Letter from Prison

Late last week, Executive Director Steve Nash received the below letter from Shelby County Jail. He didn't recognize the name of the sender, but soon realized that it was from the cellmate of a recently incarcerated Jobs for Life grad. We were all encouraged by this letter, and by it's demonstration of the presence of the Holy Spirit in this jail cell.

Read the letter below*, and consider learning more about the links between prison, education, and poverty. Here are a couple starting places:

• A recent report from the NAACP, Misplaced Priorities, tracks a shift of state funds away from education and toward the criminal justice system.
• Check out the Justice Fellowship | Prison Fellowship website.

*names have been changed.


Hi Brother Nash,

How are you doing. I hope this letter find you bless and highly favored. I'm an inmate here at the Shelby County Jail, and I hope to be release in the next few weaks. I got a cellmate a couple of days ago, and we got to talking eventually about jobs, and he was telling me about the job he had before getting arrested and the program he attended to get the job and that it is Christian base.

Let me tell you a little about myself. I am 45 years old with a wife and 4 kids - 2 adults and 2 beautiful little girls, we live in the southeast area of Memphis, I've been addicted to crack cocaine for many years, my wife is a faithful God fearing woman, and I eventually got in the church and was doing good with my addiction and faithful to God. But about 2 months ago, I went back to my old ways and eventually started back using and eventually it led me to this charge. But even though I don't want to be locked up, I thank God for allowing me to get locked up instead of covered up, and I done had time to think about my life and how I need to totally surrender to God.

I have always work even though I had an addiction problem, and have been a certified forklift operator with up to date license. And even though I have charges on my background I've been bless to be with a couple of temp. service that send me on jobs that don't require background. I ask God to bless me with a cellmate who wont be in here trying to smoke, up rapping all night, talking about sinful things that I'm not into anymore and He did just that. Since I been here, I confess my sin to God I've repented to him, I'm faithful to our daily bible study. I pray an dread my word daily. I want to have a renewed mind when I leave here like the word talks about in Romans 12. I want to have a mind of Christ, so I know in order to begin to start to live as God wants me to live I have to do what Matthew 6:33 says.

I just thank God for the mind to seek him, but when Brother Johnson told me that you all program was Christian base that kind of touch me because that's what I need to be around people in my work environment that love the Lord. I know that I've been chosen and called by God, and I feel he sent this brother here in my cell to tell me about you all program, I think it will be a start to the ministry God is calling me in, and when I get out and contact you guys I'm praying I qualify for you all program. I understand that I will have to travel a great distance to my class daily but God and me and my wife will make that happen.

Brother Johnson was telling me that you all have a outreach program I would love to get involve in that, that's my heart desire is for God to clean me up from all kinds of sin like jail, drugs, cigarettes, adultery, etc. etc. so he can use me to help men and women who's going through life struggles I have been through. And let them know if God delivered me he can deliver you.

I thank you for taking time to read this letter. I pray that this letter be a beginning of a Godly relationship with myself and Advance Memphis. Oh yeah the brother told me it would be okay to tell you his name who told me about the program, his name is Stan Johnson. He's a good brother he talks and act like he is ready to surrender to God also. I've asked him to come to our bible study and he said he will. I had two bibles and he's been reading one of them, but anyway thanks for taking time trying to read this bad handwriting. God bless you and your family. If it's God will, we will meet soon.

William Edwards III.