After months of Bible study with a group from the Adventist Church, eight inmates at the Presidente Dutra prison in southern Maranhão, Brazil, decided to be baptized. During a special program on a Monday that deviated from the prison routine, the baptism took place.

Among the baptized inmates was Genilvam Soares, 45, who says he is experiencing a freedom he never imagined he would have: “I have been reborn into a new life, this is a new beginning. Jesus touched my heart and I opened the door to Him."

Among the guards, prison staff, and church volunteers were Teodoro Pereira, the father of one of the inmates who was baptized. He said it was an emotional moment to see his eldest son determined to follow a new path: “It’s an inexplicable feeling, I’m so happy, I haven’t seen him in nine months. I thank the church for these wonderful people who led him to Jesus,” he said.

Antônio Tavares, an Adventist pastor, reinforces the church’s commitment to Jesus’ invitation, expressed in Matthew 25:43. “I was in prison, and you came to me ... it is to bring the hope of salvation. We are satisfied with the work of the Adventist Church, and we will continue to move forward,” he said.

Bible Study and Behavioral Changes

The work at the Presidente Dutra penitentiary is consistent. It began in 2018, and since then, 38 people have been baptized in the Adventist Church.

Led by Maria Enedina Duarte, a 66-year-old missionary, the group of seven people who make up the Adventist Prison Ministry in the region, visit the penitentiary pavilions every week, giving prisoners the opportunity to discover in the Bible that there is freedom in Jesus.

“The Word of God does not return empty. Every time one of them decides to follow Jesus, it is a great joy for us. The goal of our team is to bring salvation, because here there is a need for people to be saved, that is why we are here rain or shine,” he emphasized.

These periodic visits, according to Samuel Soares, director of the prison unit, have positive effects on the prisoners: “Seeing the baptism of the inmates is seeing the materialization of the commitment we have to religious assistance, a very important factor for social reintegration, which aims to prepare these men for a good return to society,” he assures.

In addition to the Bible Class, Atailson de Sousa, a pastor, goes through the prison cells preaching the Word of God every Monday; a persistent work that requires time and dedication: “I feel that I was chosen by the Lord. It is not easy to speak of God inside a prison, but we seek strength in Him, and the prisoners are certainly grateful because we show them a different path, one that transforms”, he guarantees.

Prison Population on the Rise in Brazil

According to experts, there is a global trend towards an increase in “mass incarceration”. In Brazil, the number of prisoners increased from 826.8 thousand to 839.7 thousand from December 2022 to June 2023, an increase of 0.8%, according to figures released by the National Penitentiary Department Information System - Sisdepen. In summary, there are currently 839.7 thousand people in state and federal prisons and under house arrest in the country.

In Maranhão, the prison population is close to 12,000 people, of which almost 550 are women. The data is striking, and the scenario is complex. The reduction in crime rates, arrests, and recidivism involves a series of social and governmental factors.

For both society and those in the prison system, the work of resocialization appears as a light at the end of the tunnel, although without guarantees that there will be no return to the practice of other crimes.

In the municipality of Davinópolis, evangelistic activities in the city's prison were recently resumed. About 20 inmates study the Bible weekly.

Genivaldo Ribeiro, one of the Bible instructors, reports that one of the main needs of these people is to be seen as human beings. “Our presence means a lot to them. After all, we have contact with people who are completely excluded from society. There are people there who don’t even have family visits. The setting is ideal for showing the love of Jesus,” he assures.

For Tiago Santos, a pastor in this region, the experience is unique, and all the effort is worth it: “The environment is the main challenge. We clearly see how the gospel has the power to free even those who are behind bars. I hope that prisoners of sin, inside and outside a prison, can find real freedom in Christ,” he concludes.

The original article was published on the South American Division Portuguese website.