ExtraGive November 17, 2023

Looking for Jesus in Prison

     Presently, our primary work is our Matthew 25:36 project, where Jesus says, “I was in prison, and you visited me”. Justice & Mercy, through the PA Prison Society (PPS), has the right and responsibility to visit any prisoner in private throughout the State of PA, in County Jails and State prisons. We’re able to make a substantial difference in many prisoners lives through letters, phone calls, emails, and occasionally personal visits in the prison. Unfortunately, we do not have the resources to visit all the requests we get. That’s where you come in.

Hearing Inmates Problems

     When inmates’ problems at the prison can be solved without a personal visit, it’s much more economical. The hard work is being able to understand the problem a prisoner faces, and then come up with a solution that works for the prisoner, his family, and the prison, plus the people of PA.  This requires time, equaling $100-1,000 per solution. There is no true justice without some mercy. Unfortunately, nobody is perfect, and no one can afford to throw the first stone. We work hard to get to the right decision for everyone involved. Thank you for helping us do the right thing.

Tough Problems are a little Harder & Impossibilities Take a Lot Longer 

     Of course, there are much tougher cases that we work on like alternate sentencing before a person goes to trial, helping deserving people get parole and a home plan that guarantees successful reentry into society. Then there are the innocent people who’ve been convicted of a crime they didn’t commit, called wrongful conviction. Justice & Mercy has served on the Innocence Commission appointed by the Senate of PA for a three-year period, and we are amazed how many innocent people are serving a murder conviction where the exculpatory evidence has proved they’re innocent and they’ve been set free. Unfortunately, we’ve only touched the tip of the iceberg. Finding the truth about innocence or guilt can be lengthy and expensive process. Along with other organizations, Justice & Mercy estimates we’ve been able to help about 300 people get set free in PA, through discovery of exculpatory evidence or DNA testing. This process can take 5-20 years as the truth is not always easy to discover. The problem with convicting an innocent person is, the real perpetrator is still out there committing more crimes. Justice & Mercy works at improving public policy and improving the criminal justice world, so we get the right perpetrator the first time. 

Good relationships with Public Officials Are Important 

     After it’s all said and done, sometimes your prayers are the only thing that make the difference. Revelations 8:3-4 paraphrased says God is still hearing our prayers and an Angel who stands before the throne is offering our prayers up to God. Please keep praying and giving, as God is still on the throne. 

     Thank you so much for your help, and may God bless you a hundred-fold for all you do, and give, and pray.

Dr. Tom Zeager, President

Justice & Mercy, Inc.