Jail Diary: Liz's Story
We arrived at the jail on Sunday for chapel service unsure of what to expect. Most of the inmates we've been interacting with over the last couple of months have recently been released, so we didn't know who would show up. For the first time ever, it looked like no one was going to be there. We were beginning to discuss how long to wait around before calling it a day when Liz bounded into the room. Liz is an enthusiastic and likeable woman in her early 30's. She has been a regular at the chapel services and her positive attitude is always refreshing. She loves singing worship songs.
It was only the three of us, so we pulled our chairs into a tight circle and sang some worship songs together, followed by prayer. I was ready to begin the Bible study but first asked Liz how she was doing. She was upbeat. "If it's ok with you" she said, "I'd like to tell you my story." We avoid asking people at the jail about their crimes, primarily because we want to see them as people Jesus loves; not as car thieves and drunk drivers and prostitutes and drug dealers. But if someone wants to talk about their situation, we will try to listen without judging them.
"Maybe you heard about my case." Liz continued, "It was on the front page of the area newspapers a couple of months ago." I won't go into any details of what she told us. In general terms, Liz worked as a nurse's aid. A patient at the facility where she worked became ill and died. A scandel ensued. Charges of manslaughter and criminal neglect were filed against the owners of the facility and anyone who had cared for the patient. This included Liz. She found out about the charges against her, and the 10+ year prison time they carried, via a front page newspaper story.
Others are fighting the charges, but on her salary, Liz could not afford a lawyer and so had to rely on a court-appointed attorney. The DA offered her a plea bargain: If she pled guilty to neglect, he would drop the manslaughter charge. Since she had no prior criminal record, she would serve less than a year. Alone and under pressure, Liz felt that she had no choice but to accept the bargain.
Now, with a felony record, she would never be able to work in the healthcare field again. In addition to her legal troubles, Liz had recently gotten out of an abusive marriage. She had lost everything.
Yet she glowed with joy as she spoke to us about what a wonderful experience the months in jail had been. She had never been really close to God, but now she felt Him close to her all the time. Once all of the distractions had been stripped away, what remained was the tangible presence of God. She often sensed Him guiding her and sometimes heard His voice. She gushed about how much she had learned of God's love and care for her and how He had taken these awful circumstances and turned them into something beautiful. I reminded her that for the last 2,000 years Christians have sought out solitude and separation from the world; sometimes for a few weeks or months, sometimes for years and sometimes for life; in order to set aside worldly distractions and encumbrances and focus on seeking God.
I can honestly say that she is the most joyous inmate I've ever met. We never did get to the Bible study that I had prepared. We used up our entire chapel time listening to Liz's story. Then the three of us prayed prayers of thanksgiving--with tears in our eyes--and hugged goodbye.
It was only the three of us, so we pulled our chairs into a tight circle and sang some worship songs together, followed by prayer. I was ready to begin the Bible study but first asked Liz how she was doing. She was upbeat. "If it's ok with you" she said, "I'd like to tell you my story." We avoid asking people at the jail about their crimes, primarily because we want to see them as people Jesus loves; not as car thieves and drunk drivers and prostitutes and drug dealers. But if someone wants to talk about their situation, we will try to listen without judging them.
"Maybe you heard about my case." Liz continued, "It was on the front page of the area newspapers a couple of months ago." I won't go into any details of what she told us. In general terms, Liz worked as a nurse's aid. A patient at the facility where she worked became ill and died. A scandel ensued. Charges of manslaughter and criminal neglect were filed against the owners of the facility and anyone who had cared for the patient. This included Liz. She found out about the charges against her, and the 10+ year prison time they carried, via a front page newspaper story.
Others are fighting the charges, but on her salary, Liz could not afford a lawyer and so had to rely on a court-appointed attorney. The DA offered her a plea bargain: If she pled guilty to neglect, he would drop the manslaughter charge. Since she had no prior criminal record, she would serve less than a year. Alone and under pressure, Liz felt that she had no choice but to accept the bargain.
Now, with a felony record, she would never be able to work in the healthcare field again. In addition to her legal troubles, Liz had recently gotten out of an abusive marriage. She had lost everything.
Yet she glowed with joy as she spoke to us about what a wonderful experience the months in jail had been. She had never been really close to God, but now she felt Him close to her all the time. Once all of the distractions had been stripped away, what remained was the tangible presence of God. She often sensed Him guiding her and sometimes heard His voice. She gushed about how much she had learned of God's love and care for her and how He had taken these awful circumstances and turned them into something beautiful. I reminded her that for the last 2,000 years Christians have sought out solitude and separation from the world; sometimes for a few weeks or months, sometimes for years and sometimes for life; in order to set aside worldly distractions and encumbrances and focus on seeking God.
I can honestly say that she is the most joyous inmate I've ever met. We never did get to the Bible study that I had prepared. We used up our entire chapel time listening to Liz's story. Then the three of us prayed prayers of thanksgiving--with tears in our eyes--and hugged goodbye.
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