones had an 11 percentage point lower recidivism rate than the control group. Forty percent of the religion-schooled group committed new offenses, while 51 percent of the others did so.

The religiously trained group also had a longer crime-free period following release, and when they did commit new crimes, the crimes were less severe compared to past offenses. The control group had increased crime-severity.

The recidivism rate for women who took religious training was even lower, only 19 percent, compared to 47 percent among the control group of women. Among men only, the differential was only seven points...

The study is the first part of a three-year project, a second phase of which is now going on among prisoners in New York state, including expanded, detailed scrutiny of the effect of religion on recidivism.

Findings of the first study demonstrate that the "potentially beneficial relationship between religious involvement and criminal rehabilitation is an under-researched relationship" in need of further study, the report says...

The few other studies that touched on religion noted only denominational variables, thus leaving the field unexplored.

"No one before had ever looked at the effect of religion on recidivism," Gartner said. "I find that quite amazing."

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Copyrighted by the Associated Press and used with their permission.

Other Statistics on Crime and Recidivism

A recent report by the U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics has revealed some startling information. The total number of state and federal prisoners more than doubled in this nation between 1985 and 1996! Last year alone the prison population expanded by about 55,900 inmates, reaching a record 1,182,000 at year's end. By late 1996, state prisons, which hold the majority of convicts, were operating 16% to 24% over their capacity. Federal prisons were even worse, with a rate of 25%! Therefore, despite the construction of many new facilities, overcrowding is still a persistent dilemma. It is also very dangerous! For as incarceration continues to rise, budgets are shrinking, a situation that leads to prison understaffing. Not surprisingly, this makes convict escapes easier. It can also cause riots, resulting in bloodshed and hostage taking. And it leads to the early release of dangerous criminals, who frequently commit new offenses!

As a result, tax money that could have gone toward better schools, hospitals, parks, and libraries, is, instead, spent on law enforcement, court costs, incarceration, and the other expenses involved in crime prevention. For example, in fiscal 1992, Federal, State, and local governments spent $94 billion for civil and criminal justice, a 59% increase over 1987. In the same year, State and local governments combined spent 85.5% of all justice dollars; the Federal Government spent the rest. Recidivism also clogs up the courts, causing long delays in criminal proceedings and even longer waits in civil litigation. It overburdens prosecutors, public defenders, and supporting agencies. This increases the likelihood of serious mistakes in the handling of evidence. All of this creates a general tension and dissatisfaction in society, which can lead to frustration, causing anger that results in even more crime.

In fact, one of the primary causes of overcrowding is recidivism. Statistics indicate that, nationwide, 30.9% of all paroles are revoked. Although admissions are still rising, statistician Allen J. Beck, co-author of the bureau's study "Prisoners in 1996," noted that "fewer are coming directly from court convictions and more are returning as parole violators from unsuccessful community supervision." There's also an alarming trend. The highest rate of recidivism, 46.5%, takes place among juveniles under the age of eighteen! Of this group, 10.4% are returned to prison for homicide, 18.8% for robbery, and 13% for assault. New York is about average for the nation, with a recidivism rate of 30.7%. California has the highest, with 54.4%, and Texas, our second largest state, has a recidivism rate of 45.7%.

However, despite the dismal reality of government statistics, we have a far more positive view, for we see what works, and what doesn't. It has frequently been assumed that the criminal commits crime due to some social dysfunction or insanity. Yet it is our contention that the offender does not have a problem with his mind, he has a problem with his heart. It is that part of his being, his very soul, that we strive to reach as we minister in the name of Jesus Christ in 452 correctional institutions in 49 states.

A recent report prepared by the Family Research Council, and written by Robert L. Maginnis, appeared on the Internet. It quoted Todd Clear, a Rutgers University criminologist, who stated "Religious programming is the single most common form of institutional program for inmate management and rehabilitation." A 1992 Rutgers University study was also sited. It found that prisoners often seek God to cope with inmate life, which is marked by depression, guilt, and self-contempt. Todd Clear, who did the research, found that highly religious inmates have lower rates of depression and commit fewer disciplinary infractions than other inmates. This is confirmed by Charles Adkins, who is also quoted in the report by Maginnis. Adkins, an Indiana state prison official, says that religion is one of several rehabilitation avenues, but it's the only approach that addresses the root problem, a moral crisis inside the inmate.