Tuesday, 6 November 2018

Expert Review Of Naked As A Jailbird

By Harold Campbell


What comes to mind when you think of people in prison and the entire prison environment? For most people, these are condemned human beings who no one would want to be associated with. Some wish they had name tags and other marks that can distinguish them from other people rated as normal. Naked as a Jailbird is an eye opener that will open your mind on what it means to be in prison, as a convict or people associated with them.

Richard Shaw is a chaplain who has to take the Word of God to prisoners. This might appear like a responsibility of chaplains and therefore a duty that must be performed, regardless of prevailing circumstances. However, there is more to ministering and spending time with prisoners than just talking about God and his salvation.

It is not lost to Richard Shaw that the society labels these prisoners as criminals, outcasts and person who deliberately got themselves in the mess. It is only when you spend time with them that you realize that there is more to their lives than being criminals. Many people will not believe that some are innocent. Others think that this claim is made to justify incarceration. Richard Shaw has a different story to tell.

And how is prison life? Where is hope while the justice system has condemned you to life in prison? What is the role of religion in such a setting, a religion that preaches on forgiveness and repentance? These are deep philosophical questions that Richard seeks to explore in this book. The answers will surprise you just like some of the cases described in this book.

How about the ministers assigned to prisons? Is this a responsibility that everyone and anyone can take up? This question is tough to answer. There is a valley of difference in the people imprisoned and those roaming free. If a minister or worker is to find satisfaction and make prisoners to feel humane, it will take the Grace of God. Richard Shaw testifies to this.

The author questions the role played by prisons in the society and world today. They are supposed to be agents of change, yet this is not demonstrated in what one finds with imprisoned people. In fact, the writer points out that people change as soon as the reality strikes that they are imprisoned. However, they are never accorded the benefit of living the change outside. This makes prison a gate to eternal condemnation, an aspect that is not part of their foundation principle.

The author chose the name Naked for a reason. It shows that prisoners are stripped to the last cloth, an exercise that takes place at the gate. One wonders what else is taken away from them. According to the author, the person who goes inside prison will never come out. A different one walks out of those gates, Naked.

The book is a fast read and enlightening text that will change your perspective of people in prisons. It gives you a different idea of prison life and the people who work in the system, directly or indirectly. From the book, no one ever enjoys a minute behind bars, for whatever reason.




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