Winning Souls in Australian Prisons

Many of us already know that prison Chaplains do amazing work with prisoners, and the number of prisoners who find faith in God is astounding! It’s not unusual for prisoners to feel forgotten, and that’s made prisons fertile ground for love, faith, and support through the work of prison Chaplains.

In this 20Twenty discussion with Neil Johnson, we check in on the life transforming work of a prison Chaplain. Shaun Marsh is a prison Chaplain in Queensland with ‘Carinity: Inside Out Prison Service’, an outreach of the Queensland Baptists.

Shaun says that often people don’t really recognise just how often prisoners are finding God in prison, but it’s happening all the time. Many of these people have never experienced love, so the love of God is something that’s completely new.

“The best and easiest thing for a Chaplain to do is just listen, and part of our role as pastoral carers is to hear their stories. I don’t think about my own story and try and interject, I just like to listen and show them that there are people who care.”

“One of the most fruitful days I have every year is Christmas Day,” Shaun continues. “For the last four years I’ve gone in on Christmas Day. I’m not rostered on, but I go and spend time with the guys and appreciate them and love on them. They ask me questions like why are you here? Why aren’t you with your family? And I simply say, because I can appreciate how difficult this is for you.”

Shaun says that while he can leave the prison and return to his family anytime, it’s a much more difficult environment for those who can’t. “The difference it makes to just care is unbelievable.” It can be challenging for Chaplains to find ways to connect with the work, especially when they don’t have a criminal history.

“I wasn’t a Christian until my early twenties and I’m nearly 48 now. A long time ago I found myself in a situation where I was charged with assault and facing a maximum sentence of two and a half years at the time. I was scared to death as a 17-year-old kid, staring down the barrel of potentially going to prison.” Shaun said that while he witnessed his share of criminal activity growing up, he wasn’t ever really a part of that life. “I can appreciate how easy it is for someone to end up in jail. I could tell you stories literally for hours how one tiny, stupid mistake can lead to a prison sentence. I’ve seen it time and time again.”

Shaun believes that depression and despair contribute to a prisoner’s state of mind when they are trying to work through their life in prison. “You see it quite often and you just have to be there to listen and care and love. I can think of one young fellow recently who had a lot of unpaid speeding tickets, and now he’s in jail.”

“Some people are unapologetic, and quite frankly, they deserve to be there. But there are others too. I like to think my skin’s pretty thick, but one story I heard recently caused me to break down and cry. This man’s life of physical and sexual abuse was beyond belief. No wonder the guy was in jail. He had no hope. He hates, he doesn’t understand love.”

Shaun says it can be a difficult place to work, and he has to keep reminding himself of what scripture says. “We all make judgments, but it depends on whether or not you act upon them. I just remind people of the apostle Paul and Romans 3:23 ‘for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God’. I use that scripture on a regular basis, and it reminds me of all of our fallen state.”

In God’s sight, we’re all equal. We’re all fallen creatures. And that’s the why that helps me talk with these guys.

To hear the rest of Shaun’s fascinating discussion with Neil, listen below.

Tune into 20Twenty and join the conversation with Neil Johnson, weekdays on Vision Christian Radio. Click here for your local times.

More from 20Twenty