OpinionPoliticsLiving FaithRacial Justice

How Do I Love My Incarcerated Neighbor?

By Serena Puang
A prison employee reads letters from inmates to their sons at San Quentin state prison in San Quentin, California June 8, 2012. An annual Fathers' Day event, "Get On The Bus" brings children in California to visit their fathers in prison. Sixty percent of parents in state prison report being held over 100 miles (161 km) from their children. Regular prison visits lower rates of recidivism for the parent, and make the child better emotionally adjusted and less likely to become delinquent, according to The Center for Restorative Justice Works, the non-profit organization that runs the "Get on the Bus" program. Picture taken June 8, 2012. Credit: Reuters/Lucy Nicholson.
Dec 2, 2024
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As a Christian, I spend a lot of time meditating on what it means to love those who have been incarcerated. These people are a specific group Jesus names in Matthew 25:36-40, saying that when we visit people in prison, we’re visiting him. Throughout the Bible, God demonstrates a concern for the marginalized. When Christians meditate on what it means to love our neighbor (Matthew 22:37-39), we shouldn’t only think of those who live next door to us, but also those who are imprisoned. But with literal walls and bars separating the incarcerated population from the rest of society, what does it actually mean to love your incarcerated neighbor?

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A prison employee reads letters from inmates to their sons at San Quentin state prison in San Quentin, California June 8, 2012. An annual Fathers' Day event, "Get On The Bus" brings children in California to visit their fathers in prison. Sixty percent of parents in state prison report being held over 100 miles (161 km) from their children. Regular prison visits lower rates of recidivism for the parent, and make the child better emotionally adjusted and less likely to become delinquent, according to The Center for Restorative Justice Works, the non-profit organization that runs the "Get on the Bus" program. Picture taken June 8, 2012. Credit: Reuters/Lucy Nicholson.