Great Opportunity

Looking to stretch your charitable horizons? Try this website: PrisonerLife dot Com. There are all sorts of links that let you reach out to prisoners, like this one: MEET REAL PRISONERS SEEKING REAL PEN PALS. I think women are preferred. Unfortunately, the personal profiles of the penpal-seeking inmates don't mention why they're there.

All sarcasm aside, I often wonder about the Christian injunction to befriend the jailed ("When I was in prison, you visited me"--rough quote). It's a pretty straightforward command, but the prison system today is a mess, and it frequently makes its wards into worse men (and women). Do you really want one of these guys coming to visit you when he gets out, with recidivism rates as high as they are? What if you have a wife and children? Not all types of charitable outreach, after all, are suitable for all persons (I'm told I can't leave my family to reach out to the dissolute in Las Vegas).

Prison life is a terrible life. Many of the men genuinely repent. But many of them don't (or, worse, fake repentance) and are ready to go mean as soon as they hit the streets. How can you tell the difference? Do you think you'll make a difference in an inmate's life? Perhaps, but that strikes me as a bit hubristic. Lots of things to consider. Thank goodness there's beer.