July, 2008

For the first time in U.S. history, more than one of every 100 adults is in jail or prison, according to a news report released by Associated Press, documenting America’s rank as the world’s No. 1 incarcerator. Using state-by-state data, the report says 2,319,258 Americans were in jail or prison at the start of 2008 – one out of every 99.1 adults.

These staggering statistics reflect a “record-high ratio of Americans in prison (750 per 100,000 people).” The report said the United States incarcerates more people than any other nation (1,596,127 in prison and 723,131 in jail), far ahead of more populous China with 1.5 million people behind bars, and Russia with 628 per 100,000.

But the good news is that any prisoner in any prison in America has access to Bibles, Bible correspondence courses and Christian literature. And that’s where ARM Prison Outreach comes in. Thanks to you and Christians like you, the life-changing message of the gospel is being proclaimed in correctional facilities all across America.

ARM has formed a partnership with CROSSWAYS INTERNATIONAL to teach their See through the Scriptures Seminars in jails and prisons. In fact, I just returned from teaching two such Bible-based programs at two prisons in Northeast New York. I expected great results and I was not disappointed in their eagerness receive the Gospel.

We have also aligned ourselves with the AMERICAN BIBLE SOCIETY, the world’s largest and oldest Bible society, headquartered in New York City. Last year we shipped 153,076 Bibles to prisoners. ABS provides the Bibles free of charge to ARM and we supply warehousing, packing and shipping of the scriptures to the prisons.

In addition, over 5 million Christian greeting cards were shipped to the prisons last year, more than 28,000 inmates are enrolled in the ABA, and some 1,357 ARM baptistries have been placed in America’s prisons. So yes, the news sounds bad at first, but thanks to God and friends like you, we are making an impact in prisoners’ lives.

Saved to serve the Savior,

Joe Garman, A.R.M. President

I Peter 5:6-7