Got Gifts?, Pain’s Upside, Cool Comics, In this issue: p.2 p.3 p.4

®

PRISON FELLOWSHIP’S NEWSPAPER FOR AMERICA’S PRISONS VOLUME 22, NO. 1 WINTER 2013 Confessions of a Regular Joe by Ruth Chodniewicz for drug trafficking. He would spend the next 33 months oe Bruton knows how in a federal prison while his to welcome prisoners wife struggled with the family back into society. He has finances – and with the birth of walked that road himself their first son. J – twice. But his two ex- periences could not have looked Fleeting Success more different. The first led to After prison, Joe paroled to total failure, and the second to a a halfway house in Tulsa, Okla. whole new life. He transferred his graduate Joe grew up in Houston, Texas. school credits to Oklahoma He did well in high school, but State University and earned a there was always alcohol around master’s degree in environmen- his home, and he accepted it as tal engineering. After landing a normal. He began drinking early good-paying job, he was able and added drugs to the routine to move his wife and son to while still a teenager. Oklahoma. That pattern continued when After several years of suc- Joe enrolled in college. By his cess – and two more children sophomore year he was a heavy – Joe started an environmental drinker, cocaine user, and heroin consulting firm. Everything went addict. To support his habit, he well until an insurance com- grew and sold marijuana. pany refused to pay for a major He tried to escape the Hous- project. Trying to keep his thinly ton drug scene by transferring financed company afloat, Joe re- to the University of Arkansas. In turned to drug trafficking to pay 1987, Joe received his bach- the bills. Next he went back to elor’s degree and was accepted using drugs and alcohol to deal Joe Bruton thought he had lost everything when he went through terrible into graduate school. He met with his stress. He lost his home withdrawl in the county jail – but an unexpected future was waiting for him. and married his wife a year later. and business and was stuck But during his second year of with huge debt. The family car study, the FBI caught up with Joe Continued on page 2 Michael Drager Photo by Until Prison Do Us Part? Maintaining a Marriage While Incarcerated relationship together when you problems in the marriage erupt by John Byrne get out. But even those rela- again, causing separation tionships often fail eventually. or divorce. othing is harder The reasons for the failures Let’s imagine another situa- on a marriage are complex. tion: A husband goes to prison, than incar- Here is one scenario: A wife leaving his wife and a couple ceration. Under goes to prison. The husband of kids. The wife struggles for the weight of stays on the outside, taking a while, but eventually she Ndistance, shame, financial care of the home and family. creates a whole new life for hardship, and mutual misun- The husband stays with his herself. She works. She takes derstanding, even unions that incarcerated wife because he care of the family. The children seemed strong can fall apart. feels it’s the right thing to do. are growing up, and she is the Quoting California prison chap- He gets a lot of pressure from only authority in their lives. She lain Ron Grant, a 2005 New family members not to make calls and visits her incarcer- York Times article estimates his wife feel abandoned or ated husband as often as she that “between a married man’s hurt. The husband genuinely can afford it, but essentially arrest and the end of his first cares about his incarcerated she has learned to function year in prison, 80 percent of wife. He feels sorry for what without him. When the hus-

marriages break up … For fe- Photos.com she is going through. He can’t band gets out of prison, he male inmates, the divorce rate imagine asking for a divorce tries his best to be a good dad is closer to 100 percent.” When you do time, your loved ones do, too. The right perspective can help you hold a marriage together through the tough times. while she’s behind bars and disciplinarian, but it’s like Even if your marriage sur- because he knows it would he’s moved back into a house vives while you are in prison, devastate her emotionally. After of strangers. His kids look at you’re not out of the woods spouse might have hung in arrest, trial, and prison time, and the wife comes home, though, him as if to say, Where did you after your release date. Your there with you through your you might intend to keep the the sympathy dries up. The real Continued on page 2 Inside Journal | Winter 2013 1 Until Prison Do you ready to change? Us Part? Don’t Sit on Your Gifts Continued from page 1 2. Let your spouse (and children) know they are your Guest Column: Prison Fellowship, it’s part of God how He wants to use the come from? His wife is happy top priority. If you have a job, my calling and commitment talents you have received from he’s home, but she also has send money home to them for Garland Hunt to help you use your gifts even Him. God gave you gifts for a years of resentment built up school clothes, food, or special while you are still incarcerated, purpose; don’t sit on them from holding the house togeth- presents. It doesn’t matter Recently I visited California so whether you’re going home any longer. n er all by herself. Conflicts build whether it’s a lot or a little. The State Prison at Solano for a in six months or you’re facing up that threaten to destroy the important thing is that you are yard event organized by Prison a long sentence, your time is Garland Hunt reunited family. making a sacrifice for them. Fellowship. As I mingled with productive, your God-given President, Prison Fellowship If you’re in prison and still Don’t ask them to make your the inmates on the yard, one abilities aren’t gathering dust, married, you’ve got an uphill life more comfortable. Write young man told me that he and you’re better prepared for battle to fight, but you and your and call. Listen to your spouse had been playing the drums the future. My prayer is that family can succeed with a lot and really hear what he or she for most of his life. He pointed you will take full advantage of of faith, love, and hard work. is saying. Pray for your spouse out another inmate who was everything that’s available to Here are some tips to help you and family every day. a great singer. It struck me – you to “stir up the gift of God,” maintain your marriage while so many inmates have such whether your facility has lots of you serve your sentence – and 3. If your spouse has an special gifts from God, but no programs and volunteers, or all lay a firm foundation for ongoing problem with drugs way to use them to advance His you’ve got is the copy of Inside the future: or alcohol, do NOT go directly kingdom. They are just sitting Journal in your hands. No mat- home to live with that spouse on their gifts! ter what your unique situation 1. Use your prison time to if and when you are released. It was arranged that the is, God has given you gifts grow from the inside out. If I know this is difficult advice drummer and the singer – who that you can use right now to you are already trying to follow to read, but the very best thing could also play the keyboard benefit other people and give Christ, keep going! Study the you can do for your spouse and – would come onstage and Him glory. Bible and learn what it says your family is to stay clean, perform before I spoke. They Have you received gifts from about His purpose for your life. keep away from overwhelm- were so excited! Performing in God that until now you have You can be the greatest asset ing temptation, and let him or front of their peers was a huge kept on the sidelines? Ask Ministries Prison Fellowship to your spouse and your family thing for them. The young singer her see you living a new life. If if you are in the processing of sang a song he had written you’ve struggled with addiction becoming a new man or a new while in prison. It was beautiful Subscription Info in the past, your recovery has woman. If you’re not sure where and inspiring. to come first. It will be hard, you stand with God, it’s never In 2 Timothy 1:6, Paul urges At Inside Journal® (IJ), we receive many letters each week from in- but if you are Christian, you can too late to start a relationship a young pastor named Timo- mates asking for subscriptions to our newspaper. We are grateful for know that in Christ all things with Him (check out the article thy to “stir up the gift of God the interest and support of our readers – however, because of limita- are possible. Let things come on page 3), and you can look which is in you.” God has given tions on our staff and budget, IJ is only available in bulk shipments together in God’s time. n great gifts to inmates. Some to your chaplain, programming coordinator, or a volunteer who visits inside yourself to ask some are entrepreneurs, writers, your facility. Chaplains, to set up these shipments for free, please hard questions: How has your John Byrne is the director of the lifestyle and your incarceration artists (see page 4!), singers, contact our editorial staff at P.O. Box 1790, Ashburn, VA 20146- InnerChange Freedom Initiative in 1790 or [email protected]. hurt your spouse? Have you or preachers. As president of Lino Lakes, Minn. told them you are sorry? Are

Confessions of a Joe started listening to Regular Joe the prison ministers, and Continued from page 1 he began to read the Bible. He also started to pray for a was repossessed. An eviction way to grow in Christ while in notice was hung on the door. prison. God answered with an Drunk and needing a drug fix, intensive Prison Fellowship Joe robbed a bank by bluffing reentry program. that he had a gun. His take was “[The program] gave me a just $2,000. On his way out the place to grow in my knowledge door, he glanced directly into of the Lord,” Joe recalls. “The a security camera, and his fate whole environment was geared was sealed. towards spiritual growth and character development. I found out who I was – a man of God. I was forgiven. I learned how to “I was going take the steps to restore my life and my relationships.” through gut-wrenching Moving into Ministry Released from prison in withdrawal and October 2008, Joe began the reentry process. Through the facing 30 years church family he met while in prison.” in the reentry program, Joe found employment at a chicken processing plant. He served at church by leading Bible studies and became an active volunteer Finding Jesus in the for the reentry program and a Rubber Room local jail ministry. Joe was quickly arrested and Two years after his release, he placed in a rubber room detox was hired full-time by Good- center at the county jail. “I was will Industries of Arkansas. At going through gut-wrenching Goodwill, Joe now is building a Michael Drager Photo by withdrawal and facing 30 years reentry program for ex-prisoners Through his work at Goodwill Industries, Joe is helping other in prison. I asked Jesus not into modeled after his own experi- ex-prisoners get a second chance at life on the outside. my life, but to take it – to kill ences in the Prison Fellowship me. I was pathetic. … Little did program. There, he has helped I know that Jesus Christ had a to double the capacity of Good- rate over the last two years. Tree program at his church. know someone by spending different plan for me.” will’s reentry program. Accord- Joe is still a jail minister, and But he doesn’t do any of it on time with them,” says Joe. “I “Jesus touched my life on the ing to Joe, the nearly 60 men he is involved in numerous pro- his own strength. He spends continue to seek my Lord on a floor of that detox tank, and I and women who have gradu- grams that assist prisoners and hours every week in prayer, and daily basis. I roll out of bed, hit was born again,” Joe recalls. “I ated from the program have their families. For example, he he’s on his tenth time reading my knees, and pray and start knew that God was real.” enjoyed a 93-percent success leads Prison Fellowship’s Angel through the Bible. “You get to giving thanks.” n

2 Inside Journal | Winter 2013 Life without Pain Is Agony by Steve Rempe saying that he wanted to “gather entirely in this world, we can rest [God’s] children together as a easy, knowing that God is using recently published hen gathers her brood under her our troubles to mold us into the news article tells wings,” and lamenting that they men and women He wants us to the story of Steven had instead chosen to reject the be, and that He promises us a Pete. Steven and his message God had given them. coming life where such pain is a brother were both And while the physical suffering distant memory. born with a rare Jesus experienced on the cross “I heard a loud shout from the Agenetic disorder called congenital far exceeds any pain most of us throne, saying, “Look, God’s home analgesia. While Steven has a will ever experience, it was the is now among his people! He will sense of touch, he is unable to separation from His Father that live with them, and they will be his feel pain. occurred when taking on our sins people. God himself will be with Right now you might be feeling that caused Jesus the most agony. them,’” says Revelation 21:3-4. envious of Steven. Who wouldn’t “My God, my God, why have you ‘”He will wipe every tear from their want to enjoy a life free from forsaken me?” He cried. eyes, and there will be no more hurt? Without pain, you wouldn’t death or sorrow or crying or pain. have to fear the consequences A Pain-Free Future All these things are gone forever.” of your actions, and there’d be The good news is that pain Do you need God’s help to deal nothing to hold you back from doesn’t have to have the final with the pain you are facing? Do achieving what you want in word. When we feel disgraced, you want to accept His invitation life … right? frustrated, alone, or hurt, we can to a future where – thanks to the As Steven states in the article, always turn to God, who offers us death of His Son Jesus Christ to a pain-free life is hardly ideal. a peace that money can’t buy, pay for your sins – “He will wipe Instead, Steven spends his days a peace that’s bigger than our every tear” from your eyes? Read in fear that he might do serious circumstances. And while we will “No Pain, No Gain.” n harm to himself without noticing never be able to escape pain it. He tells the story of time he broke his leg at a roller-skating party, and didn’t realize it until he No Pain, No Gain saw people pointing at him and his blood-soaked pants where the “God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pains,” says Christian writer C. S. Lewis. “It is His broken bone had actually come Photos.com out of the skin. Much of his child- megaphone to rouse a deaf world.” warning system, and we ignore it Does this mean that God hood was spent at home or in at our peril. intended there to be pain in this hospitals recovering from injuries Some pain we bring upon ourselves with our own actions, and Let’s say you kick a stone wall. world? The answer is “no.” But that he never felt. some pain is caused by events outside our control. But all pain The laws of physics are pretty God allows us to feel the painful Now, as an adult, Steven has is a result of our separation from God. The good news: God offers clear about what happens next. consequences of our own sin so to be very careful in choosing us forgiveness and healing for all of it. Because of the death and The wall is stronger than your foot, that we will know when we are physical activities, and he lives in resurrection of His Son, Jesus, we have the chance to be restored, and you can expect to feel a lot wandering away from Him and to constant fear of internal injuries, adopted children of God. of pain. The same thing happens remind us that this broken world is like an appendicitis, which might when you break God’s law (the not our permanent home. not be diagnosed until it is too If you desire God’s free gift of salvation, you might pray something term for breaking God’s law is Even when we suffer for some- late. (His brother, sadly, took his like this: “sin.”) When you break God’s law, one else’s mistake, God can still own life, rather than have to deal the consequences are equally use that pain in our lives to help with the growing list of complica- God, I don’t want to be separated from You anymore. Thank You predictable – you can expect a us stay close to Him and get our tions resulting from his condition.) for Jesus, and His paying the price for my sins on the cross. I give lot of pain in your life. The pain strength from Him. And just as a You control of my life. Please help me to live a life that brings caused by our sin is God’s way of good doctor can diagnose and The Purpose of Pain You joy, and one that shows Your love to everyone around me. In giving us a warning, like a red flag fix something that is causing us As much as we dislike physical Jesus’ name, Amen. that says, “Watch out! You are in physical pain, so God can reach pain, the truth is that it serves a danger!” God can even use our down and heal us, preparing us to very important function. Pain tells If you have prayed a prayer like this, or if you want to know more pain to direct us closer to Himself. be used by Him. us that something is wrong – it about Jesus and what He did on your behalf, Inside Journal When we feel discouraged or alone, It is important to remember that tells us that what we’re doing will help you enroll in a free correspondence Bible study – and our pain can encourage us to seek God did not protect His Son from is dangerous, and that if we get a Bible, if you don’t have access to one through your chaplain out God, who the Bible tells us is pain. Jesus wept when His friend continue to do it, we’ll cause or chapel program – when you write to “No Pain, No Gain,” c/o a “friend who sticks closer than a Lazarus died. He felt great sorrow ourselves even more hurt and brother” (Prov. 18:24). for the people living in Jerusalem, Inside Journal, P.O. Box 1790, Ashburn, VA 20146-1790. grief. Pain is the body’s built-in California Votes to Reform “Three Strikes” by A.R. Quinn nonviolent crime, would receive ered it to be one of the harshest “[The] vote on Proposition 36 of Golden State voters said “no” twice the normal recommended sentencing laws in the country, sends a powerful message to to Proposition 34. If Prop 34 had n November 6, 2012, sentence, instead of 25-years-to- and it was partially to blame for policymakers in California and passed, it would have outlawed citizens of California life, as was required under the old the rapid growth of California’s across the country that taxpay- the death penalty in California. n overwhelmingly voted law. There are some exceptions; if prison population in the years ers are ready for a new direction to approve Proposi- the third striker’s new or previous that followed. in criminal justice,’’ Adam Gelb, tion 36, a ballot convictions involve certain drug-, Advocates for Prop 36 say director of the Pew Center on the measure reforming sex-, or gun-related crimes, a that the sentencing changes will States’ Public Safety Perfor- Othe state’s Three Strikes law. Sixty- 25-years-to-life sentence may save the state between $70 to mance Project, told the San Jose nine percent of the voting public still apply. $90 million a year, money that Mercury News. “States that have were in favor of the proposition, The new law also gives nearly can be used to fund schools and already made some changes to while only 31 percent opposed it. 3,000 inmates now serving life decrease the burden on taxpayers. their sentencing laws may be Under the old version of terms under the Three Strikes Mike Reynolds, who wrote the inspired to take a second look, California’s Three Strikes law, a life law a means to ask for a original Three Strikes law after and states that haven’t made sentence could be handed down reduced sentence. his daughter, Kimber, died in the significant changes yet may start.” after an offender was convicted California’s Three Strikes law purse snatching, warned that the This is the second time that of his or her third felony – even if was originally passed in 1994, changes will put the safety of California voters have revised the third offense was something after a young woman was killed communities at risk. “It’s a big their state’s Three Strikes law. In as minor as shoplifting. Under the in a 1992 purse snatching by two day for criminals and their attor- 2000, they passed a measure revised law, an offender who has repeat offenders. It was intended neys,” he said to the San Fran- that sent some nonviolent drug two or more serious or violent fel- to keep the most dangerous crimi- cisco Chronicle. offenders to drug treatment ony convictions, and whose third nals behind bars and improve But criminal justice reform ad- instead of prison. conviction is for a less serious, public safety, but many consid- vocates had a more positive take. Also on November 6, a majority Photos.com Inside Journal | Winter 2013 3 Comics Tell Inmate Stories Image courtesy of COMIX35 Image

COMIX35 is looking for a select number of highly talented inmate cartoonists to help produce testimony comic strips like this one. Read the submission guidelines to learn how a chaplain or prison minsitry volunteer can help you apply.

A Q&A with Nate Butler own contexts and languages, up. I looked to my left, and or this edition of so they can understand the there was the prison. Every time Inside Journal, Gospel. I went down the hill I felt the Managing Editor prompting to look at that prison. A.R. Quinn sat IJ: How did you get started in I asked God, “Why are you down to talk comics and cartooning? telling me this?” I didn’t hear F with Nate Butler, anything. president, CEO, and co- Nate: When I was four years old But eventually I realized that founder of COMIX35, a unique I saw Dick Tracy in the paper prison is a culture - it has a Christian comics ministry. … I told my mother, “That’s language all its own. Maybe I Before founding COMIX35, what I’m gonna be – the guy am supposed to help do that Nate spent two decades as who draws Dick Tracy.” I started in prisons. Eventually we had a cartoonist, commercial art- drawing, and I never made one of our cartooning seminars ist, and writer/illustrator. He any other plans for my life. My at the Radgowski Correctional worked for clients such as Jim mother was an amateur artist Institution. I learned in the Henson Productions, Weekly and supportive. My dad was process that there’s lots of Reader, Children’s Television a little skeptical. He wanted institutional concerns. Inmates Network, DC Comics, and me to have security, but God in prison have very limited sup- Kings Features Syndicate, and opened all the doors. I worked plies. There are problems with he has done comic scriptwrit- for a while in the newspaper printing in colored ink … And ing for Modern Publishing, business and then went into of course no staples. We came Archie Comics, and Marvel freelancing commercial art … up with these black-and-white Comics. Through the years, he I looked back at some point folding tracts on enameled has worked on many inter- and realized God had put me paper. When we first started, my nationally known characters through this life-long training idea was inmates doing their such as Archie & Jughead, program to know everything own stories. The first tract we The Muppets, Popeye, Barbie, about producing and printing did we did professionally just as Heathcliff, Bugs Bunny, Tiny comics. My vision was small – an example to show them. The Toons, Mighty Mouse, Rocky to produce Christian comics. person that ended up doing [ex- & Bullwinkle, Snuffy Smith, prisoner and worship leader] Animated Batman, The Jet- IJ: Eventually you started Bobby McGee’s tract does not sons, Berenstain Bears, Tom hosting seminars so people want to do his own story, but he & Jerry, and more. from all over the world could is an excellent artist and story- learn how to produce Christian teller. He is working on another IJ: What’s behind the name of comics to explain the Gos- one now for [ex-prisoner and your organization, COMIX35? pel to people in their home prison minister] Manny Mill. cultures. How did you start to Nate: COMIX35 comes from apply your ministry to prison IJ: Do you think these comics Exodus 35:30-35, where God inmates? telling the real-life stories of gifts certain artisans who are inmates and former inmates on comics his eyes just lit up creating the works of art for the Nate: I was married for 30 will be well-received? … Comics are just something tabernacle. He doesn’t just give years to my first wife, Susan. everyone can relate to. them the calling, but He also Before she died from ovar- Nate: A while ago I went down inspires them to teach these ian cancer, she and I went up to [the Louisiana State Peniten- Are you an aspiring cartoonist? artistic abilities to others. to Colorado for vacation. We tiary at] Angola. I wasn’t sure Read the submission guidelines © 2013 by Prison Fellowship stayed at this charming bed what I could bring in, so I didn’t carefully to learn how your INSIDE JOURNAL® is published 4 times a year IJ: Why have a Christian by Prison Fellowship Ministries, and breakfast. We had to drive bring any of our comics. We work can be considered by the P.O. Box 1790, Ashburn, VA 20146-1790, comics ministry? down the mountain into the were walking around visit- professionals at COMIX35. www.prisonfellowship.org • (703)478-0100 town to get groceries or go to a ing cells, and I offered a New Managing Editor, A.R. Quinn; Writers, John Byrne, Ruth Chodniewicz, A.R. Quinn, Steve Rempe; Nate: Comics are really ac- restaurant … We were driv- Testament to this one young Important: Do NOT send Graphic Designer, Sheri Powell

cessible to people all over the ing down the hill and I looked guy. He pushed it right back. He submissions to Inside Journal. A member of the world. Our whole thing is about to my right, and there was a said, “Do you know how many Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability, Send submissions to COMIX35 and the American Correctional Association. helping people within their prison. I felt like the Lord was of those have been offered to in New Mexico via your Prison Fellowship® is a registered trademark unique cultures produce their saying, “Look at that.” We went me?” But we kept talking, and chaplain, program coordinator, of Prison Fellowship Ministries®. own comics for people in their down the hill and came back I soon as I told him I worked or ministry volunteer. n

4 Inside Journal | Winter 2013