The population of men and women in America’s jails and prisons continues to be on the rise in most states...
A recent article in USA Today said, "Nearly 2.2 million people - 1 in every 136 U.S. residents - were behind bars in 2005." This was a quote from the Bureau of Justice Statistics.
According to the story, some states such as Montana and South Dakota had increases in their populations, but in the states of Vermont, Idaho and New York, the number of inmates in jails and prisons was down slightly.
The article went on to say that "Women now account for 12.7% of the jail population, up from 10.2% a decade ago."
For quite some time, I have been saying that our nation’s correctional facilities are one of the biggest mission fields. After all, the Lord Jesus came into this world to save "sinners." And where else can such a large concentration of broken, devastated, troubled and wayward lives be found than in these places?
The harvest is truly ripe!
D.B.
Source: USA Today, Monday, May 22, 2006 (page 3A) By Donna Leinwand.
According to the story, some states such as Montana and South Dakota had increases in their populations, but in the states of Vermont, Idaho and New York, the number of inmates in jails and prisons was down slightly.
The article went on to say that "Women now account for 12.7% of the jail population, up from 10.2% a decade ago."
For quite some time, I have been saying that our nation’s correctional facilities are one of the biggest mission fields. After all, the Lord Jesus came into this world to save "sinners." And where else can such a large concentration of broken, devastated, troubled and wayward lives be found than in these places?
The harvest is truly ripe!
D.B.
Source: USA Today, Monday, May 22, 2006 (page 3A) By Donna Leinwand.