Angola Prison Receives A Birthday Gift

"The Angola prison once was called the “bloodiest prison in the nation. When Cain came as warden more than a dozen years ago, he began a campaign to introduce the Gospel to inmates.

A July 2009 state correction systems press release reported that some 2,500 inmates participate in “moral rehabilitation programs” at the prison and that violence is at an all-time low."

Read this fascinating article by Marilyn Stewart of the Baptist Press: http://theprayerlink.com/

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Random Acts of Kindness

This week, Joyce Meyer asked viewers to participate in a Love Revolution. She defines this as Christians taking their beliefs and putting them into action on a daily basis with random acts of kindness. Joyce suggested that each of us commit to three acts of kindness every day.

She said, "Just think of the impact on our world."

Some of her examples included buying coffee for the next person in line at Starbucks or giving a bigger tip because God tells you to. But she also explained that an act of kindness doesn't have to be monetary. It's something everyone can do. We all encounter individuals who need encouragement, who would like someone to pray with them, or just want a friend to listen.

When I visit the jail on Wednesday nights, I am always amazed how the women inmates minister to others. One might lead the block in prayer every evening. Another takes the time to teach a cellmate how to read so she can understand her Bible. Women who know how to braid hair will spend hours making someone feel pampered and pretty.

This past week a young woman sang a few lines from a song she had heard. Her voice was so beautiful the group cheered and asked her to sing it again.

"I don't know the name of the song," she said. "And I don't know all the words, but it was taught to me by a lady in another jail. She was doing a long sentence and having a hard time. I sang the song to her through the vent every night before she went to sleep."

Random Acts of Kindness.

Let's all join the Love Revolution!

Learn more at: http://www.joycemeyer.org/ourministries/broadcast/

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Visit: www.TheWomenOfBlock12.com

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Do Drug Courts Really Work?

Several Wisconsin counties now offer Drug Courts as an alternative to jail or prison time for offenders addicted to drugs and/or alcohol. According to an article by Katherine Vinehout in today's Tomah Journal, http://www.tomahjournal.com/articles/2009/10/11/opinion/02vinehoutcolumn.txt, The cost per year for an individual in drug court is about $7,500 compared to $28,000 in a Wisconsin prison or $14,000 in a county jail.

Drug court provides long term treatment and court supervision while the individual remains in the community with their family. According to Vinehout, a study by the Michigan Supreme Court in 2007 revealed that "offenders sentenced to traditional probation were 19 times more likely to be re-arrested for drunk driving than a drug court participant."

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Read more about offenders and substance abuse at: http://www.TheWomenOfBlock12.com

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