During my incarceration, I worked with multiple lawyers, and the experience varied wildly. A few were semi-competent and committed, even if inept at key moments; others were responsive only when paid and silent otherwise. Communication was a perpetual challenge—meetings with lawyers in 118 occurred in the módulo’s narrow lunchroom, often surrounded by other inmates and with no pretense of confidentiality. Phone calls were conducted on smuggled cell phones. Important legal documents were reviewed on tiny screens. The prosecution, meanwhile, had unlimited resources, institutional support, and the presumption of the state behind it.

The wrongfully accused face a particular torment in dealing with the legal system. In my case, the forensic evidence was overwhelming: the prosecution’s theory violated physics, posited trajectories that were geometrically impossible, and relied on ammunition evidence that did not match my weapon. None of this mattered to the judges, who disallowed me to have a ballistics expert on my defense team. When the evidence proves your innocence but the system does not care, you are confronted with a crisis of faith that no theology class prepares you for. I will address this more fully in Chapter 12.

For now, my counsel is simple: find a rare lawyer who will fight, not merely process. Ask other inmates for recommendations—they know who is effective and who is not. Communicate regularly and insistently. Keep copies of everything. And pray—not as a substitute for legal work, but alongside it. “The king’s heart is in the hand of the Lord, as the rivers of water: he turneth it whithersoever he will” (Proverbs 21:1). God is sovereign over judges and prosecutors, even when their hearts appear impervious to truth.

The Chaplains (Visiting Pastors and Teachers)

Prison chaplains occupy a unique position in the institutional hierarchy. They are, in theory, the spiritual shepherds of the incarcerated. In practice, they vary enormously. Very few chaplains are faithful men who labor in obscurity to bring the Word of God to those in darkness. They deserve more recognition than they receive and more support than most churches provide.

Many more are absent. The chaplaincy in Chilean prisons was, during my experience, largely a formality. A chaplain might appear once a month, conduct a brief service, and disappear. The spiritual needs of hundreds of men went unmet between visits. Into that vacuum rushed every variety of false religion—Pentecostalism in its most extravagant forms, prosperity gospel nonsense, Roman Catholic syncretism blended with folk religion, occasional Mormon missionaries who saw the prison as a fertile harvest field, and self-appointed prophets who declared direct revelations from God while simultaneously running criminal enterprises.

And some chaplains are, frankly, heretical. In Latin American prisons, the dominant evangelical expression is Arminian Pentecostalism, emphasizing tongues, prophetic utterances, and experiential religion. For a Reformed Baptist like myself, navigating this doctrinal landscape was a constant challenge. I did not expect to find the 1689 London Baptist Confession behind bars, though for a few months, one such Bible teacher led Bible studies in Casablanca. But I did expect to find men who at least preached the Gospel accurately, and too often I did not. The proliferation of Zionist teaching, Arminian universalism, aversion to repentance and holiness, and prosperity theology—the notion that God rewards faithfulness with material abundance—are particularly pernicious in a prison context, where men are desperate enough to believe that if they just pray harder or give more money to the right preacher, their sentences will be reduced or their cases dismissed. Others have a low view of God as an amorphous ball of love who serves their whims. It is spiritual abuse masquerading as ministry.

If you are a pastor or church leader reading this chapter, hear me: the greatest need behind bars is not more programs and altar calls. It is sound doctrine, repentance, and the practice of good works, as Ephesians 2:10 prescribes for true converts. Men in prison need to hear the unvarnished truth of Scripture—the sovereignty of God, the depravity of man, the sufficiency of Christ’s atonement, the perseverance of the saints—taught clearly, consistently, and without compromise. They do not need more emotional experiences or vain promises doled out to hypocrites. They need the meat of the Word (Hebrews 5:12-14), and most of them are not getting it. Most are getting a false gospel of easy believism.

Action Steps

Study the population of the prison where you minister. Understand the demographics, dominant crimes, cultural backgrounds, and religious landscape. Tailor your approach accordingly. Do not assume that what works in an American federal facility will work in a state prison, or that what works in English will work in Spanish.

Develop discernment about “jailhouse religion.” Not every man who raises his hand at an altar call is genuinely converted. This does not mean you should be cynical—God does save men in prison—but it does mean you should look for the fruits of repentance over time, not merely emotional responses in a service.

Learn to interact with guards appropriately. Be respectful, familiarize yourself with the institutional rules, and do not assume that they are applied consistently. Build relationships with officers who are fair-minded, but do not become dependent on any guard’s favor.

If you are a church leader, advocate for sound, doctrinally grounded chaplaincy. Support chaplains who preach the full counsel of God (Acts 20:27). Push back against the tendency to fill chaplaincy positions with whoever is available rather than whoever is qualified.

Discussion Questions

Which of the inmate types described in this chapter surprises you most? How does this description challenge stereotypes about prisoners?

How should a Christian inmate relate to the corruption described in the guard system? Is it ever appropriate to participate in the informal economy of the prison, or must a believer always refuse?

What dangers does “jailhouse religion” pose to genuine ministry efforts? How can a prison minister discern between true conversion and manipulation?

Read Hebrews 5:12-14. Why is doctrinal depth especially important in a prison context? What happens when inmates receive only “milk” and never “meat”?