Raquel Vieira, who heads up the Brazilian division of Emmanuel Press, singing to the inmates

Like many countries around the world Brazil has a problem with crime, but nothing to compare with other countries. The average age in prison is 20 and drugs are a real problem. What is so refreshing is that, rather than talk about it, when faced with a problem the Authorities deal with it. For example a few years ago there was a very large prison in the Sao Paulo region of more than 25,000 inmates, and then there was a riot and over 1000 people died.
The authorities immediately closed the prison, dispersed the remaining inmates to small units and built 20 new prisons. Further, two years ago they retired all the “old guard” military types and now employ young, qualified people who have a passion and vocation for their work.

from the Director and his senior staff could not have been warmer. We talked to the pastors of the inmates and shared with them

After our third prison visit we came away stunned by what we saw. Two prisons, close together in a group, the first of which had been visited by Dean Skinner, our Director, about 18 months ago. We were invited to the second prison and another hearty welcome. A lady came out to greet us glowing with the love of Jesus.  We understand that a number of committed Christians work in that particular prison.

So Raquel and I came away with the firm conviction that the efforts the Brazilian authorities were making, to ensure that as few inmates as possible would ever return to prison, were achieving their desired aims and accomplishing this through the education and training programmes which enable inmates to return to society as better citizens.

We at Emmanuel Press consider it a privilege to be a part of the life changing process taking place in already more than 1300 inmates who are now our students.  We trust for many more to be swept into the Kingdom of God in spite of their current ‘earthly’ conditions.

John Hooker
Prison Literature Coordinator